Arts Organization Support grants provide annual operating support for the ongoing artistic and administrative functions of eligible arts organizations during the grant period in alignment with the Indiana Arts Commission's Public Funding Imperatives. The applicant does not request a grant amount. The grant amount is based on the average of the applicant’s last three years of total cash income, panel’s ratings, number of eligible applicants, and the dollars available.
To say arts organizations are important public assets to our communities and state is an understatement. They bind us together, preserve our history, reflect who we are, and inspire our future. They also catalyze community, economic development, and quality of life, all of which contribute to the overall resiliency and sustainability of our state. Right now, in these unprecedented times, arts organizations are striving to survive – they’re reinventing, adapting, or simply hibernating until it’s safe to come back to full public presence. The Indiana Arts Commission recognizes its important role in helping ensure these public assets persevere. Like those we serve, we too are reinventing and revisioning to meet the needs of our sector and state. As such, we have adjusted our Arts Organization Support program to responsibly respond to today’s times.
Download the grant guidelines to learn what's new in Arts Organization Support funding.
The FY22 Arts Organization Support program is open to:
- Current (FY21) grantees of the AOS I, II, and III programs, and
- New applicants to the AOS I program.
Applicants must:
- Be an organization whose primary purpose is arts producing, promoting, presenting service or teaching organization as demonstrated by:
- Significant evidence that it is viewed as an arts organization by its community;
- Arts as core purpose, mission, and focus. The organization’s Articles of Incorporation and/or Bylaws must reflect this core purpose;
- The majority of public programs are arts programs and occur with regular, scheduled frequency throughout the (non-pandemic) year;
- Facility space (indoor and/or outdoor) is utilized predominantly as arts production or arts activity space (as applicable);
- A proportionate amount of operating budget is allocated to direct arts programs and services;
- Provide significant, verifiable arts education-focused programming.
- Be an active private, nonprofit tax-exempt organization with either 501(c)(3) status from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) OR be an Indiana public entity (part of city or county);
- Organizations whose primary purpose is educational or instructional e.g., schools, universities, colleges, etc. are ineligible;
- Any organization whose sole or primary purpose is to fundraise (e.g., “friends of” groups, foundations, etc.) is ineligible;
- Entities that receive state-level operating support or non-project support directly from the Indiana General Assembly are ineligible. This includes any line items/support or contributions from the state within the organization’s operating, facility, or other budgets or the organization being part of a larger state.
- Must be physically located in Indiana, have an address in the region to which the organization is applying, with the majority of its arts programming, services, or activities taking place in Indiana, and must primarily serve and engage Indiana audiences and participants;
- Before applying to the Arts Organization Support, Level I grant program for the first time:
- must have at least three consecutive years of 501c3 operating history (including documented financial history for past three fiscal years) as an Indiana-based arts
organization; and, - be formally approved to apply by the IAC through the Letter of Intent (LOI) process.
- must have at least three consecutive years of 501c3 operating history (including documented financial history for past three fiscal years) as an Indiana-based arts
- Must have a governing body that is representative of the organization’s service area;
- Must annually implement program planning and evaluation processes with input from the community to be served;
- Must have an annual cash operating income of $50,000 or more over a two-year average, as supported by the most recent Financial Statements prior to March 1, 2020;
- All grant recipients must provide a match for every dollar provided by the Indiana Arts Commission with one dollar of the organization’s own funds. The match can include in-kind, but at least 50% of the match must be cash. The cash match can constitute funds from the applicant organization’s budget;
- Must have a DUNS number that reflects organization legal name and current physical address;
- Must not have any outstanding Final Grant Reports due to the Indiana Arts Commission or the Regional
Arts Partner; - Must comply with all federal, state, and local laws and ordinances, including but not limited to those that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, or disability;
- An organization may apply for only one Regional Initiative Grant (APS, AOS I, or AOS II) in the same fiscal year. This includes an organization’s “friends of” or “foundation” arm; and,
- 16. If an organization is approved for two-year funding (FY22-FY23), grantee must submit a final grant report and FY23 plan approved to receive second-year funding. The FY23 amount is not guaranteed to be the same as FY22.
Arts Organization Support III
Must be a current grantee (FY21) of the AOS III program to apply. Applicant must meet all of the following eligibility requirements:
- Be an organization whose primary purpose is arts producing, promoting, presenting service or teaching organization as demonstrated by:
- Significant evidence that it is viewed as an arts organization by its community;
- Arts as core purpose, mission, and focus. The organization’s Articles of Incorporation and/or Bylaws must reflect this core purpose;
- The majority of public programs are arts programs and occur with regular, scheduled frequency throughout the (non-pandemic) year;
- Facility space (indoor and/or outdoor) is utilized predominantly as arts production or arts activity space (as applicable);
- A proportionate amount of operating budget is allocated to direct arts programs and services;
- Provide significant, verifiable arts education-focused programming.
- Be an active private, nonprofit tax-exempt organization with either 501(c)(3) status from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) OR be an Indiana public entity (part of city or county);
- Organizations whose primary purpose is educational or instructional e.g., schools, universities, colleges, etc. are ineligible;
- Any organization whose sole or primary purpose is to fundraise (e.g., “friends of” groups, foundations, etc.) is ineligible;
- Entities that receive state-level operating support or non-project support directly from the Indiana General Assembly are ineligible. This includes any line items/support or contributions from the state within the organization’s operating, facility, or other budgets or the organization being part of a larger state;
- Must be physically located in Indiana, have an address in the region to which the organization is applying, with the majority of its arts programming, services, or activities taking place in Indiana, and must primarily serve and engage Indiana audiences and participants;
- Must have a minimum of five years of tax-exempt operational history as an Indiana-based arts organization;
- Must have a governing body that is representative of the organization’s service area;
- Must annually implement program planning and evaluation processes with input from the community to be served;
- Excluding pass-through dollars (e.g. re-granting dollars), must have an annual cash operating income of $1,000,000 or more over a three-year average, as supported by the last nonpandemic three Financial Statements;
- Must provide and document significant community and multi-regional (region as defined by the IAC) leadership and impact as evidenced by direct programming, services and planning prior to the pandemic;
- Multi-regional can include:
- Extensive community and/or economic development efforts in concert with local, regional, or multi-regional leaders; and/or
- Documented multi-regional school use of applicant-developed arts education curriculum or other related materials/programs.
- Multi-regional can include:
- Must have operated for at least three years according to a strategic or long-range plan adopted by the organization’s governing body;
- Must pay an administrative staff person who reports to the governing body;
- If required by the state of Indiana Office of the Auditor, must have an annual, independent financial audit conducted by a CPA; at a minimum a Financial Statement is required by the IAC.
- All eligible applicants must provide a match for every dollar provided by the Indiana Arts Commission with ten dollars of the organization’s own funds. One hundred percent of the match must be cash and cannot include in- kind donations. The cash match can constitute funds from the applicant organization’s budget;
- Must have a DUNS number that reflects organization legal name and current physical address;
- Must not have any outstanding Final Grant Reports due to the Indiana Arts Commission;
- Must comply with all federal, state, and local laws and ordinances, including but not limited to those that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, or disability;
- An organization may apply for only one of the following grants - APS, AOS I, AOS II, AOS III - in the same fiscal year. This includes an organization’s “friends of” or “foundation” arm, and;
- If an organization is approved for two-year funding (FY22-FY23), grantee must submit a final grant reportand FY23 plan approved to receive second-year funding. The FY23 amount is not guaranteed to be the same as FY22.
There are certain requirements and expectations involved with receiving a grant from the IAC. Read the grant recipient requirements for organizations before you consider applying.
Looking for resources to help you with the application? Click here.
Arts Organization Support I/II grants are administered through Regional Arts Partners. As each region has specific requirements, it's important to download the guidelines for your region. Arts Organization Support III is administered by the Indiana Arts Commission.
The FY22 Arts Organization Support program is open to:
- Current (FY21) grantees of the AOS I, II, and III programs, and
- New applicants to the AOS I program.
AOS II and AOS III are not accepting new applicants. Applicant arts organizations that are not currently funded by the Indiana Arts Commission will be considered for AOS I level funding. For more details, consult the guidelines for the region in which your organization operates. As each region has specific requirements, it's important to download the guidelines for your region.
FY22 Levels I and II Guidelines
- Download Region 1 guidelines
- Download Region 2 guidelines
- Download Region 3 guidelines
- Download Region 4 guidelines
- Download Region 5 guidelines
- Download Region 6 guidelines
- Download Region 7 guidelines
- Download Region 8 guidelines
- Download Region 9 guidelines
- Download Region 10 guidelines
- Download Region 12 guidelines
FY22 Level III Guidelines
Arts Organization Support I/II Contact
Questions about the program itself, application, and panel process should be directed to the applicant’s Regional Arts Partner.
1. Kelly Freeman, South South Arts, kelly@southshoreartsonline.org
2. Kayla Myers, Community Foundation of St. Joseph County, kayla@cfsjc.org
3. Heather Closson, Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne, hclosson@artsunited.org
4. Ann Fields Monical, Tippecanoe Arts Federation, coo@tippecanoearts.org
5. Braydee Euliss, Comm. Found. of Randolph Co., beuliss@randolphcountyfoundation.org
6. Sherri Wright, Arts Illiana, sherri@artsilliana.org
7. Stephanie Haines, Indiana Arts Commission, shaines@iac.in.gov
8. Larry Pejeau, Brown County Community Foundation, larry@bccfin.org
9. Kris Roberts, Columbus Area Arts Council, kroberts@artsincolumbus.org
10. Anne McKim, Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana, anne.mckim@artswin.org
12. Elsa Conboy, Hanover College, conboy@hanover.edu
Arts Organization Support III Contact
Paige Sharp
Deputy Director of Programs
Indiana Arts Commission
psharp@iac.in.gov
(317) 416-8536
Will changes to operations due to COVID-19 impact your FY21 IAC Arts Organization Support (AOS) grant? Click here for guidance.
Level I Organizations with cash operating income under $250,000.
Click here to download the evaluation criteria. | Level II Organizations with cash operating income over $250,000. | Level III The following is an abbreviated list of eligibility requirements for the AOS III program:
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FY21 grants have already been awarded. If you're interested in applying for Arts Organization Support, please consult FY22 guidelines.