Build the Future Grant

Click here to access the grant portal.

Watch a recording of the October 14 grant workshop here. PowerPoint slides from the presentation can be found here. If you want to have a one on one call about your grant application with Todd Trebour, Organizations Program Director, sign up here.

What: Build the Future Grant.
Who: Rhode Island based 501(c)3 nonprofit arts and culture or culturally specific organizations, and secondary schools.
What: To support programs that provide participants insight and experience in the arts and/or design industry, or in which arts and design skills are used to prepare and support participants for careers or business ownership in any field.
Amount: $10,000 to $40,000.

Grant Summary

RISCA Build the Future Grants (BTFG) is a pandemic recovery grant program that will provide between $10,000 and $40,000 in support of existing workforce development programs for arts and culture organizations, culturally specific organizations or secondary schools in Rhode Island. These programs must provide career and technical training to a cohort of individuals over the age of 14, preparing them for career entry, career advancement or postsecondary education. Supported by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, this program will support the arts and culture sectors response to and recovery from the pandemic by preparing Rhode Island residents for gainful employment in the creative sector and beyond.

Qualifying workforce development programs include:

Programs providing participants insight and experience in the arts and/or design industry, including artist specific business skills.
Programs in which arts and design skills are used to prepare and support participants for careers or business ownership in any field.

Qualifying workforce development programs will have sequential learning for a cohort group. Learning environments may include either classroom style learning, like lectures and workshops, or work-based and experiential learning. Programs with classroom style and experiential learning are preferred.

This grant program will include hour-long monthly calls throughout the project period, during which grantees will share back their work, ask questions of one another and RISCA staff and provide peer support. We expect to award between four and eight of these grants.

For more information on what support opportunities are currently available, visit the RISCA website: https://risca.online/.

Meet RISCA’s Organizations Program Director, Todd Trebour. Todd is available to help you with your application!

Todd Trebour (he/him/his) is the Organizations Program Director at RISCA. Todd manages and oversees the agency’s support for organizations, including grants, programs, and services. Since 2018, he has seen a doubling in the number of applications to the Arts Access project grant program for nonprofit organizations thanks to intensive and continuous outreach to Rhode Island communities. Prior to working at RISCA, Todd held several arts management positions in New England, most recently as the Program Coordinator for the UMass Amherst Arts Extension Service, a national arts service organization and the arts management program at the University. Before transitioning into arts management, Todd worked for eight years as a freelance operatic performer working in Texas, Massachusetts, Halifax NS, and many points in between. Introduce yourself to Todd by emailing him at todd.trebour@arts.ri.gov.

Who is eligible to apply for this program?

To be eligible, you must:

Be an arts and culture non-profit or a culturally specific non-profit organization or secondary school based in Rhode Island.
- Non-profit: Your organization must be incorporated in, headquartered, and conducting business in the state of Rhode Island, with 501(c)3 tax exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service, registered with the Rhode Island Secretary of State, governed by a revolving board of directors, trustees, or advisory board drawn from the community* at large and shown to be actively involved in the governance of the organization. The organization must have a Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN), a UEI (SAM) number, and have received federal tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
  - Arts and culture organizations have as their primary mission regular cultural programs or services. An organization that includes arts and culture as a primary and major focus of a larger mission may apply, if its larger mission is centered in engaging a specific cultural group.
  - Culturally specific organization: an organization with a significant arts and cultural program that engages a specific cultural community but might not have arts and culture as their primary mission. Many of these organizations were established to address the needs and desires communities that were historically (and in many cases continuously) marginalized from receiving equitable access to existing programs. Many of these non-arts organizations evolved to support their communities in holistic ways and as a result developed significant and meaningful arts and cultural programs to better address the needs of their communities.

Secondary schools based in Rhode Island (public, public charter, career and technical centers) that are not-for-profit organizations and offer state approved arts or design career and technical programs, may apply. The school must appear on this list from the R.I. Department of Education.
Present programming in ADA accessible spaces. Persons with disabilities have the right to access all RISCA-funded programs. Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 states, in part, that “no otherwise qualified person with a disability…shall solely by reason of their disability be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all programming facilities meet or exceed Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards for audience members and are accessible to all. In general, Rhode Island arts facilities, and the managers of arts projects in Rhode Island, must make their programs as accessible as possible to the widest number of people and work to remove barriers that may block accessibility. This includes addressing the structural, programmatic, communication and attitudinal barriers that keep people with disabilities from fully participating in arts programs. See https://www.arts.gov/impact/accessibility/publications-checklists-and-resources or more information. If your facilities for presenting public programming (or facilities you use for programming) do not meet any one of the standards of the ADA, you are not in compliance and may be ineligible for RISCA funding.

NOTE: Organizations receiving a General Operating Support for Organizations grant from RISCA are eligible to apply for this grant program.

I have a disability – what kind of assistance can RISCA provide me with my application?

Applicants who need assistance completing an application should contact Todd Trebour at todd.trebour@arts.ri.gov in advance of the deadline. RISCA can provide – or arrange for the provision of – whatever assistance you require. For individuals with disabilities for whom writing a grant is prohibitive, RISCA can arrange for transcription support if applicants disclose their needs. Please contact Todd at least three weeks prior to the deadline.

I’m not comfortable writing or communicating in English – what kind of assistance can RISCA provide me with my application?

Applicants who need assistance completing an application should contact Todd Trebour at todd.trebour@arts.ri.gov in advance of the deadline. RISCA can arrange for the provision of translation support for your application. We recommend you notify us at least three weeks prior to the application deadline as we work with outside translation services.

Before I even think about applying for this grant, what are the two most important things I need to know?

First, RISCA staff members are here to help you with your application – it is a big part of their job. Your email will not annoy them but please understand that it might take them a bit to respond since they will have many requests from other applicants.
Second, read these grant guidelines at least twice before contacting Todd as they will answer 95 percent of your questions and save you both time. That way you can spend your time together focusing on your project and your application.

What are the deadlines for this program and the time periods for what they fund?

The deadline to apply for Build the Future Grant is Friday, Oct. 28, at 5p.m. The project must take place between Jan. 1, 2023, and June 30, 2023.

What are examples of the kind of projects this grant program typically will fund?

Example One: Technical Theatre CTE Pathway – Students explore advanced set design and construction techniques; the creative process involved in translating a script into a visual design; and the essentials of developing costumes, props, lighting and sound designs. Through work-based learning, students acquire behind-the-scenes stage experience through the production of two to three shows during the year. Students who complete the course and pass an operations test with the district and can become employed by the district to work in the Performing Arts Centers.
Example Two: Business Basics Bootcamp. A 12-week, sequential learning program that focuses on a business start-up for artists and creatives. With office hours and specific assignments, participants will learn about business entities, taxes, marketing, budgeting, intellectual property and more. By the end of the program, artists will have incorporated their businesses with the state; have marketing plans; have a one-year budget; and a focus on goal setting.
Example Three: JXTAlabs trains youth ages 14- to 21-years-old in a variety of art practices, and then pairs them with a mentor that supervises them as they take on paying jobs in graphic design, textiles and screen printing, urban planning and more. These apprenticeships, paired with workforce training, last for one year and the apprentices are paid $12.25 per hour.

What other rules do I need to know about the Build the Future grant program?

The maximum grant award in this category is $40,000. You can apply for any amount between $10,000 and $40,000.
Only one application per grant deadline per grant program. Organizations may only submit one application to this grant program.
If you receive a grant, you must credit RISCA on all marketing materials. Grants awarded by RISCA are provided by the R.I. General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), a federal agency, on behalf of the residents of Rhode Island. For that reason, awardees must credit RISCA on all printed material where funders and supporters are listed and on all printed programs. (See I got a grant award! What do I do now? section for more details.)
All RISCA grant awards are contingent upon the availability of funds from the R.I. General Assembly and the NEA. Sometimes delays in passing the state budget will delay grant award notifications and processing of grant payments – we can’t award grants if we don’t know for sure we will have the funds.
Grant applications are considered on a competitive basis. Your application may meet all the eligibility criteria and be incredibly meaningful but remember that there are anywhere between 20-40 other applications in an application cycle that are also amazing. Because of the many high-quality projects, panels always wish to award more grant awards than they are able with the funds they have.
All grantees are subject to periodic audit or review by RISCA or the State of Rhode Island. Grantees must retain fiscal records for a period of seven (7) years following completion of the grant period.
Fiscally sponsored projects are NOT eligible. The applicant organization must be a 501(c)3 incorporated in Rhode Island.
This project may not receive other funding from RISCA in the same fiscal year. There cannot be another application to support this project or aspects of this project through another RISCA granting program.
All project activities must take place within Rhode Island.

What can I use my grant award for? And what CAN’T I use my grant award for?

Awardees who receive a grant in this program may use funds towards the following costs associated with their workforce development program:

Administrative staff costs (e.g. salaries, stipends).
Artist fees.
Rent, utilities, or insurance costs.
Fees paid to contractors/consultants for adapting to outdoor and virtual activities.
Marketing and promotion costs.
Costs associated with health and safety supplies for staff and/or the public.

There are many things your grant awards cannot be used for. Because RISCA grants out money from the National Endowment for the Arts, we are obligated to follow these rules set forth by the NEA. Expenses that cannot be covered by your grant award:

New workforce development programs. Per the requirements of these NEA sourced ARPA funds, grants can only support existing workforce development programs. Existing workforce development programs that have experienced some modification due to the pandemic are eligible.
Programs that occur in spaces that are not ADA compliant. Persons with disabilities have the right to access all RISCA-funded programs. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act states, in part, that “no otherwise qualified person with a disability … shall solely by reason of their disability be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.”It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all programs and facilities meet or exceed Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards and are accessible to all. Rhode Island arts facilities, and the managers of arts projects in Rhode Island, must make their programs as accessible as possible to the widest number of people and work to remove barriers that may block accessibility. This includes addressing the structural, programmatic, communication and attitudinal barriers that keep people with disabilities from fully participating in arts programs. For more information, visit the NEA website: https://www.arts.gov/impact/accessibility/publications-checklists-and-resources. If your facilities lack any one of the standards of the ADA, you are not in compliance and may be ineligible for RISCA funding.
Capital projects. The construction or renovation of buildings or additions to buildings or purchase of any equipment of more than $5,000.
Development: Any development or fundraising efforts, such as social events, benefits or online fundraisers.
Prizes and awards. You may not spend funds on a prize or award for another event/person/organization.
Hospitality Expenses. Purchase of alcohol with grant funds is strictly prohibited. This includes food and beverages for openings or receptions.
Expenses outside of award period. Your grant award can’t be used to cover expenses incurred or activities occurring outside of the award period, which is January 1, 2023, through June 30, 2023.
Regranting funds. You may not use these grant funds to support grants to other artists or organizations through an application or award process.
Undergraduate or graduate school activities. You may not use these grant funds for activities which are part of a graduate or undergraduate degree program, or for which academic credit is received.
Religious activities. You may not use these grant funds for projects that proselytize or promote religious activities, or which take place as part of a religious service.
Private functions. You may not use these grant funds for any programming that is not available/accessible to the general public.

Who makes grant award decisions at RISCA?

Because RISCA is a state agency granting out taxpayer funds, RISCA staff does NOT make any funding decisions. This is great news for applicants! RISCA staff is available to answer questions and help applicants with their applications.

The Build the Future grant review panel will be made up of five people:

A minimum of two panel members will be a BIPOC individual (see definition in glossary).
A minimum of one panel member will be a practicing artist (see definition in glossary).
Three of the five panel members will be from out of state, while the other two will be living and/or working in Rhode Island.

RISCA is committed to a peer review process that provides fresh and diverse input from an ever-changing field. In addition, RISCA will consider age, gender, disability, sexual orientation, geography, discipline of arts experience, relationship to arts and culture (e.g., being an artist, arts administrator, or arts enthusiast), and other factors when curating its application review panels. A panelist can serve on a review panel three times over the course of a three years – which encompasses 6 grant cycles. Panelists cannot serve on a panel in the same grant program during the three-year period. This ensures a changing and diverse array of individuals evaluating our grant applications and guarantees that panels are different every grant cycle. Panelists receive a small stipend of $350 for their time and expertise.

How are grant applications evaluated by a panel?

You can view the full rubric grant panelists use to score your application on the grant page. The three review criteria are:

Program Outcomes (50%)

Project has a clearly defined target audience and estimated participation is reasonable.
The expected outcomes, or results, of the project are clearly stated and correlate with the project’s goals.
The impact of the project on the participants is clearly described.
Creates opportunities for all R.I. residents to learn in and from the arts, particularly persons in under-resourced geographic communities, and/or historically and/or continuously marginalized populations.

Feasibility/Likelihood of Success (25%)

The application clearly states:
- what will be done.
- when and where things will take place.
- why the project should be supported with public funds.
- how the applicant will go about organizing, managing, and evaluating the project.
Budgets are clear, detailed and accurate; the planned allocation of funds supports project goals.
There are realistic and effective measurement mechanisms that are directly tied to the project’s definition of success.
There is evidence that what is proposed is achievable by the applicant, on their own or in partnership with others. In the absence of past experience, information is provided that helps make a convincing case that this project will succeed.

Artistic Excellence and Relevance (25%)

Demonstrates ability to provide an excellent and intentional experience for the participants.
This organization can provide relevant and respectful engagement with the identified community.
Project provides opportunities to participate in art experiences that are either not available or currently difficult to access for the identified audience.
There is a clear relationship between mission, organizational community, and this proposed program.

What are the steps in the decision-making process for grant awards?

There are 12-steps in RISCA’s decision-making process for Build the Future grant awards:

STEP 1: A RISCA staff member assembles the grant panels starting prior to the grant deadline. While this starts prior to the grant deadline, it often continues after the grant deadline once it is clear how many applications have been received, how many are eligible, and how many panels are needed.
STEP 2: You submit your application by the grant deadline. Once the application deadline passes, no alterations or additions may be made to your application. Applications are reviewed by the grant panel based on the contents of your application only.
STEP 3: A RISCA staff member reviews applications and makes sure they are eligible. A RISCA staff member reviews each application for compliance with eligibility and submission requirements. If an issue is detected, you could be contacted for more information.
STEP 4: RISCA staff provides orientation and training to panelists. Panelists will not receive the applications they are to review until they complete a two-part panel training. The first part focuses on implicit bias; the second part focuses on the logistics of being a panelist, including a review of the applications and rubrics.
STEP 5: RISCA staff sends all eligible applications to the panel.
STEP 6: The panel members review and score their assigned applications. Using the evaluation rubric for the program, panelists have between 2-3 weeks to review applications and score each application prior to their in-person panel meeting. We estimate that the panelists spend approximately 30 minutes reading and scoring each application.
STEP 7: The panel meets for a Panel Review session and makes funding recommendations. The panel then meets in person at RISCA offices or via Zoom to discuss each application. After each discussion, panelists have the option of privately updating their scores. A RISCA staff member facilitates the discussion but does not participate in or influence the discussions. They, along with an additional RISCA staff person, take notes during the panel to share with applicants later. At the end of the day, the panel is shown a spreadsheet that displays the applicants and their total panel scores (meaning the combined total of each panelist’s scores on a given application) in descending order. Using their rankings as a guide, panelists make funding recommendations.
STEP 8: RISCA staff writes panel comments for each applicant. Based on the panel’s discussion, RISCA provides feedback for each applicant on their application, including ways applicants can make improvements for future applications. Whether or not an applicant is recommended for a grant, they will have the option of meeting or having a call with RISCA staff to discuss the panel comments and ways to improve their applications.
STEP 9: RISCA’s Governing Council reviews and approves panel recommendations. RISCA staff presents the panel’s award recommendations to the Governor-appointed Council that oversees RISCA. They are responsible for reviewing and approving panel’s recommended grant awards.
STEP 10: Applicants are notified as to whether they have received a grant award! This will likely happen in mid-December.
STEP 11: Awardees will thoroughly read and sign their grant award agreements, AND register with Ocean State Procures (if necessary). We cannot process your grant payment until you are an approved vendor of the State of Rhode Island (by registering with Ocean State Procures) with an approved W-9 form and you have signed your grant agreement form. Once those things are completed, applicants can assume it will take anywhere between 4-8 weeks to receive their grant payment. In many cases, grant funds may not be received prior to the start of a project. Applicants should be aware of this possibility and plan their cash flow accordingly.
STEP 12: RISCA staff will reach out to applicants and see if they want to discuss their panel comments. This is totally optional – feel free to reach out to RISCA staff before they contact you!

How do I apply for this grant and what things do I need to have to complete the application?

Applications must be submitted online via https://www.grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=artsri. You can view a PDF of the application form on the grant page.

While working on your application, you will want to gather the following materials to submit along with your application:

Project budget, using required budget template.
Three required support materials:
- Example lesson plan.
- Letter of support from a past participant; or letter of interest from a potential participant.
- Resume, CV, or bio of key instructor(s).
Additional optional support materials (you can submit up to three). These optional support materials could include:
- Examples of artwork or products produced by instructors or participants.
- Marketing materials for existing programs (e.g., brochures, link to website pages, screenshots of social media).
- Additional letters of support or testimonials from participants in program, or from employers who benefitted from workforce development program.

I’ve received a grant award! Now what do I do?

Congratulations! First things first, you will want to sign the grant agreement form and register with Ocean State Procures as soon as possible so we can start processing your grant payment. Once completed, your grant payment may take between 4-8 weeks to receive. Read your Grant Award Email thoroughly, as it will have instructions on how to register with Oceans State Procures and how to upload your W-9 to the state payment system.

Other things you will need to do:

You must acknowledge RISCA support in a prominent manner in all materials and announcements, both audio and visual, related to the grant program. Grant recipients must also display, in a prominent manner, the RISCA logo in association with that acknowledgment. Further detail regarding acknowledgment can be found at https://risca.online/grants/public-acknowledgment/.
You must submit a brief final grant report to RISCA via the online grant system. You will not be able to apply for another RISCA grant if you have an overdue final report. The final report will be due July 31, 2023.
You must keep records of receipts and expenditures related to the funding. You should be prepared to make your records available to RISCA if requested by the agency. All grantees are subject to periodic audit or review by RISCA or the State of Rhode Island and must retain fiscal records for a period of seven (7) years following the grant period.
You must notify RISCA staff of any significant changes in your project. Any changes must be reported to RISCA within two (2) months of the change.
The grant must be used exclusively for the purposes specified in the Grant Agreement. Any alternative use of funds needs to be cleared by RISCA staff in advance in writing (by email), or the grant funds must be returned.
RISCA reserves the right to use any submitted materials for promotional purposes. This includes any text, photographs, audio or video submitted as part of funded grant applications for limited non-commercial educational or promotional use in publications or other media produced, used or contracted by RISCA including, but not limited to brochures, invitations, newsletters, postcards, websites, etc.

What is Ocean State Procures and how do I register?

All RISCA grant award recipients need to have an approved vendor profile in the Rhode Island OCEAN STATE PROCURES (OSP) system. This new online registration system is used by the State of Rhode Island for any vendor of the state, not just those working with or receiving grant awards from RISCA. Use the  Vendor Self-Registration Quick Start Guide  (https://www.ridop.ri.gov/documents/vendor-self-registration-quick-start-guide.pdf) for complete details on to fully register and create a login to access your secure Vendor Portal at http://ridop.ri.gov/vendor-registration/.  Please note this is a 2-step process:

Create Vendor Profile – After completing Quick Start Guide step 6 “submit registration”, your login credentials and the login link will be emailed to you (with the subject line: “Welcome to WebProcure!”).
Upload W-9 - Once you have registered (including uploading a new W-9) and been approved by OSP, RISCA can process your award payment.

What if I don’t want my grant award because circumstances have changed and/or I can’t complete the project?

Before deciding to decline your grant award due to changing circumstances or any other reason, we recommend you reach out to RISCA staff to see if you can accomplish your project with some modifications. If you do decide to decline your award, it is totally fine to do so. It will have no bearing on future grant applications you might submit to RISCA. You will send an email to todd.trebour@arts.ri.gov indicating your desire to decline your award, and she will assist you.

Glossary

Practicing Artist – A person that intentionally creates or practices art in any discipline that:

Has sought learning or training in the artistic field from any source, not necessarily in formal academic institutions.
Is committed to devoting significant time to artistic activity, as is possible financially.
Is or is working towards earning some portion of their income from their art.
Disciplines include but are not limited to musician, painter, poet, choreographer, teaching artist, ceramicist, storyteller, performer, playwright, sculptor, photographer, wampum artist, printmaker, animator, cartoonist, textile and fashion designer, and filmmaker.

Arts and Culture Organization: Not-for-profit based groups that provide as their primary mission regular cultural programs or services, which may include producing or presenting a series or regular program of performances, educational programming, exhibitions, media presentations, festivals, readings, or literary publications. Producing is a primary focus on direct creation, production, performance or exhibition of arts; presenting is a primary focus on organizing, selecting or curating and contracting a series, season or festival of performances or events created by other artists and producing groups.

Culturally specific organization: an organization with a significant arts and cultural program that engages a specific cultural community but might not have arts and culture as their primary mission. Many of these organizations were established to address the needs and desires communities that were historically (and in many cases continuously) marginalized from receiving equitable access to existing programs. Many of these non-arts organizations evolved to support their communities in holistic ways and as a result developed significant and meaningful arts and cultural programs to better address the needs of their communities.

BIPOC: Black, Indigenous and People of Color. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/BIPOC

Work-based Learning:

To strengthen the academic performance of all students, work-based learning provides students with real-life work experiences where they can apply and develop their academic, technical, and professional skills. Career Coordinators engage school faculty, staff, administrators, parents and business in a process to understand the importance of integrating work-based learning opportunities into all classes. By accessing and providing information, materials, resources and expertise about work-based learning programs, projects, professional development, and special events Career Coordinators assist their respective school with the integration of work-based learning opportunities and career awareness activities throughout the curriculum.

Work-based projects and activities include:

Internships: Positions for students or trainees to work in an organization, with or without pay, to gain work experience, satisfy requirements for a credential, and/or gain course credit.
Apprenticeships: Highly formal job training experience that involves studying with a master of the trade on the job.
School-based Enterprise: Students produce and sell goods or services in the school and learn about business skills and entrepreneurship. This may be part of an entrepreneurship course, and a business professional may serve as a mentor and advisor for the enterprise.

Links

Build the Future Grant Guidelines (pdf)
Build the Future Grant Question List (pdf)
Build the Future Grant Budget Template (xlsx)
Build the Future Grant Timeline (xlsx)
Build the Future Grant Rubric (pdf)

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