Cultural Sustainability

Program Description

Cultural Sustainability, an initiative of The Wallace Foundation in partnership with the six U.S. Regional Arts Organizations, is designed to provide general operating support and collaborative learning opportunities for arts organizations rooted in communities of color with annual operating expenses under $500,000.

Cultural Sustainability acknowledges the invaluable contributions arts and cultural organizations of color make in our communities and the broader cultural landscape. Funded in part by the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, South Arts’ program will strive to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion within the arts sector while learning how organizations that have historically been underrepresented advance sustainability. The initiative is guided by the question: "How do arts organizations founded by, with, and/or for communities of color define and develop their well-being and that of their communities?" (Learn more about The Wallace Foundation’s Advancing Well-Being in the Arts Initiative.)

Building upon our existing programs such as Southern Cultural Treasures and ArtsHERE, Cultural Sustainability continues the conversation around historically underrepresented communities within institutional systems of philanthropy. In addition to research by The Wallace Foundation and collaborations with the U.S. Regional Arts Organizations, South Arts’ criteria for Cultural Sustainability are informed by those existing programs, current research in the field of philanthropy, continuous feedback loops with current and prospective grant recipients, and an advisory group of leaders of color in the South.

We believe this combination of financial support and collaborative learning will create benefits for the communities the selected organizations serve and will develop new knowledge and insights to catalyze broad impact.

South Arts will award approximately twelve organizations located among the nine-state service area with general operating grants totaling more than $1.14 million.

Download the PDF version of Cultural Sustainability guidelines

Important Dates & Deadlines

• Applications open November 15, 2024.
• Peer Learning Webinar will be held on December 12, 2024. Register Here
• Application closes February 5, 2025.
• Eligibility Review in February 2025.
• Application Review in March - April 2025.
• Panel Meeting in May 2025.
• Applicants will be notified of funding decisions by email in June 2025.
• Grant Program Period is from July 2025 - June 2026.

Accessibility

For accessibility support with applying to Cultural Sustainability, contact Lisa Smalls, Interim Program Director: lsmalls@southarts.org or 404.874.7244 ext. 837.

Eligibility Requirements

The following are the main eligibility requirements necessary to be considered for Cultural Sustainability. Please see the criteria section to understand the full guidelines.

Eligible applicants include:

• Designated non-profit arts organizations
• Fiscally sponsored arts groups
• Arts-centered private entities (such as LLCs, Partnerships, Benefit Corporations)
• State or federally recognized tribal governments
  • Eligible applicants must also be
    • Organizations serving and located within South Arts nine-state service area (AL, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, or TN)
    • Organizations with an annual revenue of less than $500,000 in their last two fiscal years (based on their last two reported IRS 990 forms or financial statements).
    • Organizations with at least three years of arts programming experience. Years of activity need not be consecutive nor connected to date of incorporation.

Ineligible applicants include:

• Lobbying organizations
• K12 schools, colleges, universities, and units of government.
• Organizations based outside of AL, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, or TN

Who is this program designed for?

We seek to fund a broad range of organizations encompassing the full scope of arts and culture disciplines and operational structures to help us understand: How do arts organizations founded by, with, and/or for communities of color define and develop their well-being and that of their communities? We welcome organizations to self-identify how they are rooted in communities of color, and for the purpose of addressing this program’s research question, our primary focus is to fund arts organizations that reflect one or more the following:

• Include a person or persons of color, either artistically or administratively, in key leadership capacities
• Predominantly in service of Black, Latine, Asian, Arab, Indigenous, Pacific Islander, and/or Caribbean communities, or another community of color
• Founded by and/or for a community of color
• Have a majority staff and/or board culturally reflective of the community they serve
• Produce culturally specific work that preserves or advances a specific art or tradition e.g. Indigenous, refugee, and/or immigrant
• Provide economic benefit to artists of color
• Have been historically underfunded
• Are located within communities significantly impacted by historical contexts such as redlining, gentrification, displacement, and/or limited access to essential resources for well-being (e.g. healthcare, fresh food, clean drinking water, etc.)
   

South Arts is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. We have prioritized this commitment to ensure that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) led organizations, LGBTQIA+ led organizations, and organizations representing persons with disabilities are represented as both applicants and grantees. In addition, we encourage applications for projects that engage BIPOC artists, LGBTQIA+ artists, and artists with disabilities. 

Grant Awards

Organizations may request up to 30% of their annual operating budget for two consecutive fiscal years (maximum total award is up to $150,000). South Arts will disburse up to 95% of the total award up front and will co-design the funding schedule with each organization once grant recipients are selected. Final payments will be given upon receipt of the final report at the close of the grant period in June 2026.

To ensure full geographic representation of South Arts’ region, only a few organizations may receive $150,000. We expect the average award to be closer to $50,000.

Eligible Expenses: Funds may be used towards general operations such as (but not limited to) rent, salaries, utilities, retiring debt, endowments/investments, retreats, sabbaticals, wellness funds, emergency preparedness, or other measures to promote organization wellness and sustainability.

Ineligible Expenses: Funds may not be used towards public art projects, capital projects such as new construction and purchases of land or facilities.

Tax Exemption Reminder: Organizations that are not tax-exempt are responsible for reporting grant funds to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). If you are not tax-exempt, please consider the tax implications of your total awarded amount. South Arts will help connect you with resources if you need tax advisement.

Collaborative Learning Experiences

In addition to grant funds, South Arts is offering Collaborative Learning Experiences through a cohort engagement model that will help us better understand how arts organizations rooted in communities of color align their mission, organizational structures, and engagement with their communities to enhance their organizational well-being and that of the communities they serve. 

Organizations will have the opportunity to participate in experiences rooted in themes such as solidarity, preservation, and reciprocity with their peers. We’ll examine the rules, resources, stories, and people that encompass our work in communities of color (credit: language from OpenSource Leadership Strategies). 

By serving in the roles of funder, convener, and advocate, South Arts will participate in this work alongside grant recipients. While we understand that a single grant award is not the sole solution, we hope this will help organizations to build and/or strengthen their own systems of sustainability and open doors to new resources, networks, collaborators, and advocates. 

Here is a cohort engagement table that describes an initial model of how the cohort will engage in the Collaborative Learning Experiences (it may be subject to change). This is meant to give applicants a sense of what to expect. More detail around how this unfolds will be co-designed with grant recipients at the time of award.
 

Reporting & Engagement

South Arts is here to support your work and talk through progress, challenges, successes, and learnings. Funded organizations may select their frequency of check-in conversations with South Arts that best fits their needs:

• Quarterly
• Twice a Year (mid-year and year-end)

All funded organizations will be asked to complete a final online report to document their use of funds and learnings/experience towards the end of the grant period in June 2026.

Application Criteria

South Arts has designed criteria that will help us better understand how arts organizations rooted in communities of color align their mission, organizational structures, and engagement with their communities to enhance their organizational well-being and that of the communities they serve.

Applications are reviewed and funding adjudications are made using the following criteria to evaluate each application:

Alignment (25%)

Is the organization’s mission aligned with the values of the community? We’re looking for arts and culture organizations that are in solidarity with the community and work to equitably shift power to enhance community well-being. 

Relationship (25%)

Is the organization trusted and led by community voices? We’re looking for organizations that share power within their organizational structures and have the relationship infrastructure to enhance their own well-being and that of the community. 

Impact (25%)

We’re looking to historically understand the organization’s impact according to the community and are most interested in those that take an advocacy approach within their community engagement to enhance well-being. How will grant funds help sustain and/or enhance what the organization is already doing in these areas?

Cohort Engagement (12.5%)

Is the organization ready and willing to engage with their peers in the Collaborative Learning Experiences? We’re looking for a unique array of arts and culture organizations that will most benefit from and contribute to the cohort experience.

Financial Stewardship (12.5%)

How does the organization manage financial resources? We’re not looking for perfection. We understand the financial strain that organizations rooted in communities of color have faced and how creative they’ve been to sustain their work. Rather, we’re interested to know: is the organization managing resources with transparency and accountability?

For additional explanation of the criteria and how it connects to the application questions, see the application table and rubric.

Application Questions

Below are the narrative questions included in the Cultural Sustainability application. In addition to providing organization demographic information, applicants will respond to the following questions: 

1. Tell us about your organization and any values that drive your work. (See Alignment Criteria) 
2. Describe the community you serve (please include any qualitative and quantitative information that you have readily available). How are you addressing your communities’ needs and interests through your work, and how has community support directly contributed to your organization’s success? (See Relationship Criteria) 
3. How will this grant impact your organization’s work and the well-being of the community you serve? (See Impact Criteria) 
4. a) What could the pilot program and cohort provide you with to support your work, unique expertise, and knowledge?  
   b) In turn, what unique expertise and knowledge can your organization add to the experience? (See Cohort Engagement Criteria) 
5. a) Please upload financial statements of your organization’s total operating budget from the last two completed fiscal years. 
   b) Provide a brief budget narrative to help explain any deficits, surplus, or other context you would like us to know about your operating budget. (See Financial Stewardship Criteria) 

Please share supporting materials that can help us better understand your work. Support material is optional; however, it is highly encouraged. You may include items such as: 

• community testimonials, letters, awards;  
• work samples;  
• examples of projects, policies, or processes that promote organization and/or community well-being; 
• historical context about the community your organization is located in and/or serve; 
• photos;  
• excerpts from annual reports or other marketing materials; and 
• links to short videos or audio clips.   

You may provide up to three (3) uploads. Each upload should not exceed five (5) pages; however, if your document is longer, please indicate the five (5) pages you would like us to review. You may include up to three (3) links to video or audio clips up to 5 minutes long. If your media is longer, indicate the 5-minute portion we should view.  

For additional explanation of the criteria and how it connects to the application questions, see the application table. Preview the full list of application questions.

Application Review

• South Arts staff will review applications for eligibility.
• Reviewers will read, score, and comment on eligible applications. Reviewers are community members across South Arts’ region with lived experience and a deep understanding of the needs/interests of communities of color and the arts and culture ecosystems operating within them.
• Organizations with the strongest reviews and program alignment will move forward for panel discussion. The panel is composed of a small number of reviewers who will make funding recommendations to South Arts.
• South Arts staff will review panel recommendations and make final funding decisions, ensuring there are organizations represented from each state within South Art’s region and are of diverse artistic and cultural practices and traditions. Funding decisions will not be based upon scores alone but will also consider the holistic qualitative review of an organization’s application through panel discussion and the alignment with the guiding research question and goals of the program.

Reviewer Nominations

We invite you to nominate individuals to review applications for Cultural Sustainability. Reviewers are community members in South Art’s region that have lived experience and deep understanding of the arts and culture ecosystem within communities of color. 

Please complete this nomination form by December 16, 2024 should you wish to recommend someone or nominate yourself for this role.  Reviewers will be provided a stipend for their time. 
 

How to Apply

Applications will be submitted electronically through South Art’s Salesforce database. Here is a short video to assist you with starting an application. While the South Arts team has prepared this for the Express Grants program, it is still relevant to the Cultural Sustainability program.

Please plan plenty of time to organize your application in our Salesforce system. We recommend that you visit the site early to create your account and become familiar with the system. 

Applications are due by 11:59pm ET on Wednesday, February 5, 2025. South Arts encourages applicants to contact us with questions more than 48 hours before the application deadline. Staff support is available weekdays 9:00am-5:00pm ET. 
 

After reviewing program guidelines, log in to Salesforce to apply.  
 

Informed Consent

South Arts is participating in a research study that is part of The Wallace Foundation’s Advancing Well-Being Through the Arts initiative, which aims to illuminate the ways in which arts organizations founded by, for, and with communities of color represent, support, and advance the well-being of their communities. The goal of the study is to understand what inclusive and equitable grantmaking practices look like across communities and as they are applied to more specific, regional contexts, and expanding the field’s knowledge of small, arts and culture organizations of color that have systematically not received traditional funding sources. As part of the study, staff from the research team at Creative Equity Research Partners may observe some activities related to the Cultural Sustainability Initiative, including applicant outreach activities and grants panels. The research team will also review grant applications and grantee reports to understand who the USRAOs reach and fund. All quantitative and qualitative data will be reported in aggregate and by region; no information will be attributed to an individual or organization. If you have questions about the study, please contact creativeequityresearch@gmail.com.

South Arts Terms & Conditions

Grantees are required to adhere to grant requirements based on the grant program and program source of funds as set forth in the grantee's award letter and/or contract. These may include, but are not limited to, Grant Acceptance Terms and Conditions, Assurance of Compliance, and Federal Suspension and Debarment Requirements. Please contact Aiyana Straughn with any question at astraughn@southarts.org.

Resources for Applicants

Accessibility: For accessibility support with applying to Cultural Sustainability, contact Lisa Smalls, Interim Program Director: lsmalls@southarts.org or 404.874.7244  ext. 837. 
 

Database Support: Here is a short video to assist you with starting an application. 
 

FAQs: See our list of Frequently Asked Questions.
 

Office Hours: South Arts staff will hold drop-in office hours on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10:00am-11:00am ET throughout the application period. Sign up to attend available dates.

Peer Learning Webinar: Join us on December 12, 2024 from 2:00-3:30 PM ET for a Peer Learning Webinar, where we’ll discuss the application criteria within the context of real examples from organizations across the southern region. We’ll share funding opportunities beyond Cultural Sustainability and afterwards, invite information sharing of additional resources.  Register here. 
 

General Support: For questions about Cultural Sustainability Grants, contact Aiyana Straughn, Director of Arts Partnerships: astraughn@southarts.org.

Opportunities for Applicants: Some applicants not selected for funding may receive an invitation to have their organization’s work featured in Cultural Sustainability storytelling and/or participate in a number of Collaborative Learning Experiences. More information will be shared once grant recipients are selected.

Funding Opportunities: See this document for additional regional and national resources for arts organizations.

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Readiness Planning

South Arts is committed to making business continuity planning a priority in the arts and encourages all arts organizations to develop and maintain readiness plans to ensure their sustainability.  

A readiness plan is a combination of documents, processes, and training that formulate what your organization will do should the unexpected occur. It focuses on protecting your organization's critical functions through an "all-hazards" approach, so that you can resume business quickly after any type or size of disruption. Strong readiness plans are comprehensive, updated at least annually, and comprised of more than just a facility evacuation plan or regular data backups. Plans should cover all aspects of your operations and assets by identifying how your organization will re-start post interruption. Critical functions can be programs, events, communications, people resources, finances, insurance, technology, exhibits, productions, and other primary activities.

For more information and resources for readiness planning, read What is a Readiness Plan? and visit dPlan|ArtsReady. The dPlan|ArtsReady online tool guides users through developing a customized readiness plan and provides templates and examples of readiness plan elements. With support from the Mellon Foundation, we are able to provide a limited number of free one-year subscriptions to dPlan|ArtsReady. To take advantage of this offer, please visit this LINK.