Catalyst Grants  

To view 2011 Catalyst grant recipients, click here.

If you received a Catalyst grant from the 2011 ArtsKC Fund, the Final Report may be filed at any time, but is due by June 15, 2012.

 
If you have any questions about applying for a Catalyst grant or about the online application system, please contact Kristy Ladd at 816.994.9240 or Ladd@artskc.org.

Quck Applicant References:
Information and Guidelines on applying for a Catalyst Grant
ArtsKC Fund Grant Application 
Foundant Applicant Tutorial
Foundant Applicant Video
Nonprofit Search Profile

The Catalyst grant category is designed to reach a broader range of organizations than those funded in the Ovation category of the ArtsKC Fund.  Many of these organizations who receive funding are likely to be growing and changing in more fundamental ways than the Ovation grant recipients.  Accordingly, Catalyst grants are often used to accelerate or enable important changes, either in these organizations or in the communities which they serve.

It is estimated that 25% of available grant funds raised for the ArtsKC Fund in the spring of 2012 will be awarded in the Catalyst category for activities and projects that take place between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2013. 

To be eligible for funding in the Catalyst category, an organization must:

• Be a not-for-profit arts, cultural or other nonprofit organization
• Be principally located in the 5-county Kansas City metropolitan area (Clay, Jackson, Johnson, Platte, Wyandotte)
• Have a governing body with bylaws
• Provide matching funds for funded projects and activities

Catalyst funding provides grants of two basic types:

1) Mission Support: for organizations whose primary purpose is the arts (formerly known as General Operating Support).
2) Project Support: for arts, cultural or other not-for-profit organizations conducting a specific arts project.

If you are uncertain about whether your organization qualifies to apply for Mission Support, please contact the Arts Council.

How are Catalyst grant applications evaluated and funded?

Catalyst grant applications will be rated competitively in a public review panel process by the type of support requested. There will be two different panels, one to review Mission Support requests and one to review Project Support requests. This allows applications to be reviewed and rated in comparison to other similar requests.

Panelists will be selected for their artistic knowledge and experience, awareness of community needs and issues, and other contributing factors.  Attendance at the panel review meetings by applicants is strongly recommended but not required.  Each application will be reviewed and discussed by the panelists and, if present, applicants are asked for a brief overview of the organization and to respond to questions regarding the application.

The following criteria will be considered in reviewing Catalyst grant applications:

• Artistic quality
• Community impact
• Budget size and need
• Size and diversity of the audience served, diversity of the governing board, and positive trends in audience demographics

• Accessibility
• Other factors that may be determined by the review panelists and the Arts Council board

Catalyst grants of both types will be awarded in the range of $500 to $5,000. Organizations must choose to apply for either Mission Support or Project Support.  Due to the high number of worthy requests received, most grants will be awarded for less than $5,000. Catalyst grant awards must be matched at least one to one with other funding.  As a guideline, the amount of the request should be no more than 10% of the total operating revenue in the most recently completed fiscal year of the organization.  Exceptions to this policy may be made for organizations with budgets of less than $10,000 under special circumstances.

Payment for Catalyst grant awards are split into two parts. 75% of the grant amount awarded is paid upon receipt of a signed grant agreement in August and the remaining 25% is held in reserve until a final report has been received and approved by the Arts Council at the completion of the project or by June 14, 2013.

How do I apply for a Catalyst grant?

Applications will only be accepted online via a new application system, Foundant Grant Lifecycle Management. To apply for a Catalyst grant, visit http://bit.ly/ArtsKCGrantApplications. From there you will select either the Catalyst Mission Support application or Catalyst Project Support application. There are two types of instructions for applying through the Foundant system, step by step instructions and a video.
 

Both types of applications have a series of questions to be answered and attachments to upload. When uploading files, the Arts Council requires that all documents submitted be in PDF format so that all panelists are able to open all documents. 

For both types of Catalyst applications, it is strongly encouraged that the organization maintains a Nonprofit Profile (formerly known as Donors Edge) via the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation as the online profile contains information used by the panelists to assess the application. Be sure the profile for the organization and the descriptions for programs are up to date.  Making changes to the profile can take a number of days, so please do not wait until the last minute to take care of this important detail. If the organization does not have a Nonprofit Profile, additional information will be asked at the end of the application.

To create the Nonprofit Profile document for submission in the application:

1. Visit the http://gkccf.guidestar.org and search for the organization.

2. Click on the organization's page and open the profile.

3. Click "view printable profile" and save the file to your computer. This will be the file that you upload in the attachments section and the file name should be YourOrganizationsNameProfile

It is recommended that you submit support materials of up to 4 reviews, press articles, or other items that help to document or describe the artistic quality of the organization’s programs or services. You may also submit up to 4 brochures, programs, booklets, or other promotional materials from the organization. Please send 11 copies, collated, of the support materials to:

ArtsKC

ATTN: Catalyst Support Materials

906 Grand Blvd.

Suite 10B

Kansas City, MO 64106.

Items must be RECEIVED by May 18th, 2012 at 5pm.

Draft applications may be submitted for review by staff if received by April 30, 2012 at midnight.  This step is strongly encouraged for new applicants. Draft applications do not require a full set of attachments or support materials to be reviewed and should be completed via the Foundant system. Once the application has been completed for a draft review, email Kristy Ladd, Ladd@ArtsKC.org to notify the Arts Council that the application is ready for staff review. The Arts Council staff will review applications in the order they are submitted and will provide timely feedback to the applicant. Applicants will be able to make changes directly in the application without having to start the application over. 
 

Timeline and Deadlines:

April 30, 2012 at Midnight - Draft applications due

(not required, but suggested for first time applicants)
May 16, 2012 at Midnight - Final application due
May 18, 2012 at 5pm - Support materials due

(11 copies, collated; delivered to the Arts Council office)

June TBD- Project Support Review Panel

July TBD- Mission Support Review Panel

Late July- Applicants notified of funding status

August- Grant recipients issued 75% of the grant upon receipt of the signed grant agreement

June 14, 2013- Final Report due and remaining 25% issued

(or  upon completion of the project if awarded a Catalyst Project grant)

If you have any questions about applying for a Catalyst grant or the online application system, please contact Kristy Ladd at 816.994.9240 or

Ladd@ArtsKC.org.