The Erie County Department of Environment and Planning (“DEP”), in conjunction with the Erie County Arts and Cultural Advisory Board (“EACAB”), announces the kickoff of the 2024 Arts and Cultural Funding Program.
Donor Name: Erie County Department of Environment and Planning
State: New York
County: Erie County (NY)
City: Buffalo
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline:

Level 1 applications: 04/19/2023
Level 2 and Level 3 applications: 04/26/2023

Size of the Grant: $200,000
Details:
Funding Goals

To advise Erie County Government regarding the role of the County’s cultural agencies and their significance to its citizens, economy, and quality of life.
To provide and advocate for equitable and effective processes and procedures for the distribution of County funds to cultural organizations.
To foster the development and growth of vibrant, diverse, quality cultural agencies.
To promote access to these cultural organizations to all County citizens and visitors regardless of their physical ability, economic group, or geographic location.
To promote diversity in the cultural fabric of the Erie County community by encouraging representation of all diverse groups in the make-up and activities of these cultural organizations. This includes Board members, staff, volunteers, and programming.
To require fiscal responsibility including a diversified funding base for all cultural organizations.

Program and Service Objectives

Gather, analyze and assess information on cultural organizations funded by the County.
Process all cultural funding contracts and invoices in a timely and accurate manner.
Coordinate with tourism, arts, culture and heritage promotion agencies and organizations to market and enhance cultural tourism in Erie County.
Assist cultural organizations to leverage financial support, gain new audiences, increase management capacity, identify strengths and challenges, inform decision-making and realize their mission.

Funding Information
There are three (3) application levels. Each applicant will choose their qualifying level and complete one application per organization:

Level 1 applications may request up to $50,000.
Level 2 applications may request more than $50,000 and up to $200,000.
Level 3 applications are for requests of over $200,000. The 2024 grant amount requested should not exceed a dollar amount higher than 20% of the organization’s fiscal year 2022 operating expenses.

Eligibility Criteria

Be located and provide services in Erie County
Be a 501(c)(3) organization with tax-exempt status (must be able to provide one (1) year of the required financial documents including record of tax filing, and information as a 501c3 organization)
Have at least ONE of the following descriptions of a Cultural Organization as a primary mission of the organization:

An organization that operates on a countywide or recognizable community level, which by the nature of its cultural activities and/or collections, is unique, distinctive and of significant quality
An organization that provides visitors with access to programs and displays of the performing, visual, literary and media arts, and/or to exhibits and collections, which preserve and interpret their cultural, natural and scientific heritage
An organization that particularly serves the cultural needs of significant segments of the County population, thereby contributing to the quality of life in Buffalo and Erie County



*Organizations such as social and/or multi-service, educational, athletic, after-school, or religious organizations for which cultural activity is not a primary purpose are not eligible.
For more information, visit ECDEP.