Just the FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Is my organization eligible for Iowa Arts Council funding?
How do I find out if my organization is an Iowa not-for-profit and is federally tax-exempt?
Should I/we be applying as an organization, or as an individual?
I’m not sure which grant program fits our project. Which one do I apply to?
How does Iowa Arts Council funding work?
How many grants can I or my organization get?
What do we mean when we say “underserved/unserved”?
When should grant recipients expect to receive their checks?
How do I find out about a particular artist on an Iowa Arts Council roster?
Why are we required to contact our representatives to let them know we’ve received IAC funding?
Is there still Big Yellow School Bus or EZ 1-2-3 funding available?
When will I know if my project is funded?
Do IAC Mini and Major Grants fund staff salaries?
Will the Iowa Arts Council fund operational support through Major and Mini Grants?
Are there percentages for cash and in-kind matches?
Do I need to include support materials and work samples with my grant application?
What is eGRANT and when would I use it?
Is my organization eligible for Iowa Arts Council funding?
Eligible organizations are Iowa nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations; schools; area education agencies; local, county, state and federal governmental agencies; and tribal councils. All 501(c) statuses acceptable except for organizations with 501(c)6 status. Organizations with 501(c)6 status are NOT permitted to use fiscal agents w/appropriate federal tax-exempt status to avoid this qualification. Check the eligibility requirements listed for each grant program. Do make sure to list your Federal Employee Identification Number (FEIN) in the appropriate place on the application
How do I find out if my organization is an Iowa not-for-profit and is federally tax-exempt?
Follow the instructions on the following web sites. The Iowa Secretary of State’s site will show if your organization is a registered nonprofit in the state of Iowa, and the IRS and Guidestar sites will show if your organization is federally tax-exempt.
Iowa Secretary of State Web site
Should I/we be applying as an organization, or as an individual?
Whose project is it? If it’s a project managed by and benefiting an organization, then that organization should apply. If you are an individual artist, and you initiated and will manage the project, you should apply as an individual.
To locate funding programs for individuals and organizations:
- If you think you should apply as an individual artist, click on “Funding” and then on “Grants for Individuals” on the left-hand menu.
- If you think you should apply as an organization, click on “Funding” and then on “Grants for Organizations” or “Grants for PreK-12 Schools” on the left-hand menu.
I’m not sure which grant program fits our project. Which one do I apply to?
What’s the focus of your project or activity? Does it have to do with education in the arts, either for school children or community members? Is it about bringing a traditional art form to new audiences? Is it about creating a new public art work, or sponsoring an arts-related conference or workshop? Look carefully through the programs listed in the Funding Overview page to find the program that fits best. Remember that the IAC only funds arts-related projects and activities.
How does Iowa Arts Council funding work?
The Iowa Arts Council distributes funds across Iowa in the form of grants. Most grant programs use a panel process to review and recommend a grant application for funding (exceptions are Big Yellow School Bus and EZ 1-2-3 programs, which are first-come, first-funded).
For all grants:
- Applicant must submit a complete application, according to guidelines specific to the funding program.
- Applicant must meet eligibility requirements specified in the program guidelines.
- Applications are reviewed according to the criteria and timeline specified for the funding program.
- Grant recipients are legally bound to meet the obligations specified in the Iowa Arts Council Service Contract, which is signed and submitted with the application.
How many grants can I or my organization get?
Both individual artists and organizations may RECEIVE up to 2 grants in a fiscal year (July 1 – June 30). You may APPLY for as many grants as you like. Exceptions to this restriction are: Big Yellow School Bus, EZ 1-2-3 Grants, Arts Partners for Achievement, Traditional Arts Apprenticeships, and Partnership Grants as well as the Department of Cultural Affairs' Iowa Community Cultural Grant and State Historical Society of Iowa grants. Recipients of Operational Support Partnership funding may receive one Major Grant per year.
What do we mean when we say “underserved/unserved”?
Underserved/unserved refers to access to the arts, either in terms of a particular art form (e.g., dance, folk arts, etc.) or audience access to the arts in general. Geography (e.g., underserved/unserved counties and/or extreme urban or rural populations), poverty, budget cuts, ethnicity, age, gender, or disability may be factors that contribute to this situation but are not in and of themselves sufficient to define your audience as underserved/unserved.
Your application should explain how your target audience is underserved/unserved in terms of access to the arts and/or to a particular art form. Mentioning that a percentage of students are participating in the school lunch program or that your school has a high percentage of at-risk youth is not enough. Your application needs to demonstrate that this particular population is indeed underserved/unserved in terms of the arts.
When should grant recipients expect to receive their checks?
If you receive a grant, you can expect to receive the check on or about the beginning date of the grant activity (as specified in your application, and included in the Grant Notification Letter).
Exceptions:
- Applicant information necessary for issuing a check is not consistent with information in the Department of Revenue and Finance's database.
- For activities that begin during the first two months of the IAC's fiscal year (July and August), checks are often delayed 4-8 weeks. Please plan accordingly.
- Mini Grants: For activities that begin within 4-8 weeks after the date of the application deadline, checks often arrive after the beginning date. This is due to the time it takes the state to process the check. Please plan accordingly.
How do I find out about a particular artist on an Iowa Arts Council roster?
The "Publications and Resources" section of this Web site contains links to the online rosters.
Why are we required to contact our representatives to let them know we’ve received IAC funding?
The Legislature authorizes the Iowa Arts Council budget. Your representatives need to know how tax dollars are spent and that these dollars are being spent in their districts.
Is there still Big Yellow School Bus or EZ 1-2-3 funding available?
This funding is first-come, first-served. Please check the Big Yellow School Bus page and EZ 1-2-3 pages for current information. A notice is posted immediately on these pages if funding is no longer available.
When will I know if my project is funded?
For Major Grants, 4-6 weeks after the deadline. For Mini Grants, 3 weeks after the deadline. More information is available in each grant program's guidelines.
Funding questions:
Do IAC Mini and Major Grants fund staff salaries?
No, but you may use the percentage of time your staff/you spend on the grant activity as a cash match. For artists, this time may be valued at $25/hour, unless you have evidence that your time has been valued at a higher level. You may also want to review the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs' Iowa Community Cultural Grant program. Its primary purpose is to fund salary support for cultural organizations.
Will the Iowa Arts Council fund operational support through Major and Mini Grants?
No, operational support funding is available only through the Operational Support Partnership Program for organizations with annual budgets above $150,000.
Are there percentages for cash and in-kind matches?
No, the IAC leaves that up to the applicant, but both kinds of match are important. In-kind lets the panelists and Iowa Arts Council board know that you have community support for your project. Cash lets them know that you have other resources for your project besides IAC funding and donated services.
Do I need to include support materials and work samples with my grant application?
All Mini and Major grant applications using artists or arts groups must include work samples. Your application is scored in part on artistic quality, which cannot be determined without examples of your art or project. Unless you are a rostered artist or you are using rostered artists, do not assume that panelists have any prior knowledge of the scope and quality of your art form or your project. Work samples and support materials provide this information, so please make sure that they are of good quality, relevant to your project, and labeled appropriately. Note that support materials will not be returned.
What is eGRANT and when would I use it?
eGRANT is an online grant submission tool. The IAC requires applications to its Major and Mini grant rounds be submitted using eGRANT. To use eGRANT, click on the eGRANT logo on the left side of the Iowa Arts Council’s website, just under the menu of links. You will be required to register a new account before creating an application. Please note that supplemental materials need to be submitted by mail or in person to the IAC offices in addition to the eGRANT submission. For more information on eGRANT including a tutorial and sample application, see eGRANT Information.
