Cultural Leadership Partners Program

These guidelines are written for new organizations who are not current Cultural Leadership Partners.

Cultural Leadership Partners currently represents 58 arts and cultural organizations that demonstrate an exemplary record of programming and managerial excellence and community service on a year-round basis to the citizens of Iowa. The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) believes these partnerships are a shared investment in a vigorous and rich cultural environment that improves the quality of life for all Iowans.

GOALS OF THE PROGRAM

• To strengthen the partnerships with our Cultural Leadership Partners based on mutual respect and an equal responsibility for advancing the cultural climate in Iowa.
• To encourage leadership and advocacy in advancing the role and value of arts and culture in Iowa.
• To provide predictable multi-year general operational funding support to our Cultural Leadership Partners.
• To identify creative solutions to common problems facing our Cultural Leadership Partners.
• To facilitate communication, collaboration and peer-to-peer networking between and among DCA and our Cultural Leadership Partners.

EXPECTATIONS OF DCA AND CULTURAL LEADERSHIP PARTNERS

• Assume an active leadership role in their community and the state and be perceived as being proactive in advancing and elevating the role, value and quality of the arts and culture in Iowa.
• Make programming and managerial choices that clearly demonstrate an artistic or cultural vision and a desire for growth, innovation and excellence.
• Adopt management practices that reflect professional practices and standards expected within their fields.
• Establish and strengthen networking and mentoring relationships with each other and with other arts and cultural colleagues in Iowa.

APPLICATION DEADLINE
Due to reductions in the department’s budget, the next deadline will be announced when additional funds are available to add new arts and cultural organizations to the program. The application form will be available on this website when the deadline is announced.

APPLICATION PROCESS
The application process for new organizations is evaluative and can last a year or longer. After applications are reviewed by staff for eligibility and completeness, an evaluation team is formed for each applicant. The evaluation team conducts a one or two day on-site evaluative visit that typically includes:

• Extensive conversations with the organization’s staff and board regarding the application and supporting documents.
• Conversations with the applicant’s community stakeholders regarding the value of the organization to the community.

When deemed necessary by the evaluation team, additional visits may be scheduled to continue the review process and/or provide the team an opportunity to attend specific programs and services of the applicant.

Applicants that successfully complete the application process and are determined ready to be a Cultural Leadership Partner are eligible to receive operational support funding. DCA’s first priority is to fulfill our multi-year funding commitments with our current Cultural Leadership Partners. Funding of new Cultural Leadership Partners is dependent on DCA receiving additional funding for the program.

Funding amounts are determined by funding steps that are based on the organization’s average operating budget of the three previous years. Funding amounts currently range from $10,000 to $29,000.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

New applicants must demonstrate in the application that they have met ALL of the following eligibility requirements for the three previous operating years prior to the application deadline. Once an applicant successfully completes the application process, it must continue to meet the eligibility requirements of the program to receive CLP funding on an ongoing basis.

ELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS:

ARTS ORGANIZATIONS: primary mission and purpose must be the arts; it must operate as an arts organization.

• CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS: primary mission and purpose must be cultural; it must operate as a botanical center, museum, zoo, or a center for the performing arts.

LOCATION: The organization must be located in Iowa or in border communities whose legal boundaries are immediately adjacent to Iowa. Organizations in border communities must clearly demonstrate that their programs and services serve Iowans.

FACILITIES: The organization must own, operate, rent or lease a facility or office space that has a published street address and has regularly scheduled hours of operation for the public.

LEGAL STATUS OF THE ORGANIZATION: Must be legally organized as one of the following:

• An organization that is incorporated in Iowa under the Iowa Nonprofit Corporation Act and holds federal 501(c)(3) tax–exempt status.
• An arts or cultural department or division of a municipal government that is also incorporated in Iowa under the Iowa Nonprofit Corporation Act (does not include libraries, parks, or recreation departments).

GENERAL OPERATING BUDGET: Organizations must maintain an operating expense budget, exclusive of DCA/IAC general operating support, of no less than $150,000 per year.

OPERATING YEAR: The organization must operate year-round on a continuous basis for 12 months of the year. The organization’s facilities, programs and services must be available to Iowans at least 1040 hours per year.

• While an organization’s major program or service may occur primarily during a specific time of the year, other services and programming activities of the organization must also occur and benefit Iowans throughout the remaining months of the year.

EMPLOYEE: The organization must have one paid full-time professional employee who is employed year round, works at least 1,560 hours per year, and is responsible for managing the organization.

• PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEE means an executive director or other similar senior management position that is responsible for managing the organization. Professional employee does not mean a member of the board of directors or an office manager.

ACCESSIBILITY – AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT: The organization must demonstrate that it is in compliance or actively working to be in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). These laws prohibit discrimination against individuals with physical and/or mental disabilities. Both programmatic and structural accessibility must be addressed.

STRATEGIC PLAN: The organization must have a current multi-year strategic plan.

• Strategic plan means a document developed and used by the organization to align its organization and budget structure with organizational priorities, mission, goals and objectives. A strategic plan is a road map that is developed through a public process that outlines specific measurable goals of an organization and details how these will be achieved by adopting specific strategies, approaches, timeline and methodologies. Strategic plans also can address potential problem areas and plans for future improvement.

ORGANIZATIONS NOT ELIGIBLE:

• Any organization that has a late report for a previously funded grant or funding agreement from the Department of Cultural Affairs or any of its divisions.
• An organization that uses a fiscal agent or the Iowa nonprofit or federal tax-exempt status of another organization.
• An organization that receives general operating support through other programs administered by the DCA or its divisions.
• A for-profit corporation or business; religious organization; political party, or national service/professional organization.
• An agency, department or division of county, state or federal government. Includes libraries, parks, and recreation departments
• An auditorium, convention center and other similar types of venues.
• An educational institution, organization or K-12 school, whose primary orientation, mission and purpose is education and the awarding of academic credits.

APPLICATION REVIEW CRITERIA

• Artistic/Cultural Excellence
• Managerial Excellence
• Excellence of Programs and Services
• Service Area
• Constituents Served
• Leadership and Advocacy

RESPONSIBILITIES OF DCA & APPLICANTS DURING THE APPLICATION REVIEW PHASE
After an applicant is determined to be eligible and the application is determined to be complete, DCA staff will:

• Arrange a meeting with the applicant to plan and schedule an on-site evaluation visit.
• Form an evaluation team to evaluate the applicant’s readiness to become a Cultural Leadership Partner and receive general operational support funding.
• Pay all expenses of the evaluation team.

The applicant will be responsible for the following:

• Meet with DCA staff to plan the site visit.
• Identify and confirm site visit participants (employees, board members, community stakeholders).
• Provide lunch during the visit for the team and community stakeholders.
• Arrange for complimentary access for the team to attend fee-based events, programs and services the team evaluates.

FUNDING LIMITATIONS FROM OTHER DCA GRANT PROGRAMS
Organizations that receive funding through this partnership program are limited in the number and types of other funding assistance they can receive from DCA and its divisions.

1. Cultural Leadership Partners ARE NOT eligible to apply for IAC Mini Grants or DCA Iowa Community Cultural Grants.

2. Cultural Leadership Partners ARE eligible to receive one IAC MAJOR GRANT per fiscal year. Due to the competitive nature of this grant program, receipt of additional funding support is not implied or guaranteed.

• Cultural Leadership Partners funds may not to be used as match for IAC Major Grants.
• When applying for funds to tour an artistic work/production to other organizations in Iowa, IAC Major Grant applications from Cultural Leadership Partners may only request funds to support the expenses to create and/or prepare an exhibition/production/etc. to tour, but not for the actual touring/presentation expenses of the sponsor. Only the sponsor may apply to DCA or its divisions for funding assistance for these expenses.

3. Cultural Leadership Partners ARE eligible to receive one IAC EZ 1-2-3 GRANT per fiscal year. These grants are awarded on a first come, first funded basis until grant funds are expended.

4. Cultural Leadership Partners ARE eligible to receive grants through State Historical Society of Iowa granting programs. Due to the competitive nature of these programs, receipt of additional funding support is not implied or guaranteed.