EZ 1-2-3 Grant

The Iowa Arts Council's EZ 1-2-3 Grants help bring Iowa artists to theatres, festivals, auditoriums and schools across Iowa.

It's easy!
1. Fill it out
2. Send it in
3. Get an answer

Types of EZ Grants

• EZ 1-2-3 Arts Education Grants support eligible organizations to hire a Teaching Artist from the IAC’s Teaching Artists Roster, to provide students hands-on arts education-related experience in a school. Search the Iowa Artists Directory to find an artist from this roster.
• EZ 1-2-3 Performing Arts Grants support eligible organizations to hire an artist or group from the IAC’s Performing Artists Roster, to perform in their community. Search the Iowa Artists Directory to find an artist from this roster.
• EZ 1-2-3 Character Counts! Through the Arts Grants support eligible organizations and schools to hire an artist that is trained in the principles of Character Counts!, and weaves those principles and language into the work they do with schools and community groups as an enhancement to their character education programs. This project is a partnership with the Institute for Character Development at Drake University. (Note: all Character Counts!-endorsed artists are also members of the IAC’s Teaching Artists Roster. Find the list of Character Counts-trained artists at the Institute for Character Development’s web site.

Grant Amount

You may request up to $500, but no more than 50% of the total expenses of the activity or event. All applicants must cash match EZ 1-2-3 Grants. In other words, for every EZ 1-2-3 Grant dollar you receive, you and/or your other funding partners must match it with a dollar. Donations of time, materials, services and supplies are not considered cash match.

You are limited to receiving one EZ 1-2-3 grant per fiscal year (July 1 to June 30, annually).

Application Deadline and Notification

EZ 1-2-3 grants are awarded on a first received, first funded basis. There is no application deadline. Applications are reviewed daily during normal office hours until available funds are awarded.

• Within 2 weeks of receipt of the application, you will be notified by email or phone about the status of your application.
• Formal award notification and the grant packet will arrive within 30 days of the date of the grant activity
• Availability of funds will be posted on this web site until all funds are awarded

For your own planning purposes, we recommend that you submit your EZ 1-2-3 application at least 8 weeks prior to your event.

Eligible Applicants

• Nonprofit organizations incorporated in Iowa that have federal tax-exempt status (see FAQs for more information)
• Schools
• Area education agencies
• Local, county, state and federal governmental agencies , and tribal councils

Fiscal Agents: If your nonprofit organization does not have federal tax exempt status, you may apply through an eligible nonprofit and federal tax-exempt organization, which agrees to be the legal Applicant/Fiscal Agent for the grant activity. Refer to Fiscal Agents Policy.

Not Eligible to Apply:

• Applicants who have already received an EZ 1-2-3 Grant during the current fiscal year. (The Iowa Arts Council’s fiscal year is July 1 through June 30 of the following year. EZ 1-2-3 Grants do not count toward the number of grants an organization can receive in other Iowa Arts Council funding programs each fiscal year.)
• Applicants who have an outstanding late Final Report for a previously funded application.

Grant Requirements

• Agree to conduct your activity according to the Application Checklist (Part B of the Application)
• Fulfill all obligations specified in the EZ 1-2-3 Grant Contract
• Cash match EZ 1-2-3 grants dollar for dollar
• Credit the Iowa Arts Council during the activity and in all promotional material, public notices, publications and other forms of print and electronic communication using the following language: This program is partially supported by a grant from the Iowa Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs
• Submit an EZ 1-2-3 Grant Final Report to the IAC no later than 30 days after the completion of the activity. Failure to submit the report by the due date will jeopardize the organization's ability to apply for or receive other grants from the Iowa Arts Council or the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs until the Final Report or unspent grant funds are returned.

Application Instructions

You must download the application, fill it in, print it out, and send it in.  This is NOT an eGrant program!

Applying for an EZ 1-2-3 Grant is easy!

1) Contact an IAC rostered artist from the appropriate roster (Link here to the Iowa Artist Directory and Rosters, then scroll down and "Search by Publication", then select Teaching Artists Roster, Performing Artists Roster, or Character Counts! Artists at http://www.drake.edu/icd/) to determine his/her availability and fee. You are responsible for selecting an artist or performing group. Iowa Arts Council staff does not act as an agent for any artist, ensemble, or company represented in the roster. Make sure you have written confirmation that you have booked the artist or performing group (we recommend you use the IAC’s Artist Confirmation Form ).

2) Complete the EZ 1-2-3 Grant Application, print it out and get signatures. Make sure you have included Parts A, B and C, plus a copy of your written artist confirmation.

3) Submit the application to the Iowa Arts Council. The application cannot be faxed it must be mailed. You will receive a funding notification letter in approximately two weeks. The IAC will post a notice on this Web site when all available EZ 1-2-3 Grant funds have been awarded.

Questions?

Contact staff Monday through Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. The office is closed weekends and state holidays. Email is our preferred means of communication.
Contact: Linda Lee, Linda.Lee@iowa.gov, 515.242.6194