Project Support Program

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The Project Support Program (PSP) promotes and encourages the breadth of arts and cultural programming in our community by supporting projects both large and small throughout the City of Phoenix. The PSP funds projects for up to $5,000. The deadline to apply has been extended to March 23, 2025, at 11:59 pm.

State-level funding, including the elimination of residential rental sales tax and implementation of a flat income tax, will negatively impact the City's budget and result in reduced ongoing revenues. The City of Phoenix is exploring options to deal with a potential budget shortfall, including raising sales tax or reducing services to residents. The City is required to adopt a balanced budget each fiscal year. With that, the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture may have a reduced budget of 5% in the next fiscal year. The budget process is on the same timeline as the Community Arts Grants program, so budgetary decisions will not be made until the City Council adopts the final budget in June. The City Manager’s proposed budget will be introduced to the Mayor and City Council in February and will be open to resident feedback in April.

Guidelines and Details

Overview

The PSP funds arts and/or culture projects that engage Phoenix residents, including but not limited to, arts workshops, pop-up performances, and collaborations with artists. The program supports guest artist fees/expenses, production fees, and marketing expenses.

Applications open every year in February and remain open for approximately six weeks. Proposed projects must occur between July 1 and June 30 of the upcoming fiscal year.

Goals

Support arts and cultural projects across the City of Phoenix, especially artistic collaborations with full representation from all persons at the intersection of any age, race, culture, class, religion, sex, national origin, ability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.
Fund projects which support the artistic and cultural work of young people or projects which introduce youth to arts and culture in the City of Phoenix.
Invest in projects that support and celebrate individual artists making an impact in the community

Timeline

Date	Event
Feb. 4	Guidelines published \| Application opens
Jan. 30 - Mar. 14	One-on-one application consultations with staff
Feb. 8 from 9:30 am - 1:00 pm	Grant Writing Workshop at Burton Barr Library
Feb 20 at 12:00 pm	Virtual Info Session (English) Meeting number/Access code: 2634 641 6211 Password: Arts Join by phone: +1-415-655-0001
Feb 20, a las 6:00 pm	Sesión Informativa Virtual (español) Número de reunión/código de acceso: 286 651 66007 Contraseña: Arte Entrar mediante el teléfono: +1-415-655-0001
Feb 26, a las 6:00 pm	Taller de redacción para subvenciones (español) Inscribase aquí
Mar. 16 Extended to Mar. 23 at 11:59 pm	Application deadline. Staff will not be available on Saturday or Sunday (March 22 – 23, 2025) for questions.

Virtual one-on-one appointments and application consultations can be made with grants staff between January 30 and March 21, 2025.

Who can apply

To be eligible for the Project Support program, organizations must meet all the following criteria:

Be based in the City of Phoenix and have a City of Phoenix address OR be based in Maricopa County, producing an in-person ethnically cultural festival in Phoenix, and serve mainly Phoenix residents
Exist as one of the following applicant types:

501(c)3 organization (arts/culture or community-based)
Public K-12 school
Youth collective (umbrella organization or school must be primary applicant)
Arts collective (an individual must be identified as primary applicant. Fiscal sponsorship required for grant distribution. See Fiscal Sponsor paragraph below.)
Arts and Culture LLC (with a prior year income below $250,000) *

An applicant applying to the General Support Program is not eligible to apply for a project support grant
Project Support applicants working with vulnerable populations will be reviewed for safety and ethical protocols for eligibility. (New eligibility guideline)

* Subject to grant being taxed as income if not applying with a fiscal sponsor who has 501(c)3 tax-exempt status

Fiscal Sponsor

Applicants who do not have 501(c)3 status are eligible to apply for a tax-exempt project grant using a fiscal sponsor. For applicants who are having trouble finding a fiscal sponsor, two options are TAPAZ and Fractured Atlas. Any applicant with a fiscal sponsor must submit an MOU (memorandum of understanding) at the time of application, and the MOU must be signed by both parties. Fiscal sponsors do typically charge an administrative fee between 7% and 12% of the total grant award. Estimated fee should be included as a line item in the project budget. The Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture does not accept applications submitted by fiscal agents. Please contact us with any questions you have about fiscal sponsorship.

Applicants cannot change their fiscal sponsor after the application deadline.

What we fund

Applicants can request up to $5,000.

The Project Support Program funds the following types in-person of projects as long as they take place within City of Phoenix boundaries AND primarily serve Phoenix residents:

Arts and Cultural Festivals
Exhibitions/Presentations (visual arts, media arts, design)
Performances/readings
Art instruction (classes, demonstrations, lectures, and other instruction used to teach knowledge of and/or skills in the arts)

The Program supports the following expenses:

Guest artist fees and associated costs
Contracted positions related to the project (e.g. sound engineer, photographer, event coordinator)
Staff salary related to the project (up to 15% of the awarded grant amount)
Production costs
Marketing expenses
Rental of venue, technological tools, chairs, table, etc.
Arts materials and supplies
Event insurance
Permit fees
Fiscal Sponsor fee
Participant fees for community-based projects
Food available to the community for free (up to 15% of the awarded grant amount)

The Project Support Program does not fund:

Community Arts Grants Program General Support grantees
Individuals or single-member LLCs
Projects that receive direct project funding from other POAC grants or sponsorships within the same fiscal year.
Projects that are only virtual or streamed via the web.
Any division of local, state or federal government
Organizations outside of the City of Phoenix not producing a cultural festival
Applications submitted by single-member for-profit entities.
Schools, including public, private, and charter not applying for a grant that benefits youth.
Colleges and universities, other City of Phoenix departments, auxiliary/affiliate organizations, and organizations without a 501(c)3 and not utilizing a fiscal sponsor
Religious institutions or religious group-sponsored organizations not open to participation by non-congregants
Religious institutions or religious group-sponsored organizations whose primary purpose is the religious socialization of individuals or whose arts programming exists as parts of religious sermons or services
Debt reduction
Re-granting, unless permission is received
Grant administration, overhead or processing fees taken by an umbrella/parent organization as a percentage of the total award, except for fiscal sponsors
Lobbying expenses
Expenses related to the construction of facilities
Food and beverage for receptions and hospitality functions
Fundraising projects
Scholarships and awards
Staff salaries independent from the time allocated to project delivery
Capital investments (equipment and supplies that outlast the duration of the project)
The production or commission of public art not included in the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture's annual public art plan

Review Process

Applications are first reviewed for eligibility by staff.

This year there will be an additional review step for proposals that indicate they will work with vulnerable populations. Applicants who indicate in their application that they will work with vulnerable populations will be asked additional questions that will be reviewed by a group of subject matter experts like school teachers, social workers, and trauma informed practitioners. This step is part of the eligibility review portion.

Eligible applications are then reviewed by panels comprised of conflict-free arts and cultural workers specialized in the respective project area. Panelists will review and score all completed applications based on the evaluation criteria.

An application is considered complete if it has responded to all the narrative questions and has included the required attachments (work samples and budget).

Evaluation Criteria

OVERVIEW: The applicant provides a project overview and a succinct description of the project. (10 points)

COMMUNITY SIGNIFICANCE: The applicant identifies the primary beneficiary of the project; demonstrates an understanding of the project's meaning and importance to participants; has a plan to ensure the project is accessible to diverse group of participants. (30 points)

ARTISTIC/CULTURAL VALUE: The applicant proposes a project with arts and culture as a primary experience; artists have an important role in the design and delivery of the project; support materials are evidence that the project can be completed. (30 points)

LOGISTICS AND FEASIBILITY: The applicant has outlined a clear and plausible planning timeline; defines evaluation criteria of the success of the project; the budget is a reflection of the activities and is clear and organized. (30 points)

Recommended Projects

After applications have been approved for funding by City of Phoenix Council, applicants will need to complete the following:

Register as a City of Phoenix vendor or confirm previous registration.
Attend the “You’ve Been Funded! What’s Next” webinar facilitated by our grants staff
Sign a grants conditions form that agrees to the following:

Complete project between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026
Use POAC logo when promoting public presentation of grant-funded work
Contact the Grants staff if there are any changes to the approved project
Complete a final report 45 days after project completion

Payments are made upon completion of any pending final reports, verification of vendor registration and address, and signed grant conditions.

Final Report

A final report is due 45 days after the funded project is completed. Grant funds will not be released until all final reports from previous years have been received. As part of the final report, grantees will be asked to upload an expense report of the project's final expenses and copies of receipts.

‭(Hidden)‬ Eligibility

To be eligible for the Project Support program, organizations must meet all the following criteria:

Propose a project that takes place within the City of Phoenix (unless held virtually)
Be based in the City of Phoenix and have a City of Phoenix address OR be based in Maricopa County, producing a cultural festival that will be in Phoenix, and serve mainly Phoenix residents
Exist as a 501(c)3 organization or apply with a Fiscal Agent that has tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code
Propose project must begin no earlier than July 1, 2021 and end no later than June 30, 2022
Schools or youth groups, community-based organizations, small arts and culture businesses, and all arts and culture nonprofit organizations may apply for Project Support grant
Applicants applying for a grant may apply for in-school time if the project is to bring a teaching artist into a (virtual) classroom
An organization applying to the General Support Program is not eligible to apply for a project support grant

The Project Support program does not fund:

Any division of local, state or federal government
Organizations outside of the City of Phoenix not producing a cultural festival
Applications submitted by for-profit entities
Schools, including public, private and charter not applying for a grant that serves youth.
Colleges and universities, other City of Phoenix departments, auxiliary/affiliate organizations, and organizations without a 501(c)3 and not utilizing a fiscal sponsor
Religious institutions or religious group-sponsored organizations not open to participation by non-congregants
Religious institutions or religious group-sponsored organizations whose primary purpose is the religious socialization of individuals or whose arts programming exists as parts of religious sermons or services
Debt reduction
Re-granting, unless permission is received
Grant administration, overhead or processing fees taken by an umbrella/parent organization as a percentage of the total award, except for fiscal sponsors
Lobbying expenses
Expenses related to the construction of facilities
Food and beverage for receptions and hospitality functions
Fundraising projects
Scholarships and awards
Department The production or commission of permanent art not included in the Phoenix Department of Arts and Culture's annual public art plan
Staff salaries/hourly wage
The production or commission of permanent art not included in the Phoenix Department of Arts and Culture's annual public art plan

‭(Hidden)‬ Evaluation Criteria

Applications are reviewed for eligibility by staff and evaluated and ranked by review panelists using the criteria listed below.

Community Significance

The applicant explains the level of significance the project has to community. Community can be interpreted a variety of ways – audience members, general public, seniors, youth, artist(s), etc.

Who is the audience that your project intends to serve/benefit directly? (Select all that apply): Children, Teens, Adults, Older Adults, General public, Families
Why is the project meaningful? (100 words)
List and describe the artists and their role and participation in the project. (300 words)

Artistic/Cultural Value

The applicant has identified ways to be thoughtful in providing arts and cultural programs and services, particularly during COVID-19.

Project Activity—Tell us what type of activities you will be doing in this project (Select all that apply): Festival, Exhibitions/Presentations (visual arts, media arts, design), Performances/readings, Art instruction (classes, demonstrations, lectures, and other instruction used to teach knowledge of and/or skills in the arts), Other (please specify)
Highlight and explain in detail the primary project activities. (You may attach a current/past program or outline if you have one) (300 words)
Upload project support materials (2-4 attachments and descriptions). Include samples of past and current work, past flyers, brochures, etc.
Attach a detailed project budget

Logistics and Accessibility

The applicant explains how they will make the project available and successful for a diverse group of participants.

What is your outreach and promotion plan? (300 words)
How will you determine whether the project is successful? (300 words)

Other application questions/attachments

Project title, project summary, start and end dates, proposed location, amount requested

‭(Hidden)‬ Fiscal Agent

Organizations that do not have 501(c)3 status are eligible to apply using a Fiscal Agent. Fiscal agent must meet eligibility requirements. An organization serving as fiscal agent does not sacrifice its own eligibility for grant support. An MOU (for our in-office use only) must be signed by both partners and sent back to our office at the time of the grant deadline. For assistance finding a Fiscal Agent or questions about the MOU form, please contact Phoenix Department of Arts and Culture staff.

‭(Hidden)‬ Accordion Script

Key Dates & Resources

Submit your application

PSP Review Rubric

Download Application Questions (Word Doc)

Información en español
Reglas e Instrucciones de Convocatoria para Proyectos de Arte y Cultura
Tabla de Evaluación (Esta tabla será utilizada por el jurado para evaluar las solicitudes)

Staff Contact | Contacto

Anel E. Arriola, Grants and Systems Manager, 602-534-5084, anel.arriola@phoenix.gov

Schedule a virtual meeting here: calendly.com/anel-arriola

‭(Hidden)‬ Funding

For FY2021-2022, a project can be awarded between $1,000 and $2,500.

Projects supported through this grant category receive merit-based awards, which are determined by the ranking a project receives in the panel review. For FY2021-2022, grant matching is not required.