Grants to support Public Programs in the Arts (United States)

These programs represent the highest standards of excellence, engage the public, encourage community access, education and participation in the arts and follow best practices in business management and administration. An organization must first apply in Entry Track before being eligible for PPA as determined by staff and panel recommendation.

Funding Information

• Grant amounts are based on a formula that considers the panel review assessment, fiscal size of the organization, and past Commission funding.

Ineligible Funding

• Establishment of or contributions to an endowment;
• Fundraising projects that do not raise funds for the arts;
• Prizes, scholarships, or free tickets;
• Projects or programs to generate or attract audiences;
• Offsetting of debt, payment of fines, penalties, or legal fees;
• Activities that are primarily promotional or created for mass distribution, such as duplication of CDs, creation of portfolios, private gallery announcements, brochures, or websites;
• Self-published books
• Student exhibitions, anthologies, publications, or performances, unless those activities document an arts education grant;
• Costs associated with any degree or professional certification, such as tuition, fees, and teaching materials;
• Projects or activities already completed or beginning before the eligible start date or documentation of previously completed projects;
• Documentation of projects except for arts education activities;
• Projects primarily recreational, vocational, or religious;
• Activities restricted to an organization’s membership;
• Costs for consecutive attendance at annual activities that are routinely within an arts organization’s budget including, but not limited to, conferences of the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, Americans for the Arts, American Folklore Society, or the Western Arts Alliance;
• Pageants, festivals, or celebrations unrelated to arts, ethnic, or cultural activities;
• Journalism;
• Historical or academic documentary film and electronic media arts that do NOT demonstrate significant artistic emphasis, consideration, and distinction;
• Scholarly or academic works in history, languages, archeology, and political science;
• Lobbying expenses or political activities;
• Hospitality expenses such as food and drink, alcohol, flowers, etc. Any such expenses included in a project approved for funding must be paid with applicant funds;
• Capital expenses for an individual; or
• Writing intended for youth.

Eligibility and Restrictions

• Applicant must be a nonprofit, IRS tax exempt 501(c)(3) organization or applying through a fiscal agent; or be a unit of local, county, tribal, or state government, including schools and school districts
• Nonprofit organizations must have a valid 501(c)(3) Determination Letter with an effective date at least three years prior to the grant application deadline date
• Applicant must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)
• Applicant must have a minimum of a three-year program history as of the grant application deadline date
• Applicant must compensate professional artists and administrators
• The organization’s primary purpose must be the production, presentation, or support of the arts and it must demonstrate a history of maintaining high artistic standards
• Applicant must have completed at least one year of Entry Track funding and have received notification of PPA status
• Final reports for past Commission grants and awards must be submitted and approved

Preparing Work Samples

• Commission staff will not add or substitute material from one application to another, or from a prior application.
  • Images: Work samples may include up to ten images.
  • Audio or video: Work samples may include up to five pieces of work not to exceed ten minutes in total duration.
  • Literature: Work samples may include up to 20 pages. If excerpted from a larger work or works, applicants may also include a one-paragraph synopsis.
  • Playwrights and Screenwriters: Work samples may include up to 20 pages. If excerpted from a larger work or works, applicants may also include a one-paragraph synopsis.

For more information, visit Idaho Commission on the Arts.