PORTLAND, ORE — The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) invites nonprofit organizations and individual artists in Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas Counties to submit proposals for artistic projects and events planned for calendar year 2016. The first step in applying for a RACC Project Grant is to submit an “Intent to Apply” form online at racc.culturegrants.org by Wednesday, August 5 at 5:00pm.

RACC Project Grants support a wide range of artistic activities throughout the Portland tri-county region.  A variety of projects will be considered, as long as they involve the creation or presentation of a performance, exhibit, or other work of art that is available to the general public. Other eligibility requirements apply, and successful proposals will address one of the following objectives:

• Artistic Focus: These projects demonstrate high artistic quality, innovation, creativity in programming and excellence in artist selection.
• Community Participation & Access: These projects support artistic programs with high levels of community participation, including K-12 students. Projects in this category should impact participants by providing them with a greater sense of self, family, community and place through learning and participating in their own art making experience.

New this year, applicants can request up to $7,000 (up from last year’s maximum request of $6,000). Also new this year, schools and school fundraising organizations (such as PTAs) are no longer eligible to apply directly for Project Grants, but artists and organizations are encouraged to apply for projects which take place in schools in the Community Participation & Access project grant category.

The “Intent to Apply” deadline for Project Grants is Wednesday, August 5, 2015 by 5:00pm. Approximately $600,000 is available for projects in 2016, and awards will range from $1,000 to $7,000 each. RACC encourages submissions from new, emerging, and established artists alike. All eligible proposals will be grouped by discipline and adjudicated by a panel of community volunteers with interest and experience in arts and culture programming. For more information on how panelists are selected, visit http://racc.org/grants/being-a-grant-panelist.

A program overview and a list of projects that were funded in 2015 are available online at www.racc.org/grants. All applications are processed through RACC’s online grants system at http://racc.culturegrants.org, and RACC provides computer access and technical support for people who require assistance. Applicants can contact Quinn MacNichol at 503-823-2928 or qmacnichol@racc.org for support with the online system.

RACC staff can help guide applicants through the process of submitting a competitive application. Returning applicants should contact Helen Daltoso at 503-823-5402 or hdaltoso@racc.org for assistance. First-time applicants should contact Ingrid Carlson at 503-823-5417 or icarlson@racc.org. RACC also translates application materials upon request, and provides over-the-phone interpretation services for people with limited English proficiency; please call 503-823-5071.

In addition to providing one-on-one support, RACC has produced several online video tutorials (available on Youtube), and provides free orientation sessions to help applicants better understand RACC Project Grant guidelines and application procedures. Information about these sessions will be posted at www.racc.org/grants by Friday, June 12.

RACC staff will notify applicants via email as to whether their “Intent to Apply” meets the intention of the Project Grant. Final proposals and supplementary materials will be submitted electronically through the online system no later than August 19, 2015 at 5:00pm.

Awards will be announced in mid-December.