2025 Sustaining Grant Guidelines and Application

Application deadline is 4:59 p.m. Monday, March 17, 2025

A complete application is due by the deadline above, and applicants will have until 4:59 p.m. on Friday, March 21 to correct any required supplemental materials in their application.

Please contact artsboard@milwaukee.gov before the deadline if you have any questions about your application.

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Virtual workshop for applicants:

Held virtually February 13, 2025 at 11 AM

To receive the webinar link, please register HERE.

Save & Return

OPTIONAL: Use an account to return to saved work.*

*For the application below, you may create a login to save your progress and return later. You are not required to create a login, and can submit the form without one. If you would like to save your work and return later, Formsite requires a new login be created for each application. You may use the same login across forms but will have to create a "new user" for each form. Please email artsboard@milwaukee.gov if you have any questions or issues.

Required Materials Checklist:

The following supplemental materials are required to be uploaded to this online application in order for your application to be complete:

List of current Board of Directors with officers and business affiliations
Summary page(s) of most recently completed IRS Form 990 (or 990N where applicable)
Annual financial statement for most recently completed fiscal year
Organizational operating budget for current fiscal year (including revenue and expenses)
IRS Letter of Tax Determination, Articles of Incorporation, and Bylaws
Organizational Assurances Form with Board Officer Signature

Purpose

The Milwaukee Arts Board (MAB) Grant Program’s primary objective is to bring accessibility and enjoyment of the arts to the citizens of our culturally diverse city. The purpose of the MAB sustaining grant fund is to:

a. Promote the development, support and enjoyment of the arts in this city.

b. Promote cultural diversity in the artistic life of this city.

c. Promote the formation and growth of artistic projects or programs that are administered by and responsive to the needs of the city's communities that have been historically underrepresented or underserved based on race, ethnicity, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, socioeconomic status, geography, or citizenship status.

About the Milwaukee Arts Board

The Milwaukee Arts Board was established in 1990. Its members are appointed by the Mayor and approved by the Common Council. Funding is provided through the Department of City Development and the Council with additional support from the Wisconsin Arts Board. MAB meetings are scheduled for the second Tuesday of each month and all meetings are open to the public.

Organization Eligibility

You are eligible to apply if you are a nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization (for at least 2 years as of the application deadline date) with a physical administrative office located in the City of Milwaukee* that has a unit with the sole mission of the public presentation and/or production of art or arts programming for the larger community. The unit should be a discrete entity with a governing board, mission statement and budget.

If you received a 2023 Sustaining Grant and have not completed your 2023 Sustaining Grant final report you may not apply.

You are not eligible to apply if you are an individual artist, government agency, or publicly-funded educational institution. Organizations may not use a fiscal agent for the purpose of this application.

*Organizational addresses with Post Office boxes will not be accepted as evidence of City of Milwaukee residency.

What MAB is Able to Support:

Expenses to support artistic or administrative staff, facility and operating costs as well as programming costs if applicable. Recipients are strongly encouraged to use these funds to support artists.

What MAB Is Not Able to Support:

Prizes or awards
Capital projects or equipment purchase
Labor or material costs for renovation
Receptions, refreshments, food, gratuities, travel, lodging, or transportation
Debt reduction, contingencies, fines, penalties, interest
Organizations that proselytize or promote sectarian religious purposes
Units of government or other taxing entities
Endowment funds
Organizations with budgets under $6,000 are not eligible to apply

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I have read and understand the eligibility requirements

Program Overview

Only one application per eligible organization will be considered. Please email: artsboard@milwaukee.gov if you need a paper copy application or for technical assistance with your application.

The grant period is June 1, 2025 to May 31, 2026.

Each application will be reviewed by staff with a panel of community members and Milwaukee Arts Board members appointed by the Chair. Lobbying efforts are not considered and such efforts are strongly discouraged.

Application Deadline

Application deadline: 4:59 p.m. Monday, March 17, 2025

Use the checklist at the beginning of the application form. If all required materials are not submitted, the application will be deemed incomplete. MAB staff will review complete submissions for accuracy and applicants will have until 4:59 p.m. on Friday March 21, 2025 to correct any errors in supplemental documents.

Review Process

Up to 4:59 p.m. March 17: Staff will be happy to provide assistance. Contact artsboard@milwaukee.gov

Mid March—End of April: Panel members review the complete, eligible applications and score them based on the information provided in the narrative questions and the overall organizational feasibility. The review panel members will score each application based on a rubric that can be found HERE.

The scores submitted by panel members are turned into an overall ranking of the complete, eligible applications.

May 13: The Milwaukee Arts Board considers the panel recommendations. Recommendations will be determined by taking the application rankings from the review panel and awarding funds starting at the highest ranked application and working down the rankings until available grant funds are exhausted. A partial grant may be awarded if sufficient funds are not available to ensure all available grant funds are awarded.

Reporting Requirements

June 30, 2025: Final Reports for 2024 grants are due.

June 30, 2026: Final reports for 2025 grants must be filed documenting your programming history, your mot recently filed 990, evidence you have publicly acknowledged the MAB for its support and, if possible, photos representing your programmatic activities.

Questions on Final Reports should be emailed to: artsboard@milwaukee.gov

Failure to file final reports will eliminate applicants from consideration for future funding.

Funding Process

The amount of the grant is determined by the organizational budget:

If funded, an organization with a budget under $100,000* would receive a $3,000 grant. The grant award cannot be more than 50% of your operating budget therefore organizations with budgets under $6,000 are not eligible to apply.

If funded, organizations with a budget over $100,000* would receive a $6,000 grant.

*Based on “projected income for current fiscal year.”

The first grant payment (75% of awarded amount) is made approximately six weeks after the receipt of 2025 signed contracts. Funding will not be available before July 1, 2025. Final grant payment (25% of awarded amount) is made following receipt of a signed Final Report due June 30, 2026. The MAB reserves the right to withhold final payment if the organization is no longer operating as of that date, or if the organization has moved out of the City of Milwaukee.

Conflict of Interest

Members of the Milwaukee Arts Board intend to avoid all conflicts of interest or any appearance of conflict of interest and are required by law to comply with the State of Wisconsin Statutes, Chapter 19, Sub-chapter III and the City of Milwaukee Chapter 303 Code of Ethics. Copies of statutes, ordinance and complete Conflict of Interest Policy are available by emailing: artsboard@milwaukee.gov

Appeals and Extensions

Applicants may appeal grant decisions under the following limited circumstances:

a) A procedural error has been made in handling the application; or

b) The Conflict of Interest Policy has been violated by a member of the Milwaukee Arts Board, the panel or the staff. All appeals shall be made in writing within 30 days after the announcement of the grant awards to Milwaukee Arts Board, Chairperson, 809 North Broadway, Milwaukee, WI 53202.

Extensions of the grant period will be permitted only under special circumstances.

Contractual Obligations

Grant recipients sign a contract with the City of Milwaukee to spend grant funds as described in their grant application for allowable expenses.

Organizations must alert the MAB to any change in the organization’s official address that may affect residency in the City of Milwaukee.

General Information

Organization Name *

Organization website *

Physical Office Address:

Physical Office Street Address *

Address Line 2

City *

State *

Zip Code *

Is this your first time applying with us? *

Yes

No

Has your address changed since the last time you applied with us? *

Yes

No

Please provide an updated W9 form with your current organizational address.

Organization mailing address:

Mailing Address Street Address *

Address Line 2

City *

State *

Zip Code *

If you know what Aldermanic District your office is located in, please select it here (use this search to find your elected officials)

Application contact person and title *

Contact phone number *

Contact email address *

Executive Director *

Executive Director email address *

Executive director phone *

Does your organization have a general email address not tied to a single person that we can use as a backup in case of staff turnover? If so, please add that below.

Tax-exempt number (TIN or EIN) *

Date of incorporation *

Organization mission statement *

Number of full time staff *

Number of part time staff *

Last fiscal year start * +

Last fiscal year end * +

Organization's income (from last completed fiscal year) *

Organization's expenses (from last completed fiscal year) *

If expenses exceeded income in last fiscal year, please explain

Current fiscal year start * +

Current fiscal year end * +

Projected income for current fiscal year *

Projected expenses for current fiscal year *

Narrative Questions

Please answer these questions concisely but specifically, your application will be scored based on your responses to these questions as well as your fiscal management (operating budget, financial statements, and 990 filing) and your planning process.

How does your organization work towards the following purposes of the MAB?
a. Promote the development, support and enjoyment of the arts in this city.
b. Promote cultural diversity in the artistic life of this city.
c. Promote the formation and growth of artistic projects or programs that are administered by and responsive to the needs of the city's communities that have been historically underrepresented or underserved based on race, ethnicity, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, socioeconomic status, geography, or citizenship status. *

How will your organization know it achieved the goals of the MAB ordinance listed above? This should include methods used to evaluate your programming. *

Briefly describe programming that will occur in and benefits the residents of the City of Milwaukee. Please note, you will have to report on programming metrics in your final report.
*

Briefly describe how MAB funds will be used. Funds may be used to support artistic or administrative staff, facility and operating costs as well as programming costs if applicable. Recipients are strongly encouraged to use these funds to support artists. (See guidelines for expenses not allowed). *

Required Supplemental Materials

List of current Board of Directors with officers and business affiliations - pdf or doc/docx only *

Summary page(s) of your most recently filed IRS Form 990 (or 990N for organizations whose annual gross receipts are normally $50,000 or less). With 990 filing “due on the 15th day of the 5th month following the end of the organization's” fiscal year, we understand that your most recently filed 990 may not be for your last completed fiscal year. *

If this is not your 2023 990 (year listed at top of form), please explain why and indicate if you have received an extension with the IRS.

Annual financial statement for most recently completed fiscal year. This includes a statement of activity (revenue and expenses) and a balance sheet. *

Organizational operating budget for current fiscal year (please include revenue and expenses) *

IRS Letter of Tax Determination - Articles of Incorporation - Bylaws

You MUST upload copies of all three of these documents, if you have them combined as one document please upload that to all three boxes below.

IRS Letter of Tax Determination
*

Articles of Incorporation *

Bylaws *

Organizational Assurances

The Applicant Hereby Assures That:

1) The activities and services for which grant assistance is sought will be administered by or under the supervision of the Applicant Organization(s).

2) A. It will comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964(42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.); Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (229 U.S.C. 79u); the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 (42 U.S.C. 6101 et seq.); where applicable; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.)

The Applicant Hereby Gives Assurance that it immediately will take any measures necessary to comply.

B. It will comply with Section 5(j) of the National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 954(j)). Section 5(j) provides that:
(a) All professional performers and related or supporting professional personnel employed on projects or productions which are financed in whole or in part under this grant will be paid, without subsequent deduction or rebate on any account, not less than the minimum compensation for persons employed in similar activities; and
(b) No part of any project or production which is financed in whole or in part under this grant will be performed or engaged in under working conditions which are unsanitary or hazardous or dangerous to the health and safety of the employees engaged in such project or production. Compliance with the safety and sanitary laws of the State of Wisconsin shall be prima facie evidence of compliance.

C. It will comply with the Laws of 1981, Chapter 112, of the State of Wisconsin, which requires agencies not to discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of age, race, religion, color, disability, sex, physical condition, developmental disability as defined in 5. 51.05(5), sexual orientation, or national origin. These laws place specific obligations for affirmative action upon grant recipients of the State. The organization Hereby Gives Assurance that it will immediately take any measures necessary to comply.

3) The filing of this application has been authorized by the governing board of the Applicant organization.

4) Funds received as a result of this application will be expended solely on the described projects and as represented.

5) The figures, facts, and representations made in this application, including all exhibits and attachments, are true and correct to the best of the Applicant’s knowledge and belief.

This assurance is given in connection with any and all financial assistance received from the Milwaukee Arts Board after the date this form is signed. The Applicant recognizes and agrees that any such assistance will be extended in reliance on the representations and agreements made in the assurance, and that the City of Milwaukee shall have the right to seek judicial enforcement for this assurance. The assurance is binding on the Applicant, its successors, transferees, and on the official whose signature appears below.

Board Authorization

I certify that the information contained in this application is, to the best of my knowledge, true and correct.

Please submit the following in pdf form in the box below:

Board Officer’s Signature (President, Vice President, Secretary or Treasurer, not paid staff)

Board Officer signature:

Print name and Board title:

Date:

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