General Operating Support I

General Operating Support I Grants (GOS I) are available to non-profit arts and/or humanities organizations that have had both allowable annual cash operating revenue and expenses of at least $50,000 for the last three completed fiscal years. Grants for FY25 will be awarded for activities occurring between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025.

Award amounts range from $10,000 up to $50,000. The grant request may not exceed 35% of the organization’s most recently completed fiscal year’s allowable cash operating revenue, expenses, or $50,000, whichever is lower. Requests over $25,000 require the applicant to submit an audit or financial review for the most recently completed fiscal year.

By awarding GOS I Grants, the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County (AHCMC) seeks to:

  • Encourage organizations to maintain an active, two-way, ongoing relationship with the community in the planning, participation, and evaluation of public activities, which include intentional strategies for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access (DEIA);
  • Promote stability in arts and humanities organizations by providing a base of funding to support operating budgets;
  • Help ensure diverse arts and humanities experiences for constituents of Montgomery County, MD;
  • Stimulate local support and involvement in the arts and humanities, including volunteer participation, audience development, and financial contributions;
  • Strengthen the scholarly and artistic capabilities of arts and humanities organizations; and
  • Improve and/or stabilize the management infrastructure and effectiveness of arts and humanities organizations.

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    Important Dates

    Letter of Intent Deadline
    Friday, February 2, 2024 - 11:59 pm
    Application Deadline
    Friday, March 22, 2024 - 11:59 pm

    Questions?

    Takenya LaViscount
    Grants Director
    (240) 839-4519
    Krystle Seit
    Grants Coordinator
    (301) 565-3805 ext. 20
    Marisa Benson
    Grants Manager
    (301) 565-3804
    Jesus Guzman
    Grants Assistant Manager
    Dates + Deadlines

    FY25 Important Dates

    • Guidelines Published – Friday, December 22, 2023
    • Letter of Intent Deadline – Friday, February 2, 2024 at 11:59 p.m.
    • Application Deadline – Friday, March 22, 2024 at 11:59 p.m.

    New applicants are highly encouraged to contact AHCMC grants staff. All letters of intent, applications, and relevant materials must be submitted online through AHCMC’s grants portal, SurveyMonkey Apply (SM Apply).

    Late letters of intent, applications, and relevant materials will not be accepted.

    Additional Dates Post-Application

    • Panel Review (virtual) – May 2024
    • FY23 990 and FY23 audit/financial review, if applicable, Due Date – June 1, 2024
    • Award Announcement – late June 2024
    • FY25 Mid-Year Report Deadline – January 31, 2025
    • FY25 Final Report Deadline – July 31, 2025
    Webinars

    Webinars

    • Friday, January 19, 2024 from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
    • Friday, February 23, 2024 from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
    • Register on Eventbrite!

      All AHCMC webinars will be hosted through the Zoom platform. Visit to our Webinars page to see upcoming workshops and webinars for all open grant categories.

      Webinars allow grant-seekers to ask AHCMC grants staff specific questions about the grant guidelines, application, and online grants portal.

      At each webinar, AHCMC grants staff review eligibility requirements and offer technical assistance for both the application process and the online grants portal.

      FY25 GOS I Application Preparation Webinar

      SurveyMonkey Apply (SM Apply) Tutorial

      Guidelines + Eligibility

      Guidelines

      Required Letter of Intent Materials:

      1. Arts/Humanities Mission Statement;
      2. Montgomery, MD Primary Office Address;
      3. AHCMC Budget Worksheet;
      4. IRS Letter of Determination/501(c)(3) Check;
      5. List of Board of Directors;
      6. Confirmation of at least one paid employee;
      7. Confirmation of at least 51% programming in Montgomery County, MD;
      8. Confirmation of ability to meet the 990 deadline; and
      9. Confirmation of ability to meet the audit/financial review deadline, if applicable.

      Required Application Materials:

      1. Completed Narrative
      2. Organizational Support Materials
        • Bios of Key Staff and Volunteers;
        • Current Strategic Plan, if available; and
        • Organizational Chart, if available.
      3. Financial Support Materials
        • FY23 990 or letter of extension (990 must be received by AHCMC no later than June 1, 2024);
        • FY23 audit or financial review or letter of extension, if applicable (audit/financial review must be received by AHCMC no later than June 1, 2024);
        • Profit & Loss Statement for the most recently completed fiscal year;
        • Current Fiscal Year Operating Budget with Actuals Year-to-Date;
        • Current Balance Sheet or Balance Sheet for the most recently completed fiscal year; and
        • Projected FY25 budget, if available.
      4. Programming Support Materials
      5. Work Sample(s)

      Information about Audits and Financial Reviews

      An audit is conducted by an independent Certified Public Accountant (CPA) not employed by the organization and provides an unbiased opinion regarding the organization’s financial statements. The auditor conducts their examination in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). An audit requires a much higher level of scrutiny and analysis as compared to a financial review.

      A financial review is also conducted by an independent CPA and provides assurance that the organization’s financial statements are materially accurate. However, as a financial review is more limited in scope than an audit, the assurance is more limited.

      How does an organization determine whether GOS I or GOS II is a better fit?

      When determining which funding opportunity is most appropriate, applicants should consider which category will allow the organization to grow in a healthy manner, strengthen sustainability, and create strong partnerships in the community. GOS II is a highly competitive and rigorous category. Rather than focusing on the grant award, applicants are should consider organizational capacity, financial stability, and right-sizing. Applicants are always encouraged to contact AHCMC staff for guidance before the application deadline if it is unclear which grant category represents the best fit.

      Applicant Eligibility Requirements

      Read the guidelines for full eligibility requirements. An organization eligible to apply has to have met ALL the following criteria by the published application deadline and for the last three completed and consecutive fiscal years:

      • Has its primary mission as the exhibition, presentation, production and/or performance of, and/or education in, an arts and/or humanities discipline, and/or provides support services to artists and/or scholars and/or arts and/or humanities organizations;
      • Has its primary office in Montgomery County, MD, as demonstrated by the address included in the IRS Letter of Determination;
      • Has a balanced budget and documented allowable annual cash operating revenue and expenses of no less than $50,000;
      • Demonstrates 501(c)(3) status as described on page 5 of the FY25 GOS I guidelines;
      • Is governed by an independent, legally liable Board of Directors operating under a mission statement for the organization and an operating budget specific to the organization;
      • At least 40% of its Board members reside and/or work in Montgomery County, MD;
      • At least one paid employee (not contracted staff) works a minimum of 5 hours a week (or 20 hours a week for grant requests over $25,000) to support the organization’s board, comply with the grant requirements, and maintain ongoing programming;
      • Offers at least 51% of its programs and services in Montgomery County, MD, as demonstrated by previous, current, and projected activities and programming. Activities may be open to the public, with or without an admission fee, in person or virtually. In-person activities must follow current COVID-19 guidelines as required by the Montgomery County Health Department; and
      • Has met all outstanding requirements for any grant(s) received from the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County in prior years.
        Application + Templates

        LOI Deadline: Friday, February 2, 2024

        Applicants are highly encouraged to use the application templates to prepare the narrative and supplementary materials. Need to review or download your application? Access SurveyMonkey Apply (SM Apply): https://artsandhumanities.smapply.io/

         

        FY25 GOS I Grant Templates:

        *Know that these are templates for your reference only – all Letters of Intent, applications, and relevant materials must be submitted online through SM Apply.*

        Previous Grants Awarded

        FY25 General Operating Support I Grants (GOS I)

        $1,291,480 awarded for July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025

        GOS I Grants provide general operating support to non–profit arts and/or humanities organizations located in Montgomery County, MD that have had both annual cash operating revenue and expenses of at least $50,000 for the past three completed fiscal years and at least one part–time paid staff member. Thirty-five organizations received FY25 awards in this category.

        View previous grants awarded for GOS I and other grant categories.

        Action Youth Media, Inc., dba Action Youth Media

        Silver Spring, Maryland ($30,000)

        Action Youth Media provides inclusive spaces where young people find their unique voices, gain self-confidence, and learn the media skills they need to be thriving community members. Action Youth Media promotes filmmaking to middle and high school students as a life-giving creative activity and a path to rewarding and sustainable careers.

        After School Dance Fund

        Silver Spring, Maryland ($23,250)

        After School Dance Fund (ASDF) provides artistic, technical, and financial support for the establishment and maintenance of after-school Latin dance clubs to strengthen the social-emotional development of youth by promoting health, exercise, heritage, and unity through Latin dance education.

        Akhmedova Ballet Foundation, Inc., dba Akhmedova Ballet Academy

        Silver Spring, Maryland ($47,000)

        The Akhmedova Ballet Academy provides high quality ballet training utilizing the Vaganova Method with personal and artistic mentoring to prepare young, talented dancers to become strong and fully developed artists ready to take their places in major dance companies around the world.

        Artpreneurs, Inc., dba Arts on the Block

        Silver Spring, Maryland ($48,500)

        Arts on the Block (AOB) empowers youth to imagine, and shape fulfilling futures, join the creative workforce, and contribute to the quality of life in our communities. AOB achieves its mission by providing entrepreneurial training geared toward opening new pathways to learning and achievement. AOB is a hands-on art apprenticeship program offering art, design, and business education through paid public art commissions.

        Arts For The Aging – Maryland, Inc., dba Arts for the Aging, Inc.,

        Gaithersburg, Maryland ($50,000)

        Arts for the Aging (AFTA) engages older adults and caregivers with diverse abilities and backgrounds in health improvement and life enhancement through regular participation in multi-disciplinary arts.

        ArtStream, Inc.,

        Rockville, Maryland ($50,000)

        Through collaborative performance and lifelong learning opportunities, ArtStream enables people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to gain the skills and heighten confidence, centering inclusivity, enabling everyone to perform.

        Bel Cantata Opera Company

        Silver Spring, Maryland ($21,000)

        Bel Cantanti Opera provides performance opportunities to aspiring young professional singers and prepares them to make the transition from musical conservatory/university to the professional opera stage, offering performances for the community at an affordable ticket price.

        Boulanger Initiative

        Takoma Park, Maryland ($24,500)

        Boulanger Initiative advocates for women and all gender-marginalized composers by fostering inclusivity and representation to expand and enrich the collective understanding of what music is, has been, and can be. Boulanger Initiative promotes music composed by women through performance, education, research, consulting, and commissions.

        Cantate Chamber Singers, Inc., dba Cantate

        Takoma Park, Maryland ($45,500)

         Cantate builds community by presenting classical choral chamber concerts, including a focus on new works and inclusion of young artists of color.

        Carpe Diem Arts, Inc.,

        Silver Spring, Maryland ($25,000)

        Carpe Diem Arts inspires creative self-expression that empowers individuals, strengthens communities, and builds better futures, while also supporting the livelihoods of master teaching and performing artists who reflect the diversity of the communities they serve.

        Chevy Chase Historical Society

        Chevy Chase, Maryland ($21,620)

        The Chevy Chase Historical Society collects, records, interprets, and shares materials relating to the history of Chevy Chase, Maryland, one of America’s first streetcar suburbs. Founded in 1981, the organization provides resources for historical research, offering a variety of programs to foster knowledge and appreciation of the community’s history.

        Clancy Works, Inc., dba ClancyWorks Dance Company

        Silver Spring, Maryland ($50,000)

        ClancyWorks Dance Company increases public understanding of the arts by presenting high quality dance performance and educational programs; demonstrating that creative movement can be used to solve conflicts, develop community cohesion, improve academic achievement, and promote civic responsibility; and nurtures leadership skills and artistic excellence in emerging artists.

        CREATE Art Center, Inc.

        Silver Spring, Maryland ($49,000)

        CREATE Arts Center sparks creativity, fosters learning, empowers individuals, and facilitates community connections through the visual arts.

        The Dance Change, Inc., dba Dance Exchange

        Takoma Park, Maryland ($50,000)

        Fueled by generosity and curiosity, Dance Exchange expands who gets to dance, where dance happens, what dance is about, and why dance matters. Dance Exchange harnesses the power of creativity and inquiry through dance to connect communities, to deepen our understanding of ourselves, and to foster a more embodied, resilient, and just world.

        Docs In Progress, Inc.

        Silver Spring, Maryland ($43,375)

        Docs In Progress seeks to create community through documentary film, educating, inspiring, and transforming the way people view their world by providing emerging and established artists of all ages with the tools to tell stories through documentary film. Docs In Progress also seeks to deepen the public’s experience with documentary as well as expose a larger audience to new content.

        Flying V, Ltd.

        Bethesda, Maryland ($50,000)

        Flying V is a performing arts organization that creates intersectional, niche-based art to provide spaces of belonging for artists and audiences. Flying V shares and interprets modern mythologies that affirm individuals’ unique identities and their relationship to the world. Their work and how it is created is rooted in care for, and accountability to, those same individuals.

        Glen Echo Pottery, Inc.

        Glen Echo, Maryland ($23,500)

        Glen Echo Pottery’s mission is to build and sustain a strong, inclusive ceramic arts community focused on both individual learning and collaborative pursuits of excellence in clay. Anchoring their programs in strong instruction and inspiration, Glen Echo Pottery strives to create opportunities for all participants to share their skills, artistry, and joy with others within and beyond the bounds of their studio.

        Glorystar Music Education and Cultural Foundation, dba Glorystar Children’s Chorus

        Potomac, Maryland ($25,000)

        Glorystar Children’s Chorus (GCC) provides music education and choral arts to children and youth with a rich repertoire of East Asian and Western music. GCC celebrates their community’s Asian cultural heritage and creates an inclusive and enriching learning environment for singers to build connections within the community.

        Inscape, Inc., dba Inscape Chamber Orchestra

        Takoma Park, Maryland ($20,020)

         
        Inscape Chamber Orchestra performs concerts that engage audiences with new and compelling concert experiences, including premiering and recording new works by American composers.

        InterAct Story Theatre Education Association, Inc.

        Wheaton, Maryland ($25,000)

        InterAct Story Theatre is a theatre and multidisciplinary arts education organization, creating meaningful, accessible, interactive theatre and arts learning experiences for kids, especially those who experience economic, social, or geographic barriers to equitable arts access.

        Kalanidhi Dane, Inc., dba Kalanidhi Dance

        Bethesda, Maryland ($50,000)

        Kalanidhi Dance inspires appreciation for Kuchipudi dance through artistic excellence, creative performances, high quality educational programs, and collaborations. The organization is grounded in the belief that dance, like music, knows no geographic boundaries, linguistic barriers, racial differences, or class divisions.

        Lumina Studio Theatre

        Silver Spring, Maryland ($50,000)

        Lumina Studio Theatre provides unique opportunities for young actors of any level of experience who seek to perform Shakespeare, other plays of the classical repertory theatre, and modern plays that focus on the beauty of language. Lumina provides a disciplined and rigorous professional setting where actors are trained in a comprehensive, performance-focused program of theatre arts based on Rudolf Steiner’s Creative Speech and Drama techniques, as well as the techniques of Stella Adler and Michael Chekhov.

        Marlow Guitar International Incorporated

        Rockville, Maryland ($47,500)

        Marlow Guitar International (MGI) creates community through music by drawing people together for entertainment, education, and inspiration. MGI brings people together to experience classical guitar music from around the world through performances, educational events, and outreach.

        Montgomery County Historical Society, dba Montgomery History

        Rockville, Maryland ($47,000)

        Montgomery History collects, preserves, interprets, and shares the history of all of Montgomery County’s residents and communities.

        National Capital Historical Museum of Transportation, Inc., dba National Capital Trolley Museum

        Silver Spring, Maryland ($23,750)

        The National Capital Trolley Museum (NCTM) preserves and interprets the heritage of electric and interurban railways and environs for the benefit of present and future generations, while supplementing its collections with national and international objects to enhance its interpretive programs. The Museum acquires and manages collections of objects related to the history of electric street railways; administers real and personal property; operates an electric railway for interpretive purposes and publishes histories of electric railways.

        New Orchestra of Washington, Inc., dba New Orchestra of Washington

        Rockville, Maryland ($24,500)

        Reimagining what have been the limited definitions of “classical music,” the New Orchestra of Washington (NOW) welcomes audiences into a transformative musical experience. NOW creates “great music without labels,” representing the robust cultural diversity of the local community, making orchestral music accessible. NOW is guided by six values—collaboration, representation, education, access, technology, and experimentation (CREATE)—to foster innovative, inclusive programming; nurture enriching partnerships; and infuse the global flavors of all music.

        Peerless Rockville Historic Preservation, Ltd.

        Rockville, Maryland ($47,000)

        Peerless Rockville Historic Preservation
        protects the history and heritage of the City of Rockville through education, advocacy, and leading by example.

        Photoworks, Inc.

        Glen Echo, Maryland ($24,250)

        Photoworks offers lectures, courses, gallery exhibitions, and community outreach for photographers and students in the Metro region. Photoworks facilitate photographers at all levels to grow to their visual potential. Their goals are to be a preeminent photography community; to preserve traditions and explore the frontiers of visual expression in photography; and to be a financially stable organization with the means to adapt to the changing photography environment.

        Puppet Company, dba the Puppet Co.

        Glen Echo, Maryland ($22,908)

        The Puppet Co. presents professionally-produced puppet theater reflecting excellence in both performance and visual experience to excite the public about the potential of puppetry.

        Silver Spring Town Center, Inc.

        Silver Spring, Maryland ($41,807)

        Silver Spring Town Center, Inc. (SSTCi) educates, entertains, and inspires residents of all ages by activating public spaces with arts and cultural events that embrace the region’s diversity and build community connections.

        So What Else, Inc.

        Bethesda, Maryland ($47,500)

        So What Else improves the lives of children and families living in underserved communities by providing high-quality programs in literacy, visual and performing arts, as well as athletics, food security. The organization inspires young people to give back to the community by creating volunteer opportunities.

        Sutradhar Institute of Dance & Related Arts

        Silver Spring, Maryland ($25,000)

        Sutradhar Institute of Dance & Related Arts has a mission to help nurture generational immigrants find a sense of identity, meaningful connection, and an access point for cultural exchange. By sharing stories through three cultural rivers – South Indian dance, East Indian martial arts, and North Indian visual arts – the Institute brings disparate groups to the table of dialogue, understanding and harmony.

        Theatre Consortium of Silver Spring, Inc., dba Theatre Consortium of Silver Spring

        Silver Spring, Maryland ($50,000)

        The Theatre Consortium of Silver Spring manages the Silver Spring Black Box Theatre for culturally diverse resident companies and other artists and organizations for the enrichment of the community in and around the Silver Spring Arts and Entertainment District. Theatre Consortium of Silver Spring offers performance space for their resident companies, artists, and other arts organizations, presenting high quality, diverse, and reasonably priced performance art across disciplines.

        The Victorian Lyric Opera Company

        Rockville, Maryland ($18,000)

        The Victorian Lyric Opera Company (VLOC) makes operetta relevant for the community. VLOC’s vision is to be the leading regional light opera company, reflecting the community on and off stage.

        Young Artists of America, Inc., dba Young Artists of America

        North Bethesda, Maryland ($50,000)

        Young Artists of America (YAA) is reimagining the landscape of arts education by delivering transformative, innovative, and inclusive arts programming that propels students in their personal and artistic development, while bringing exceptional performances to the community.

        FY24 Grantees

        The FY24 GOS I cycle runs from July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024.

        Important Dates Post-Application

          For current FY24 grantees, all mid-year and final reports will need to be completed online through AHCMC’s grants portal, SurveyMonkey Apply (SM Apply). Access SM Apply: https://artsandhumanities.smapply.io/

          Need to make changes to your project? Fill out a grant change request form, available on our resources page: https://www.creativemoco.com/find-opportunities/resources/