Webinars

• Monday, February 3, 2025 from 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
• Monday February 10, 2025 from 4:00 p.m. – 5:30 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, grants staff review eligibility requirements and offer technical assistance for both the application process and the online grants portal.

FY25 Advancement Application Preparation Webinar

SurveyMonkey Apply (SM Apply) Tutorial

AHCMC Project Budget Tutorial

• View PDF slides of AHCMC’s Project Budget Tutorial

Guidelines

• View a PDF of the FY26 AG Guidelines

Required Application Materials:

1. Completed Narrative
2. Organizational Support Materials
   • IRS Letter of Determination;
   • List of Board of Directors;
   • Bios of Key Staff and Volunteers;
   • Current Strategic plan, if available; and
   • Organizational Chart, if available.
3. Financial Support Materials
   • FY24 990 or letter of extension (must be received by AHCMC no later than June 1, 2025);
   • FY24 audit or financial review or letter of extension, if applicable (audit/financial review must be received by AHCMC no later than June 1, 2025);
   • 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;
   • AHCMC Budget Worksheet;
   • Projected FY26 budget, if available.
4. Project Support Materials
5. Programming Support Materials
6. Work Sample(s)
7. AHCMC Reporting Data Form

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.

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 4 of the FY26 AG 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 virtual.; and
• Has met all outstanding requirements for any grant(s) received from the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County in prior years.

Project Eligibility Requirements

Eligible activities must:

• Take place between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026;
• Take place in Montgomery County, MD;
• Contribute to the applicant’s fiscal stability and/or long-term viability, such as addressing long-term planning, planning for capital improvement projects, emergency preparedness planning, and/or technology improvements critical to an applicant’s arts or humanities mission; and
• Heighten the applicant’s ability to provide services that directly benefit Montgomery County constituents.

Application Now Open in SM Apply! https://artsandhumanities.smapply.io/ 

Deadline: February 28, 2025

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/

FY26 AG Templates:

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

• View a PDF of the FY26 AG Application Template
• Download a Word document of the FY26 AG Application Template
• Download an Excel document of the FY26 AHCMC Budget Worksheet Template

FY25 Advancement Grants (AG)

$369,109 awarded for July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025

Advancement Grants provide support to non-profit arts and/or humanities organizations located in Montgomery County, MD that have had both allowable annual cash revenue and expenses of at least $50,000 for the last three completed fiscal years. Grants support organizations in attaining fiscal stability and long-term viability, including long-term planning and technology improvements critical to an organization’s arts and/or humanities mission. Eight organizations received FY25 awards within this category.

View previous grants awarded for AG and other grant categories.

The FY25 AG cycle runs from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025.

• View a PDF of the FY25 AG Guidelines
  

Important Dates Post-Application

• Mid-Year Report – New Deadline: February 28, 2025
  • PDF of Mid-Year Repot Template Coming Soon! 
  • Word document of Mid-Year Repot Template Coming Soon!
• Final Report: June 30, 2025

For current FY25 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/