COVID-19 Relief Fund
In response to the disastrous impact of this pandemic on a highly vulnerable sector, the Montgomery County Government and AHCMC are providing emergency relief funds. The Arts & Humanities COVID-19 Relief Fund is available to non-profit arts and/or humanities organizations/groups and individual artists/scholars based in Montgomery County, MD experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19.
The Arts & Humanities COVID-19 Relief Fund allows recipients the flexibility to use funds for their most urgent needs, supporting day-to-day operating costs and furthering the general mission or work of an organization/group or individual artist/scholar. Rather than funding a particular project, relief funds are holistic awards that can be used for programming costs, professional development, and/or vital administration costs, such as rent, utilities, and employee salaries (including self-compensation needed to complete an artist’s/scholar’s work for individual artists/scholars).
The FY23 Arts & Humanities COVID-19 Relief Fund application deadline has passed. Sign up to the Grants Newsletter to receive updates about other grant opportunities.
Important Dates
Questions?
FY23 Important Dates
- Guidelines Published – Friday, August 12, 2022
- Application Deadline – Friday, September 16, 2022 at 11:59 p.m.
- Webinars – These dates have passed.
- Individual Artists & Scholars: Thursday, August 18, 2022 at 11:00 a.m.
- Organizations & Groups: Monday, August 29, 2022 at 2:00 p.m.
- Award Announcement – late October 2022
Late applications and relevant materials will not be accepted.
All inquiries regarding the FY23 Arts & Humanities COVID-19 Relief Fund will be answered via email at COVID19Relief@creativemoco.com.
Please note that staff will be unable to respond to inquiries after 5:30 p.m. on Friday, September 9, 2022.
Webinars
Webinars allow grant-seekers to ask AHCMC grants staff specific questions about the 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.
All AHCMC webinars will be hosted through the Zoom platform.
Webinar for Individual Artists & Scholars:
Webinar for Organizations & Groups:
Guidelines
- View a PDF of the the FY23 Arts & Humanities COVID-19 Relief Fund Guidelines for Organizations and Groups
Application Template
- View a PDF of the FY23 Arts & Humanities COVID-19 Relief Fund Application Template for Organizations and Groups
- Download a Word document of the FY23 Arts & Humanities COVID-19 Relief Fund Application Template for Organizations and Groups
Award Amounts
Relief funds will be determined by the amount of funding provided by the Montgomery County Government, the number of eligible applications received, and the size of an organization’s/group’s allowable annual cash operating revenue or expenses prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, whichever is lower. See Budget Eligibility Requirements on page 5 of the FY23 Arts & Humanities COVID-19 Relief Fund guidelines for more information.
Limitations
The Arts & Humanities COVID-19 Relief Fund for Organizations will not fund:
- Public, private, or charter schools;
- Capital improvements, construction, or renovation projects;
- Rental costs for a Montgomery County-owned facility;
- Purchase of real property, including land, buildings, warehouses, offices, and anything affixed to the land;
- Activities for the exclusive benefit of the organization’s/group’s members;
- Fundraising activities;
- Cost of receptions, refreshments, and/or food;
- Cost of merchandise such as T-shirts;
- Debt retirement;
- Re-granting;
- Political advocacy or activities that take a position regarding any one political party, candidate, or issue;
- Administrative and/or programming costs incurred outside of Montgomery County, MD; and
- Travel outside the United States.
Applicant Eligibility Requirements
Organizations/groups eligible to apply must have met all the following requirements by the published application deadline:
- Has its primary mission or objective as the exhibition, presentation, production 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 been in operation for at least 12 consecutive months immediately prior to the application deadline;
- Has had its primary location and/or a verifiable mailing address in Montgomery County, MD for at least 12 consecutive months immediately prior to the application deadline;
- Operates as a non-profit:
- The applicant has 501(c)(3) status, as evidenced by their U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Letter of Determination;
- The applicant operates as a specific arts and/or humanities entity or division within a larger 501(c)(3) organization whose primary mission is not arts or humanities based;
- If the applicant is not formally recognized by the IRS as a public charity or otherwise officially established as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) institution, the applicant must operate in the manner of a non-profit organization (the group’s net earnings cannot be distributed to those who control it).
- 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.;
- Maintains Good Standing status with the state of Maryland;
- A Certificate of Status (generally called a “good standing” certificate) is a legal document issued by the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation verifying that an entity is up to date on their state filings. Click here to check whether your organization/group is in Good Standing with the State of Maryland.
- Has offered at least one public program/event in Montgomery County, MD since 2019, in person or virtually; and
- Is ADA compliant.
Budget Eligibility Requirements
Non-allowable cash operating revenue includes, but is not limited to:
- Unrealized gains or losses
- Investment revenues (interest and dividends)
- In-kind donations
- Revenue raised for capital
- Funds intended for re-granting
Non-allowable cash operating expenses include, but are not limited to:
- Investment Fees
- Interest Expenses
- Re-granting
- Capital improvement expenses/other related costs
- Depreciation
- Loan principal payments
- In-kind donations
- Bad debt
Guidelines
- View a PDF of the FY23 Arts & Humanities COVID-19 Relief Fund Guidelines for Individuals
Application Template
- View a PDF of the FY23 Arts & Humanities COVID-19 Relief Fund Application Template for Individuals
- Download a Word document of the FY23 Arts & Humanities COVID-19 Relief Fund Application Template for Individuals
Award Amounts
Relief funds will be determined by the amount of funding provided by the Montgomery County Government and the number of eligible applications received.
Limitations
The Arts & Humanities COVID-19 Relief Fund for Organizations will not fund:
- Public, private, or charter schools;
- Capital improvements, construction, or renovation projects;
- Purchase of real property, including land, buildings, warehouses, offices, and anything affixed to the land;
- Fundraising activities;
- Cost of receptions, refreshments, and/or food for a public event;
- Cost of merchandise such as T-shirts;
- Debt retirement;
- Re-granting;
- Political advocacy or activities that take a position regarding any one political party, candidate, or issue;
- Programming costs incurred outside of Montgomery County, MD; and
- Travel outside the United States.
Applicant Eligibility Requirements
Individual artists/scholars eligible to apply must have met all the following requirements by the published application deadline:
- Has resided in Montgomery County, MD for at least 12 consecutive months immediately prior to the application deadline (P.O. Boxes not accepted as proof of residency);
- Is at least 21 years old;
- Is not a full-time student;
- Is a practicing artist or scholar with demonstrated ability in an arts or humanities discipline;
- Applicants will be requested to produce evidence of a professional body of work;
- Is currently experiencing financial duress due to COVID-19; and
- Is able to provide AHCMC with a Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN).
This deadline has passed.
Need to review or download your application? Access SurveyMonkey Apply (SM Apply): https://artsandhumanities.smapply.io/