Cleveland (September 20, 2010) - CAC will convene its third review of Project Support (PS) grant applications this week, on Tuesday, Sept. 21 and Thursday, Sept. 23. The 67 applicants come from a wide range of Cuyahoga County-based organizations - large and small, rural and urban. Those grantees who receive funding will share in an allocation of $800,000, which was approved by the CAC board at its regular meeting on Sept. 13
“This funding is intended to be flexible, so the grants can really have broad impact across our region,” said CAC Trustee Matthew Charboneau, leader of the COSE Arts Network and a professional musician. “As someone who works with musicians, artists and arts organizations regularly, I know how CAC’s funding brings about projects that otherwise just wouldn’t happen.” These grants are open to local nonprofit organizations, even if their focus is not exclusively arts and culture. These include a number of neighborhood and economic development groups, and other community oriented groups, like the Jennings Center for Older Adults.
In the last cycle, 55 projects received funding, ranging from amounts as small as $1,000 to the Berea Arts Fest, up to $50,000 for the Tri-C Jazz Fest. CAC’s review panels are comprised of independent arts and culture professionals who come from outside Ohio; each grant application is read and reviewed by multiple panelists, who grade it according to a carefully designed set of criteria to ensure it meets all the requirements.
“We have received grants in the two previous cycles, and we found the process to be very informative and fair,” Said ParkWorks Executive Director Ann Zoller. “The funding we received allowed us to operate our ParkArts summer education programs for urban youth, which connects them with local masters of dance, drama, photography, and a range of other artistic areas.” ParkWorks is seeking funding for a third cycle, and is among the organizations that will take place in next week’s panel review.
The review panels will take place at the Idea Center in Playhouse Square; they are open to the public, and residents are encouraged to attend. Live audio coverage of the panel will accessible from CAC’s Web site during the sessions, starting at 9 a.m. The CAC Board will announce specific grant award amounts at its meeting on Oct. 25, which will be held at the Beck Center in Lakewood. All regularly scheduled CAC Board meetings are open to the public, and all residents are encouraged to attend. For additional information about CAC and its grant program, call 216.515.8303 or visit www.cacgrants.org.
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