Cuyahoga Arts & Culture’s mission is to inspire and strengthen the community by investing in arts and culture.
Through our grantmaking, we support the people and organizations that create meaningful cultural experiences for our residents.
To live that mission, CAC must make wise and strategic investments of the public funds that we manage. CAC’s Board of Trustees sets forth this Allocation Policy to guide the annual budgeting process. The policy is reviewed each year to ensure funds are spent in line with our mission, vision, values, and our community’s needs.
CAC’s 2016 Cuyahoga Voices & Vision project resulted in the creation of a roadmap that articulates two key priorities for CAC’s future work. It states that CAC will:
- Continue to support a wide variety of cultural organizations, artists, and creative people; and
- Explore ways to recognize and equitably support our community’s varied ecology.
CAC will continue its efforts to make all of its grant programs more equitable, and it will endeavor to set aside funds each year specifically to support efforts that equitably benefit Cuyahoga County residents.
Annual Allocation of Funds
Grantmaking and program management represent the majority of work done by CAC and, accordingly, shall account for the vast majority of annual expenditures. Specific appropriations to CAC grant programs will generally follow these guidelines:
- General Operating Support grants provide flexible, multi-year support to nonprofit arts and culture institutions that provide a range of programs to benefit residents throughout Cuyahoga County. General Operating Grants are not replicated in many local institutional funding settings, so maintaining a high level of support for this type of funding is particularly important. Accordingly, CAC will endeavor to invest the majority of its excise tax revenues in the General Operating Support program.
- Project Support grants expand the reach of CAC’s funding by providing annual grants to a range of organizations producing, creating or presenting arts and cultural projects that benefit residents throughout Cuyahoga County. Accordingly, CAC will endeavor to maintain the program and provide meaningful grants that meet community demand.
- Other Grants and Grant Programs may be approved from time to time in order to expand the reach of CAC’s funding for specific purposes. Grants falling within this category shall not take precedence over the General Operating Support and Project Support grant programs.
CAC will endeavor to limit administrative overhead and expenditures while providing appropriate oversight and stewardship of the public funds dedicated for arts and cultural pursuits.