City of Portland Urgency/Stability Support for Artists

Introduction

The City of Portland program, Urgency/Stability Support for Artists, is designed to support artists and other creatives working in the arts who identify as under-served or under-represented, including Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islander and People of Color; LGBTQIA+ artists; and artists with disabilities. The program supports artists and other creatives working in the arts who have lost income or opportunities due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and have either outstanding costs or ongoing financial needs that are impacting their practice. Program funds come from Federal grant funds from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) and the process is administered by the Regional Arts & Culture Council. 

Due Date: Apply online in the RACC Opportunity Portal at racc.org/apply by Wednesday June 1, 2022 at 5pm.

Award notifications will be posted in applicant online accounts no later than August 5, 2022.

Grants Team Assistance:

• Molly Gray – mgray@racc.org – Primary contact
• Ingrid Carlson – icarlson@racc.org
• Helen Daltoso – hdaltoso@racc.org

Accessibility: We are committed to making our programs and services accessible to everyone. Please contact us directly or at grants@racc.org to request any accommodations, translation, interpretation, or other assistance you need in completing this process.

Interpretation services available, email info@racc.org or call this number: 311

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通訳サービスのご利用には、メール（info@racc.org）または電 （311）でお問い合わせください。

Eligibility

This program is open to individual artists and creative professionals at all levels of their careers, in a broad variety of disciplines, who identify as under-represented or under-served including, but not limited to, Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islander and People of Color; LGBTQIA+ artists; and artists with disabilities. Applicants must self-identify as an artist or creative, with an ongoing practice creating work and sharing it with the community.

In addition, to be eligible for the Urgency/Stability grant program, you must:

1. Physically reside in the City of Portland (www.portlandmaps.com).
2. Be an individual artist or creative and provide RACC with a W-9 form upon notification that you have been awarded a grant. The W-9 form must have a Social Security Number (SSN), Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), or a single-member LLC Employer Identification Number (EIN). Make sure that your Applicant Eligibility Profile in the RACC Opportunity Portal reflects how you are legally organized and prepared to receive grant income.

RACC is serving as the administrating entity for this program, however it is not considered a RACC grant, therefore the status of any current RACC Grants you may have do not impact your eligibility for this program.

FUNDING RESTRICTIONS

1. Members of RACC team, contractors, or Board of Directors are not eligible to apply.
2. Applications submitted after the stated cycle deadline will not be considered for funding until a future cycle, if available.

Program information

There are two types of support available through a single, two-track application.

Track One: Urgency Grants, $1,000- $5,000: Beneficiaries receive Urgency Grants based on critical needs or an emergency situation resulting in outstanding costs which pose a threat to the viability of the individual’s ongoing creative engagement. Please note, additional documentation of loss or emergency will be required for this track. 

Some examples of what we hope to support with Urgency funds: outstanding bills for medical or mental health emergencies, costs to avoid loss of housing or regain housing, repair or replacement of essential equipment lost due to accident, theft, or damage.

Track Two: Stability Grants, $500-$3,000: Beneficiaries receive Stability Grants based on an individual’s needs, which support their ongoing creative engagement.

Some examples of what we hope to support with Stability funds: purchase of artmaking materials, investment in your practice, access to studio space, or time for continued creation. 

Grant amounts will be determined by the Community Review Panel.

Neither of these tracks are project-specific. These funds are intended to be an investment in artists and creatives. Grants are not contingent upon the creation or completion of a new project.

You may apply in only one of the tracks. In your application, you will be asked to submit documentation of your artistic or creative practice, current need, and financial loss related to COVID-19. 

There is approximately $450,000 available. Any funds not distributed in this round will be awarded in a future round TBD.

Applications must be submitted in the RACC Opportunity Portal by June 1, 2022 at 5pm.

Application process and review

You must submit the required application and supplementary material through the RACC Opportunity Portal by the stated deadline.

Please keep the following in mind:

• All application materials will be reviewed online. Make sure file names clearly reflect the contents of the file, all website links are correct, and access codes/passwords are provided when necessary. Do not upload more materials than requested.
• The Grants Team will review your material for eligibility and category before your application goes to our Community Review Panel for scoring.
• The panels may include RACC board or team members, community stakeholders, and local artists or creatives.
• The panels will review and score applications according to review criteria listed below. Applications will receive priority scoring based on the City of Portland’s desire to serve artists from under-represented communities.
• Reviewers with a conflict of interestwill not be permitted to offer an opinion or score on the application in question.
• Panel meetings will not be open to the public.
• Grant awards will be based on funds available and panel rankings.
• All grant applicants will be notified of funding decisions via email and within their account at the RACC Opportunity Portal no later than August 5, 2022.

Urgency Track: 

• Clarity and completeness of request
• Applicant’s artistic/creative contributions to the local community 
• Strength of applicant’s ongoing practice
• Impact of award on applicant’s artistic/creative capacity 
• Strength of alignment with intentions of the grant program
• Nature and urgency of applicant need

Stability Track: 

• Clarity and completeness of request
• Applicant’s artistic/creative contributions to the local community
• Strength of applicant’s ongoing practice
• Impact of award on applicant’s artistic/creative capacity
• Strength of alignment with intentions of the grant program

In both of these tracks, priority consideration will be given based on the City of Portland’s desire to serve artists from under-represented and under-served communities and Federal Poverty Guidelines.

Award information

You will be notified of your application status no later than August 5, 2022 via email and in the RACC Opportunity Portal.

If awarded, you will be asked to fill out an online grant agreement, upload a W-9 form, and ACH Direct Deposit form (optional). Funds can only be disbursed to individuals directly, using their SSN or TIN, via sole-proprietorships, or single-member LLC’s.

You will not be required to fill out any report for this award, however recipients will have an opportunity to provide feedback and impact stories. 

If awarded, your name will not be published by RACC, however as the administrator of this opportunity RACC is required to report the names and award amounts to the City of Portland and the Federal government. 

Please note: Grant funds are considered taxable income. Individuals receiving over $600 from RACC in one calendar year will receive a 1099-NEC form. If you have tax questions you should consult a tax professional.

Grant application

Submit your application at racc.org/apply