Managed by New Sun Rising (NSR), the Collective Action for Reimagining (CAR) program is a collaborative grant for innovative projects in the arts sector that address structural challenges instigated or exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis, and other needs you identify as necessary for cultivating a stronger, healthier, and more equitable arts sector. Collaborations, partnerships or networks composed of two or more 501(c)3 arts organizations, artist-driven projects, and/or unincorporated arts collectives of any budget size are eligible to apply.

New Sun Rising (NSR) strengthens nonprofits, social enterprises, and collaborations that create economic opportunity, solve social challenges, and promote community vibrancy, making them uniquely positioned to help facilitate this new funding opportunity.

The program will be responsive to those projects that the arts sector believes are the most creative and effective ways to respond to the COVID-19 crisis. Examples of project ideas include programs that utilize collective action to strengthen the sector including those proposals that employ collaboration, shared functions, restructuring, changes in business models, operating systems, program realignment, partnerships, and other needs you identify as necessary for sustaining a strong, healthy, and equitable arts ecology over the long term. 

Collaborative Projects: The collaborative project must consist of two or more organizations. As a collaborative project, the scope should benefit from each organization’s particular expertise or provided services, or enable more effective and efficient service delivery. Projects should promote new and creative ways of working together, utilizing existing strengths, and avoiding duplication of competing solutions or services.

CAWG is interested in bold collaborations that produce action-oriented solutions.

The number of collaborators required is now two, instead of three. Each must be a separate organization that is either a 501(c)3 or a fiscally-sponsored program. For the purposes of the CAR program, a collective of individual artists is considered one organization.

Types of Projects Funded

1. Projects that employ collaboration, shared functions, restructuring, changes in business models, operating systems, program realignment, and partnerships.
2. Joint Advocacy and Communication activities such as information about the effect of the pandemic on artists and cultural organizations, and the importance of the arts in society, especially during a time of crisis. Supported projects can include broadly focused community-wide campaigns, and smaller micro-focused campaigns targeted toward a community or neighborhood, specific to an art form, or constituent group with specific messaging of importance to them.
3. Proposals that address issues of equity and inclusion, and that seek to counteract overt and institutional racism.
4. Policy recommendations to strengthen the sector; and actions that arts supporters, the public and government, can take to maintain the sector during and after the crisis. This includes a focus on solutions that promote a healthy, robust re-emergence of the arts sector in the near term, and longer-term policy actions to strengthen the sector.
5. Public policy options to enhance the sector’s access to public resources now, and its overall strength in the future.
6. The pandemic has exposed weaknesses in the way the arts and culture systems support its workforce, and these workers have been particularly hard hit – many are low-wage workers, lack health insurance, and are part of the “gig” economy. Addressing long-term and systemic solutions to the health and welfare of workforce needs are of interest. Projects should consider the needs of all facets of the workforce: management, creative, independent artists, teaching artists, arts administrators, and the support staff that assist them and maintain arts facilities.

The CAWG sees structural change (or “restructuring”) as a major shift within an organization or in a constellation of organizations that changes the way authority, capital, information and responsibility flows, in order to enable a more sustainable delivery of art. This shift should reflect and prioritize the voices of people, groups, and communities often left out of resource allocation and decision making.

Structural change in the arts sector is a goal, but shorter-term projects may lead to the development of long-term changes, expanded relationships, and inclusion of groups and collectives not typically able to access funding pools.

Grants and Grant Amounts: The grant limit is $100,000 and we expect many collaborations with budgets smaller than this amount will apply.  Effective collective action proposals will take time to develop, or may be an outcome of a Capacity Building Assistance project (though not required), and applicants are encouraged to take sufficient planning time. Funds will be reserved to respond to requests throughout the entire funding year (through May 2021). Projects should be completed within 12 months of the grant award.

Grant limit is now $100,000 and projects should be completed within 12 months of the award.

Eligibility: Project partners must consist of two or more 501(c)3 arts organizations, artist driven projects, and/or unincorporated arts collectives. The collaborative project must include at least two organizations.  Note: For this program, an artist collective is considered one organization. One member will be designated the lead and if not a 501(c)3, and you are able to use a fiscal sponsor. The fund is open to all arts and cultural organizations of any budget size, within the designated geography. In recognition of long-standing disparities in funding, it will prioritize small to medium-sized arts organizations and those that serve or are led by historically marginalized communities in southwestern Pennsylvania, whether they be urban or rural in location.

The eligible counties are:  Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Somerset, Washington, and Westmoreland.

At least two or more organizations are required as project partners. For the purposes of the CAR program a collective of individual artists are considered one organization.

Capacity Building Assistance Program:  Collective Action for Reimagining applicants are also eligible to apply for grants in the Capacity Building Assistance category (see description below) as a collective or as an independent organization.

Application Deadlines: There are three remaining proposal deadlines spread throughout the year: January 8, 2021, March 18, 2021; and May 6, 2021. Final funding decisions will be rendered by the CAWG via New Sun Rising approximately two months after the application deadline. 

Review Process: A review panel composed of foundation staff and community partners will review all submitted proposals and provide funding recommendations to the CAWG. Staff and consultants may conduct follow-up conversations with groups whose ideas best align with the priorities listed above. Conversations may result in (1) project grant funding, (2) further development of the idea working with staff, or (3) a declination. Decisions will be determined by volume of proposals and proposal quality in addressing the priorities. Please see evaluation rubric included in the complete application materials at the NSR website. Final funding decisions will be rendered by the CAWG via New Sun Rising approximately two months after the application deadline.

While the CAWG will do its best to honor recommendations of the review panel, final decisions will be made by members of the CAWG.

The decision timeline was extended from one month to two, to provide the necessary space to consider each project proposal thoroughly.

This grant is not for regranting, supporting individual artists (unless part of a collective of artists), nor is it solely for the collaborative production of art.

 

Proposal Development: Technical Assistance to help you develop your proposal for Collective Action for Reimagining is available. Learn more or get feedback from the AER Team in a few ways:

1. Review or attend a virtual, recorded info session or workshop here.
2. Email us at getinfo@artsreimagined.org or call 412.219.6584 with a specific question or to schedule a phone consultation.

Please apply! If you have any questions about eligibility or the strength of your project idea for this Fund, or if you would like to provide feedback on the program, please do not hesitate to contact us. The strength of this program depends upon your participation. Thank you!

Other Important Details:
Be sure to submit a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by all members that identifies the lead organization, all the partners in the group, and explains how they are organized, make decisions, and assign responsibilities to implement their projects. Refer to the Collective Impact document and the MOU template found at NSR website. 

We understand that in order to address the current crisis with collective action ideas that are new, different and innovative, some of these projects will have a degree of “works in progress.” Submit a proposal that to the best of your knowledge and ability describes the project and its objectives.

For the complete application with instructions, please go to https://www.newsunrising.org.