Technical Assistance Workshops Oct. 23

Guidelines and application forms for the 2014 New Jersey State Council on the Arts State/County Partnership Local Arts Program Grant are available online at http://bit.ly/LAPGrants2014

Local non-profit arts and other non-profit (non-arts) organizations planning an arts program – theater, dance, music/concerts, visual arts, literary or film arts – may apply directly to the Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission (SCC&HC).  Grant funding through this program will be available to support cultural programs and events from January through December 2014. 

Eligible organizations must be designated non-profit, based in Somerset County and planning an arts/cultural program, project or service within Somerset County that is accessible to the general public.  Funding is competitive and organizations must demonstrate managerial competency, fiscal stability, artistic excellence and the capacity to execute the proposed program or project. 

Applicants are required to provide a match for funding requested.  Requests can be made for funding for General Operating (GOS) support if an organization’s mission is solely arts-dedicated, or Special Project (SP) support or Arts in Non-Traditional Venues (ANTV) support, both of which are available to arts and non-arts organizations alike for the purpose of offering an arts program/event/series in Somerset County in partnership with other organizations or artists.

Two free technical-assistance grant-writing workshops, geared specifically to this Local Arts Program Grant to familiarize and assist potential applicants with the application process, will be offered on Wednesday, Oct. 23, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. and from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.  Pre-registration is required at least two days prior to the scheduled session. 

To register, call SCC&HC Administrative Assistant Cathy Bunting at (908) 231-7110. All applicants are strongly advised to attend one session.  Both workshops will be held in the second-floor Engineering Conference Room in the Somerset County Administration Building, 20 Grove St., Somerville, NJ 08876. Free parking is available in the attached parking deck off East High Street.

A letter of intent from applicants will be due by Oct. 25 to the SCC&HC as a preliminary requirement of the grants process, in which the potential applicant states, in a paragraph or two, the purpose for which the organization intends to apply for funding and approximately how much money will be requested.

Completed applications are due by 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7.  Go to http://bit.ly/LAPGrants2014 to access the 2014 Local Arts Program Grant guidelines, application form and finance charts.

For more information, contact Pat McGarry in the Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission office at (908) 203-6020 or by email at CulturalHeritage@co.somerset.nj.us