The Lincoln County Cultural Coalition (LCCC) administers grant funding from two independent sources.
1. Lincoln County Cultural Grants - arts, culture, heritage and humanities projects in Lincoln County
LCCC redistributes county-allocated funds from the Oregon Cultural Trust to local organizations. The Oregon Cultural Trust was established by the legislature in 2001 to support Arts, Culture, Heritage and Humanities in Oregon. It is funded through the sale of donations to the Cultural Trust (www.culturaltrust.org). The amount available for granting in Lincoln County each year depends on the amount of statewide contributions, based a formula which includes an equal distribution to each county as well as a per-capita scale.
2. Sponenburgh Memorial Trust Grants - arts education projects (priority music education for elementary & middle school)
LCCC also reviews grant requests to the Mark Sponenburgh Memorial Trust (SMT) on behalf of the Lincoln County Foundation. The fund was established with a bequest from the estate of Mark Sponenburgh after his death in 2013 with the aim enhancing arts (especially music) education of youth in Lincoln County. The amount available for funding is based on the amount of interest earned annually.
While the funding priorities of the two funds differ (see below), the same application form is used for both funds and applications are due for both funds at the same time: October 15, annually.
SPECIAL NOTE: In recognition of the financial hardships caused by the COVID-19 public health mandates, the Coalition will also consider requests for general operating support or for projects that will increase an organization's capacity for financial health and sustainability. This change to the coalition's original guidelines has been extended through the next application cycle (Fall 2022), for projected expenses in January-December 2023.
Eligibilty
Lincoln County Cultural Grants are available only available to 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations involved in Arts, Culture, Heritage, or Humanities for projects that address specific items in the Lincoln County Cultural Plan. Organizations (or individuals) seeking a grant must be residents of Lincoln County or operate primarily in Lincoln County. Individuals who have projects addressing the Cultural Plan may apply only if sponsored by a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Cultural Plan Priorities:
1. Improve access to cultural experiences
2. Raise the level of cultural awareness of youth
3. Facilitate infrastructure improvements
Sponenburgh Memorial Trust Grants are available to 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations and public entities (county, municipal, or schools). The project must be directed at arts instruction for elementary and middle school aged children of Lincoln County, with a priority on music education. Individuals who have projects addressing the Cultural Plan may apply only if sponsored by a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Funding Priorities
Lincoln County Cultural Grants
Proposals must address one or more of the Cultural Plan priorities:
1. Improve access to cultural experiences
2. Raise the level of cultural awareness of youth
3. Facilitate infrastructure improvements
Sponenburgh Memorial Trust Grants
Projects must be directed at arts instruction for elementary and middle school aged children of Lincoln County, with a priority on music education.
Other Guidelines
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Grants from the Lincoln County Cultural Coalition range from several hundred dollars to a maximum of $2,000.
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Grants from the Sponenburgh Memorial Trust have a maximum of $3500.
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Applicants (both funds) will be required to demonstrate significant matching funding and/or in-kind support for the project. Note: while the majority of matching support may be in-kind, some financial contribution on behalf of the organization is expected. LCCC and SMT will not generally provide the only direct financial support for a project.
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Applicants may submit only one request in each calendar year, with the following exceptions (contact LCCC to clarify these situations if necessary):
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An entity may serve as a fiscal sponsor for a second request (must demonstrate programmatic independence).
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Applicants may submit a request for Lincoln County Cultural Coalition grant support for one project and a separate request for Sponenburgh Memorial Trust grant support for a different project in the same grant cycle.
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Applicants may submit requests for support from both a Lincoln County Cultural Coalition grant and a Sponenburgh Memorial Trust grant for the same project in the same year.
Note: The grant proposal will be evaluated independently for the two funding sources. Awarding of a grant from one source neither ensures nor precludes an award from the other source. Funds from one source should not be the only identified matching support for the other source (i.e., organizations must demonstrate significant financial and/or in kind matching support beyond funding awarded here).
Evaluation
All requests for funding will be evaluated and prioritized based on the following criteria:
1. The project addresses one or more of the Cultural Plan priorities (for LCCC grants) or
addresses the Sponenburgh Trust objective (for SMT grants).
2. The goals are clearly defined and achievable.
3. The project represents an imaginative new idea or creatively develops an existing program.
4. The need for the project is clear, likely to have a positive impact on the recipients and lead to the desired results.
5. The project has active partners and demonstrates sufficient community support.
6. The target population is clearly defined and sufficient work has been done to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in the program activities.
8. The time frame/timeline of the project is realistic and appropriate.
9. The budget is clear and achievable, with sufficient matching funds.
10. The evaluation of the project is clearly stated and achievable.
Review Panel
A meeting of the grant-review panel will be held prior to awarding of grants. Applicants are encouraged (but not required) to attend this meeting to answer questions from LCCC members about their proposal.
Award Ceremony
Successful applicants (both funds) are expected to have at least one representative at our grants award ceremony.
Reporting
Successful applicants (both funds) will be required to submit a completion report within one month of completion of the project. Organizations not submitting final reports will be ineligible for future grants.