Recently, the City of Dubuque approved awarding $250,000 in operating grant funds to 17 different arts and culture organizations and funding $3,500 for 9 building grants. This is to help create more sustainable and effective arts and culture organizations within their community.
To qualify for the grant, the organization had to be a 501, also known as a nonprofit. The organization must contribute to the community's liveliness by giving accessible arts, art education, and cultural heritage to the public. Organizations had to show that they included diversity, equity, and inclusion practices within every area of the group. They also had to provide a good record of financial and management stability.
Bonnie Spurling, Arts and Cultural Affairs Director for the City of Dubuque says that grants are great for not only the community but the city's economy and citizen's participation. “You know the purpose of the grants is to increase community awareness in arts and culture and to increase participation in the City of Dubuque, whether it’s economic or physical or intellectual. We want everyone to be able to participate, you know, remove barriers. So, that’s what it’s all about.”
A three-person panel combined with independent persons who volunteered based, on the Arts and Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission reviewed and scored each applicant. Through this process, the 16 nonprofits and 7 building grant recipients were chosen. The highest-scoring recipients were the highest-receiving. Bell Tower Productions, Colts Youth Organization, Creative Adventure Lab, Inc, Dubuque Arts Council, and more all received the operating support grant. Bell Tower Theater, Northeast Iowa School of Music, The Grand Opera House, and more received the capacity-building grant.
Recipients have until June of next year to use the grant. Afterward, they have a month to write about the work they’ve done with the money.
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