Performing Arts Acquisition Fund
Program Guidelines
Application Period Closed
Community Vision announces the availability of space acquisition grants for organizations that practice and perform artistic and cultural forms of creative activity, expression, preservation, and healing, reflective of the communities they serve.
Grants from the Performing Arts Acquisition Fund will fund up to 40% of the purchase price for properties located in one of the following counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano or Sonoma.
The Performing Arts Acquisition Fund is administered by Community Vision and funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation’s Performing Arts Program.
Grant funds are intended to support organizations that meet the missions of the Hewlett Foundation’s Performing Arts Program and Community Vision, and that meaningfully engage in the artistic and cultural vibrancy of communities throughout the Bay Area but operate on the fringes of existing arts infrastructure and face a high degree of constraints that limit the ability to generate capital.
- The Hewlett Foundation’s Performing Arts Program is committed to the following strategies: Ensuring Bay Area communities have opportunities to discover, develop, and experience meaningful artistic and cultural practices; Providing artists throughout the Bay Area access to relevant services, networks, and financial supports; Enabling equitable access to high-quality arts education opportunities for Bay Area youth; and Building the advocacy capacity to strengthen the infrastructure for the arts.
- Community Vision is a multifaceted social change organization bringing together capital, including lending and grantmaking, with trusted advising and consulting in real estate and financial management. We listen and center our work to be responsive to leaders of color who are driving change and amplifying visions for their own communities. We see an urgent need for investment in Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color, and deploy capital in support of community ownership of community assets.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
- Must be located in the following counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano or Sonoma.
- Must practice and perform artistic and cultural forms of creative activity, expression, preservation, and healing, reflective of the communities they serve.
- Must be seeking to own and operate real estate.
- Must have site control by Friday, October 1, 2021.
- All business structures eligible.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Phase One
Organizations that have recently purchased or that plan to purchase a property soon are invited to submit a Letter of Interest (LOI) no more than two pages long by Friday, July 2, 2021. Community Vision, in partnership with Facilities, Arts and Communities Experts (FACE), will review LOIs and invite program-aligned projects to complete a full application in Phase Two of the application process. These invitations will be issued the week of August 9th, and full applications will be due Friday October 1, 2021 at 12pm PST. The FACE group along with Community Vision will use the below review criteria to guide final decisions about which organizations are invited to complete a full application.
About the Facilities, Arts, and Communities Experts Panel
The Facilities, Arts and Communities Experts (FACE) group is the panel of local experts who are experienced arts, culture, and community development leaders that will assist Community Vision with making funding recommendations. Panelists bring unique geographic and industry perspectives, and are deeply-rooted members of their communities. Read panelist bios here.
Review Criteria
- Mission fit (20 points): Demonstrate how your organization and your project meet the goals of the Hewlett Foundation’s Performing Arts Program and Community Vision, as described above.
- Track record and organizational impact (20 points): Describe how your organization meaningfully engages communities through its practice, and share your organization’s most important accomplishments and the impact they’ve had in these communities.
- Degree of ongoing financial constraints (20 points): Tell us about your organization’s business model, funding sources, fixed costs, and cash flow.
- Project readiness and viability (20 points): Explain how you envision completing your acquisition, putting the property into service, and financially sustaining the space long-term.
- Project’s short- and long-term impacts (20 points): Describe the impact your project will have on your organization and your broader communities in the short- and long-term.
How to Submit a Letter of Interest
Submit your LOI here. Letters of Interest must be received by 12 pm PST on Friday, July 2, 2021 to be considered. The online application system will close automatically after the deadline, and no late submissions will be accepted. See the LOI Guiding Prompts here.
Phase Two
Organizations invited to submit full applications will be asked to provide additional information. See our FAQs for more information about the required information.
The FACE group and Community Vision will use the above review criteria to guide final decisions about which organizations are awarded a grant from the Performing Arts Acquisition Fund. Awards will be announced in late November.
Phase Three
Grants must be disbursed by July 31, 2022 and will be wired directly into escrow, after due diligence on the property has been successfully completed. In order to ensure the space is owned and used entirely as a community arts space for up to 20 years, a deed of trust (DOT) will be recorded and held as a lien on the property. Community Vision will have approval rights for any leases executed with tenants during this period. Compliance will be determined by Community Vision, at its discretion, and will include an annual reporting requirement with basic information. Remedies for non-compliance will be determined by Community Vision with the understanding that recovery of the grant is a potential remedy. Performing Arts Acquisition Fund grantees are ineligible to simultaneously receive funding from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation for the same project. Faith-based organizations may be eligible if they can demonstrate that they welcome and serve all members of the community regardless of religious belief.
KEY DATES
- Application period opens: Monday, May 17, 2021
- Application information webinars:
- Thursday, June 3, 2021: 3:30 pm PST. Register here
- Wednesday, June 23, 2021: 6 pm PST. Register here
- Letter of Interest Due: Friday, July 2, 2021 by 12 pm PST
- Invitations to submit a full application issues: Week of August 9, 2021
- Full applications due: Friday, October 1, 2021
- Grant awards announced: Week of November 29, 2021
- Grant disbursement deadline (deadline to close acquisition): July 31, 2022
- Technical assistance available to grantees: Ongoing
For more information visit communityvisionca.org/artsacquisitionfund. If you have questions, visit the Frequently Asked Questions or email grantmaking@communityvisionca.org.