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EIA Seed Grant Initiative - CFP
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Equitable Investment in the Arts (EIA) SEED Fellowship

Call for Project Proposals (CFP)

Note: This is a pilot program that will be iteratively optimized based on early fellow feedback.  As such, the contents of this cfp is subject to change as result of experience, new information, changes in process requirements and the availability of resources. Any specific inquiries about the program can be emailed to accl@fortheculture.fund.

Last update: December 02, 2020

ACCL is looking for 24 Community Artrepreneurs to fund in the next 12 months (2020-21).

The SECC - Arts & Culture Capital Lab (ACCL) is looking to fund a culturally diverse group of artists, including but not limited to music, theatre, film, dance, other performing arts, painting, sculpture, printmaking, fashion, photography and other visual media - through a 2 Year Pilot Program: Equitable Investment in the Arts - SEED Grant Fellowship or “EIA Seed Fellowship” for short.

The EIA Seed Fellowship is a one year capacity building and micro-granting program

How much funding is offered to each project?

Project funding will be allocated via micro-grants in amounts ranging from $3K to $20K with the majority of grants falling in the $3K - $5K range. Micro-grant payment schedules will be aligned with project milestones and outcomes.

What kinds of projects are eligible for funding?

All projects selected for funding must have a tangible output within 12 months of the grant agreement and project outcomes must measurably contribute to building community wealth in a specific Chicago community area.  

What are the Project Leadership Requirements?

The projects should be led by an artist, creative or small arts organizations located within the physical parameters of the city of Chicago - on the South side, West side and/or Ethnic-New Immigrant Enclave of the North side. Project Lead must be 18 years of age or older at time by December 31st, 2020.

The main focus is power and capacity building for low-income individuals (<$68K annually)/low-revenue organizations (<$500K) who have project ideas that are validated and are ready for growth/acceleration.

Each project must have at least one (1) Project Lead who is authentically and currently connected to a specific Chicago community area - on the South side, West side and/or Ethnic-New Immigrant Enclave of the North side. Chicago Community Area Map:

https://www.secc-chicago.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/neighborhood_map.png

What reporting/events are required from Project Leads?

ACCL is looking to fund projects that have the potential for exponential growth across a range of revenue and impact metrics.  The Project Lead must be available for Quarterly in-person site visits, Monthly Virtual Workshops and Bi-monthly check-ins with ACCL Project Technical Advisors.

The Project Lead is responsible for sharing weekly metrics via a web-based project dashboard as well as completing longer form project updates quarterly. Outcome data for each project will be tracked for a minimum of 24 months.

Is this a One-time Grant Program?

This is Year 1 of a two  year Pilot for the Equitable Investment in the Arts Seed Grant Initiative.  

12 microgrants will also be allocated in 2021 - Year 2. Up to three projects, each year, may be eligible for multi-year micro-grants. 24 distinctly unique projects will be funded over the two years (2020 - 2021).

How will projects be selected?

The first step is completing a brief Project Opportunity Profile Form. This form will help determine if basic eligibility requirements are met by the Project Lead/Submission Team.

Eligible projects are then invited to complete a longer-form Project Proposal/Application for Funding.  Project Proposals are reviewed by a Selection Committee: a Panel with a minimum of five Artist Peers/Community Investment Leaders.  

Projects will be accepted for funding on a rolling basis beginning September 1st, 2020 until the end of 2020 or until 12 projects are selected.

Project - Judging Criteria

  1. Project meets basic eligibility requirements
  2. Project outcomes related to Community Wealth Building are clear/well-defined
  3. Project prioritizes “power building”
  4. Project is a part of a “movement ecosystem”
  5. Project team understands context/environment of proposed project location  
  6. Project team has the capacity/skills to execute project and measure impact
  7. Well-balanced Need/Significance of grant on overall project success

What is Community Wealth Building?

All projects selected for funding must have the potential to contribute to community wealth building activity in a specific Chicago Community Area.

ACCL views Community Wealth Building as a systems approach to cultivating local assets by increasing local control and ownership.

This approach works collaboratively with residents, business owners and anchor institutions to increase locally rooted ownership -- ideally broadly held. This process of cultivating local assets also involves building new institutions that benefit the community over time.

Community Wealth Building differs from traditional Economic Development by bringing focus and centering investment on existing assets within a specific community.

Some examples of Community Wealth Building Projects are:

Why are we focused on Arts/Creatives specifically?

Art & Culture has been used as a tool for community development by the SECC for over 20 years, including a Neighborhood Beautification Fund that funded nearly 200 projects since 1999.  

In 2014, the SECC published findings from its three year regional study that concluded that in addition to building community pride, the arts were a critical economic driver for the south side of Chicago, particularly in community areas with a history of disinvestment.  

The SECC study underscored the disparities in funding and capital building opportunities for artists of color and low-income artists.  The study also highlighted an opportunity for impact by investing in cultural capital, capacity building for creative entrepreneurs and creative placemaking as a tool for community wealth building.

An artist is an asset that exists in EVERY neighborhood, TODAY.

What is Capital?

Assets that can be used to generate income

From what lens are we designing this micro-granting program?

Driving Principle

Principle in practice/program component

Technology is profoundly altering the context & economics of artists’ work

Education and capacity building in technology focused areas

Lack of funding equity across Chicago neighborhoods

Focus on low-income individuals and small budget organizations located on south side, west side and ethnic enclaves on north side

Structural, meaning to race-, gender-, and ability, inequities in the artists’ ecosystem mirror those in society more broadly

Explicit focus on “power building” and equity during outreach, application design and selection

Projects should contribute directly to community asset & wealth building

Community wealth building strategies must be incorporated into project design (planning,

implementation/execution and evaluation)

What happens after projects are funded?

Quarterly In-person Site Visits

Monthly Workshops & Weekly Status Update Calls with Cohort

Bi-Monthly Virtual Check-ins with Artcelerator Team

Regular meetings with Technical Assistance Providers

 What are the benefits of the EIA Seed Grant, in addition to the funding?

Important Research/Data Sets:

https://medium.com/helicon-collaborative/not-just-money-part-1-abd18e277703

https://community-wealth.org/content/chicago-illinois

Eligibility Requirements

In-eligible projects