DUBUQUE, Iowa -- The City of Dubuque and the Arts and Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission are now accepting applications from eligible parties through the Arts & Culture Operating Support and Special Projects grant programs for the fiscal year (FY) 2022 grant cycle, which runs July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022.
Applications for the Operating Support program are due by 11:59 p.m. on Monday, May 17, 2021 with applications for the Special Projects funding due by 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, June 1, 2021. All information related to application guidelines, scoring rubric, and access to the online application forms are available at
www.cityofdubuque.org/artsgrants.
Since these funding programs began in 2005, the City of Dubuque has invested over $3.8 million in organizations and activities that increase the community's access to a wide range of diverse arts and culture experiences, utilizing the power of the arts, creative expression, and cultural offerings to foster economic activity, promote citizen engagement, and cultivate an equitable community of choice.
"Now more than ever, a thriving arts and culture community is critical to the overall quality of life in our community and in need of investment and support," said Dubuque Mayor Roy D. Buol. "The City Council continues to prioritize arts and culture investment as an important part of our community's well-being, for individuals' brain health, and for our overall economic recovery -- as well as a crucial part of our efforts to attract and retain the workforce our region needs to grow and prosper."
The Operating Support grant program, with $250,000 in total line-item funding in FY22, is designed to support established 501(c)(3) Dubuque-based nonprofit organizations who have a primary mission to provide the general public with programs or activities in areas directly concerned with arts, arts education, or cultural heritage.
The Special Projects program, with total line-item funding of $35,000 in FY22, provides support to cultivate unique and innovative creative arts and culture experiences that prioritize community engagement and active partnership in which all parties may experience change and growth; arts and culture nonprofits, other nonprofits, and established nonprofit-like groups are eligible.
Both funding programs require that applicants demonstrate how they incorporate DEI planning and practices throughout their programs and activities. Applicants must also illustrate alignment with the goals and priorities of the City of Dubuque's 2016 Arts and Culture Master Plan.
“Through the Operating Support program alone, the City currently supports 19 different nonprofit organizations that have operating budgets ranging from $17,000 to $5.4 million annually,” states Arts & Cultural Affairs Coordinator Jenni Petersen-Brant. “This ongoing commitment to Dubuque’s nonprofit arts and culture sector directly supports nearly 300 full and part-time arts and culture workers, while investing in programming that creates an estimated $47.2 million annual economic impact through tourism, hospitality, and retail activity and significantly impacting broader quality of life and community development efforts.”
To learn more about both grant programs, free informational webinars will be offered for any and all interested in learning more about program details and adjustments made to the FY22 processes due to COVID-19. Informational webinars are scheduled as follows:
Webinar attendees should register in advance at
www.cityofdubuque.org/artsgrants; webinar recordings will be posted to the City’s website for those unable to attend live.
Grant applications must be submitted online by the aforementioned deadlines through fillable forms found at
www.cityofdubuque.org/artsgrants where complete application details are now available.
For additional information, visit
www.cityofdubuque.org/artsandculture or contact City of Dubuque Arts & Cultural Affairs Coordinator Jenni Petersen-Brant at
jbrant@cityofdubuque.org or 563.690.6059.
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