Invest, Engage, Innovate, Lead

Dear Constituents:

We are thrilled to present the revised Guidelines 2017, the agency's primary grant-making policy document. As described in the State Arts Plan, the programs and services offered by the Ohio Arts Council (OAC) are now divided into two broad categories: those focused on innovation, and those that involve investment. Our innovation activities include the resources we provide, the professional development we offer, the research we conduct, and the leadership and voice we provide for the arts. This document describes our investment work.

The revised Guidelines 2017 is different from its recent predecessors in three important ways: it is streamlined in length and content, it is aligned to the agency's strategic plan, and it takes full advantage of up-to-date technology.

First, this version of the Guidelines is laser-focused on grant-making. The OAC is first and foremost a grant-maker, and we know the organizations and individuals we fund are primarily art-making institutions or artists. So while we believe going through the process of researching, applying for, and managing public funding makes arts organizations and artists better at what they do, we know that getting back to what they do as quickly as possible is important! So these Guidelines are clean, uncluttered, and less than one-third the length of prior documents. You'll find the information you need -- who is eligible, how to apply, what you'll be evaluated on, and how to get help if you need it -- so you can prepare and manage your OAC grant-writing efficiently and effectively.

This version of the Guidelines emphasizes the things Ohioans told us they wanted us to emphasize, as expressed in our State Arts Plan 2015-2017. You wanted help improving your organizations, so we've created a new standalone Capacity Building program. You told us you wanted to see artists rewarded for their creativity, and the creation of innovative new work incentivized, so the new ArtsNEXT program has been created to accommodate those projects. You told us the operating support reporting burden was difficult, so we've lessened that burden for small organizations while streamlining as many items as possible for mid-size and large organizations. And you told us that the scoring criteria and application questions had grown stale, so we've reworked them, revamped the scoring process, and simplified the criteria. These and many other changes make these Guidelines a better expression of your wishes, and a perfect companion to the agency's current strategic plan.

Finally, these Guidelines bring the agency fully into the modern world of online grant-making, as they align with the OAC's launch of its new ARTIE (Arts Resources Through Innovation and Engagement) system. Online support materials, electronic signatures, intuitive navigation, rich text editing, improved security -- the list of improvements goes on and on. We know you'll love using ARTIE (almost as much as we will!), and these Guidelines are designed to make sure the system and the programs it supports work in perfect harmony.

Guidelines 2017 describes how funds entrusted to the Ohio Arts Council by the Governor and Ohio Legislature are to be invested in arts and culture, as well as the expected returns on those investments: quality arts experiences that strengthen Ohio artistically, educationally, and culturally. Organizational awards will be made in operating and project support programs. Individual artists will be supported through programs that recognize excellence, preserve cultural traditions, and offer developmental support. And Arts learning programs will fund a variety of purpose-driven experiences for educators and learners of all ages. We are proud to support these investments in arts and culture with a team of professional OAC staff members committed to providing responsive customer service. We encourage you to engage with us as the arts and cultural sector evolves, innovates, and continues to power Ohio's economy.

Thank you for reading, and best of luck with your coming work.

Donna S. Collins Executive Director Ohio Arts Council

Jeffrey A. Rich Board Chair Ohio Arts Council