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In the sections below, GCA has provided answers to frequently asked questions about GCA grants.
What type of activities does GCA fund?
GCA funds projects involving professional artists as well as community-based projects featuring local artists.
Examples of the types of projects that GCA funds include, but are not limited to:
- theatre or dance performances
- music concerts
- art exhibits
- art festivals
- public art (murals, sculpture, outdoor concerts, etc.)
- classes or workshops
- demonstrations
- readings by authors or poets
- publications
- film festivals or showings
- services for artists or arts organizations
- artist residencies
- in-school or after-school arts programs
What happens if I need to change or add something to my grant application?
If the deadline has not passed, notify the grant manager listed in the grant guidelines. That person will reopen your application and you may make the change. You must then resubmit the application before the deadline.
If the deadline has passed, then GCA cannot accept any changes or additions to a grant application.
What does GCA not fund?
GCA does not fund
- non-arts activities or events, such as history-based exhibits, athletic events, culinary projects, etc.
- capital projects, such as the acquisition of property or a building, major renovation or restoration, improvements involving structural changes
- the acquisition of equipment that costs more than $5,000
- depreciation
- fundraising events that are not related to the organization’s mission
- tuition
- scholarships or prizes
- endowment funds
- alcohol or concessions
- entertainment expenses, such as receptions, dinners, parties, etc.
- fees paid to lobbyists
- programming outside of Georgia
When are grant guidelines posted?
General Operating Support, Project, and Arts Education Program Grant guidelines and applications are available in December. Cultural Facilities and Vibrant Communities Grant guidelines and applications are available in July.
Does GCA have any grants for individual artists?
No, GCA does not have grant available for individual artists. GCA is able to give a grant to an eligible organization which may in turn hire an individual artist for a program.
GCA does have several non-grant programs for individual artists:
- Teaching Artist Roster, a resource list of Georgia artists who are skilled in one or more artistic disciplines and experienced in a classroom setting.
- Vibrant Communities Artist List, a resource list of Georgia artists who are available to tour and provide programs in all parts of the state.
How does GCA decide which grant applications to fund?
All eligible grant applications go to a grant review panel. Grant review panels are organized by applicant budget size so that each applicant is being evaluated against organizations with similar resources. GCA staff members prepare a report on applicants that did not complete the requirements of previous grants, such as late final reports or incomplete projects. Panelists read the applications and staff reports and submit preliminary scores and comments. An overall preliminary score for each applicant is determined by dropping the highest and lowest scores and averaging the rest. Panelists are then given access to comments from the other panelists as well as preliminary scores.
Panelists review the preliminary panel scores and comments for the final evaluation. Panelists discuss each application, and then amend their preliminary scores if they choose. The high and low scores are then dropped, and the remaining scores are averaged to get the applicant’s final score. Once all panels are complete, all applicants are ranked by score for each grant type. Applicants with the highest scores in each grant category are funded. GCA funds as many applicants as possible, moving down the list of organizations until the grant funds are exhausted.
When are grant funding announcements made?
General Operating Support, Project, and Arts Education Program Grant funding announcements are made in July. Cultural Facilities and Vibrant Communities Grant funding announcements are made in October.