Arts and History Re-Grant Program

The Cumberland County Cultural & Heritage Commission's Arts and History Re-Grant Program aims to foster arts and history-related projects and ongoing programs within Cumberland County, New Jersey. This initiative directly aligns with the Commission's mission to increase exposure to art and preserve history in the community. The program offers three categories of funding: Special Project, General Programming Support (GPS), and General Operating Support (GOS), catering to diverse organizational needs and project scopes. The overall goal is to support and strengthen the cultural landscape of the county by enabling nonprofit groups to present artistic and historical events and sustain their operations. The program targets a wide range of beneficiaries, including nonprofit groups, civic organizations, Y's, educational institutions (for non-standard extracurricular funding), museums, historical groups, festival programs, arts councils and commissions, and creative groups across various disciplines. For the arts re-grant, non-arts groups can apply for funding specifically to support arts-related programs, emphasizing the program's focus on cultural enrichment. For history projects, eligible applicants include nonprofit, government, or educational agencies with a historic focus within Cumberland County, and the work must be related to the county's history. The program's impact goals include increasing community engagement with arts and history, supporting the operational stability of cultural organizations, and facilitating the creation of new artistic and historical content. The program prioritizes projects and programs that clearly support the arts, encompassing visual arts, music, dance, theater, opera/music theater, crafts, media arts, photography, design arts, and literature. For history grants, the focus is on projects directly related to Cumberland County history. General Operating Support (GOS) is specifically for groups whose charter is primarily arts or history related and aims to increase exposure to art in the community. This category has more stringent requirements, including substantiating fiscal responsibility, and requests are limited to 20% or less of the previous year's cash income, indicating a focus on financial sustainability for established organizations. The project period for funding is January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025. Expected outcomes include a more vibrant cultural scene in Cumberland County, increased participation in arts and history events, and the sustained operation of arts and history organizations. Measurable results could include the number of projects funded, the audience reach of funded events, the financial stability of GOS recipients, and the diversity of artistic and historical programs offered. The Commission's strategic priority is to act as a re-granting body that supports and cultivates local cultural initiatives. Their theory of change suggests that by providing accessible funding to a broad spectrum of nonprofit and government entities, they can directly stimulate cultural production and engagement, ultimately enriching the lives of Cumberland County residents and preserving its unique heritage.