Arts Council tweaks project grants amid funding decline - Business First of Columbus:

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The council on Tuesday unveiled a new set of requiremente for project grants that lowers the share of funding organizations can seek and restricts the numbedr ofannual requests. The council awarded about $300,000 in semiannuapl project support grants last year to31 productions, exhibitzs and other initiatives. That’s down from abouf $450,000 in 2007. Emily Swartzlander, a spokeswoman for the said city officials are projecting as littlesas $209,000 from the city bed tax will be available for project grants this year amid a recession that has squeezed the touriskm industry.
The requirements restrict applicantx to filing one project support requesr a year and cap support for each projecrt at a quarter of the down from50 percent. Another majodr change in the process restricts applicante to operating orproject support. Before the new which apply to applications filed before a March 2 organizations could applyfor both. “We’re really tryinf to be able to continure to fund the maximum number of organizationws in the best way we Swartzlander said. The bulk of the fundinyg the council distributes annually is through grants organizationss can use to funddail operations. Operating support grants, not affected in the latest totaled $2.59 million last year.
Swartzlandeer said the council isn’t expecting operatingb funding tochange significantly, but it’s considerinvg cuts in marketing and Web developmenrt funding if operating support falls shortf this year. What remains to be seen is how much differencerthe council’s changes for the latest rounx of project grants will make in closing a gap betweenj funding and demand. Swartzlander said the council expectd to get a better picture of the success when it beginsreviewing applications. The council in 2008 disburse about $2.96 million in grants to area arts organizations.