Oklahoma Arts Council News
July 2012
New state law requires electronic grant payments
Please note: Action will be required!
In the coming weeks, our grantees will receive notice from the Oklahoma Office of State Finance (OSF) instructing them to provide OSF with payee (grantee) banking information. The notice will explain how to provide the necessary information. The information will be used to issue electronic grant payments.
A new law passed in May 2011 (House Bill 1086) requires all state payments be made electronically - including Oklahoma Arts Council grant payments. The intent of the law is to reduce costs associated with issuing payments.
To avoid any problems in receiving your grant payments, when you receive the OSF notice please follow their instructions and provide them with the requested information in a timely manner. The following information will be requested:
- Vendor name (your organization's legal name on file with the IRS)
- Payment address (include the 9-digit zip code)
- Contact name (authorized representative)
- Contact email address
We encourage you to be looking for the OSF notice to arrive in the coming weeks. In the meantime, if you have questions, please direct them to Vendor.EFT@osf.ok.gov.
Thank you for your cooperation in this effort as we work towards a more efficient state government
innOVATION program to fund community revitalization efforts
A new Americans for the Arts program will fund and recognize community revitalization efforts where arts are a core focus. The new innOVATION Grant Program, conducted in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, will provide awards of $10,000, $15,000 and $25,000 to successful applicants. Selected programs will also get national visibility. Applicants must be members of Americans for the Arts and must be nominated by an elected official (mayor, county executive, etc.). To learn more about the new program click here.
(The innOVATION program is one of many new programs nationwide rewarding community development efforts through the arts. If your community is interested in using the arts as a development tool, we are happy to offer assistance. Contact us at (405) 521-2931 or okarts@arts.ok.gov for more information.)
NEA Art Works grant deadline is August 9
The deadline to apply for the National Endowment for the Arts' (NEA) Art Works grant program is August 9. Grants ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 are available to support programs that aim for one of four outcomes:
1) creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence
2) public engagement
3) lifelong learning in the arts
4) strengthening of community livability through the arts
The NEA strongly encourages innovative projects within each of these areas. For more information visit the NEA's website.
Calculate your economic impact!
Did you know Americans for the Arts has a new calculator for measuring your organization's economic impact? It’s super simple: input your community’s population, your organization’s total expenses, and the total attendance to your organization’s arts events (optional), then click CALCULATE. The result is the economic value of your organization to the community.
Now if they would only create one to calculate the arts' value to education and quality of life!
Want to calculate your organization's economic impact? Click here, it's easy!
Radio offers advantages for nonprofits
Think radio is an old-fashioned medium that’s slowly fading away? Think again. When it comes to reaching target audiences, radio can offer nonprofits several unique advantages over other mediums, and there are ever-increasing ways to leverage it for your benefit. Take a look at this article and find out how radio is a great way to emotionally connect with people and audiences.
Click here to read Attuned to Radio: Is Your Nonprofit Getting Poor Reception?
Pulitzer Prize-winning author visits Grove theater
The first time Suzanne Boles read Ron Powers' play about Mark Twain, Sam and Laura, she filed it away without giving it much thought. Boles, who is the executive director for Grove Community Playmakers in northeast Oklahoma, didn't realize Powers was a Pulitzer Prize-winning author. One year later, Boles made the connection and immediately sought permission to present Sam and Laura for the community.
Read what Powers had to say about the community of Grove and their production of Sam and Laura.
Community Arts Director position available
With former Community Arts Director Molly O'Connor now heading up cultural development, the Oklahoma Arts Council is looking for a talented individual to fill the vacant Community Arts Director position. The position provides oversight and review of community arts grants, manages the Oklahoma Performing Artist Roster, provides technical assistance to grantees and potential grant applicants, performs site visits, and coordinates and assists with special events like Septemberfest.
To learn more about the position and how to apply, click here.
America's Historical and Cultural Organizations Grants
Oklahoma museums, libraries, historic places, and other organizations may be eligible for grants available from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) under their America's Historical and Cultural Organizations program.Through the program the NEH offers support for exhibitions, book and film discussion programs, presentations and more. The deadline to apply for funding is August 15, 2012.
For more information visit the NEH website.