Why 4Culture Funds Heritage Facilities and Equipment
4Culture's Heritage Cultural Facilities is an annual program that funds the purchase, design, construction, and remodeling of heritage facilities, and the purchase of equipment intended to be used for at least 10 years. Every award made by 4Culture through the Heritage Cultural Facilities program plays an important part in assisting the heritage community with critical work that enhances the quality of life in King County, and creates a unique and authentic sense of place for residents and visitors in this rapidly changing region.
In 2009, 11 out of 21 proposals received a total of $328,835 in awards ranging from $3,000 to $50,000
Due to the current recession, and the resulting downturn in Lodging Tax revenue, 2010 Heritage Cultural Facilities awards will be capped at $20,000.
Guidelines and Process for 2010 Program Below
Who Can Apply
Nonprofit organizations may submit one application annually to the Heritage Cultural Facilities program.
Eligible Applicants Are King County-Based:
Nonprofit heritage and cultural organizations, and public agencies, other than K-12 schools or schools districts, with at least a two-year operating history, tax exempt status, and demonstrated long-term site control
Note: All applicants must be able to demonstrate that they provide programmatic activities focused on the identification, collection, evaluation, preservation, restoration, exhibition, and/or interpretation of King County heritage.
Requirements for Applicant Organizations:
A legally-constituted and working board of directors
A record of providing heritage programs and services
At least a two-year operating history as a legally constituted entity. Organizations may not apply under another organization's umbrella.
Tax exempt status, preferably 501(c)(3) If an applicant's tax-exempt eligibility is "pending," but the application is recommended for funding, no contract will be negotiated until after nonprofit status has been confirmed. Contact staff to discuss your organization's status, if you are unsure.
Ability to maintain net current liabilities at less than thirty percent of general operating expenses
Ability to sustain operational capacity beyond the completion of the facility or the purchase of fixed asset(s) as evidenced by project and operating budgets
A strategic plan for the organization, the facility, and its programming or content is required for all facility applications
Control of the site through ownership or a long-term lease (10 years; five years w/5 year option to extend) for all facility proposals
The ability to enter into a contract that requires your organization to provide proof of nonprofit status and a W-9 form, complete an ADA status review, have liability insurance that names 4Culture as additional insured, and provide other information as required by King County statutes
What Gets Funded
Facilities Funding May be Used for:
The purchase, design, construction and remodeling of heritage facilities
The purchase of equipment that the organization plans to use to support heritage activities for at least 10 years. Fixed assets (casework, etc.) intended for use in permanent interpretive exhibits are eligible; items intended as collections items or for display in permanent exhibits are not eligible as purchases for this program.
Preservation and restoration of cultural facilities to be used for Heritage Interpretive purposes that are designated as landmarks by a Certified Local Government or listed on the National Register
For stand-alone general feasibility studies at the outset of a project
For general facility maintenance, or to make repairs to buildings or equipment
To purchase consumable items (i.e.light bulbs, small tools)
To cover operating expenses, regular salaries or program expenses
To pay for elements of a project completed before the award of funds
To pay for fundraising costs associated with a capital project
To preserve or restore a facility not used for heritage interpretation
When
2010 Program Deadline: October 13, 2010 - 5:00 p.m. PST
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Projects or portions thereof that are funded through 2010 Heritage Cultural Facilities may begin no earlier than January 1, 2011.
How
Applications to the Heritage Cultural Facilities program are reviewed by staff for eligibility, accuracy, and completeness. An independent peer review panel, composed of heritage specialists, museum professionals, and other community representatives, meet to review applications. All applicants must appear before this panel for a 10-minute interview. Be sure to send representatives who can answer questions regarding project budget, financial statements, and project goals and timelines. The panel will select and recommend funding for the most highly qualified proposals based on the following criteria:
Quality and Qualifications
Clarity of proposed project description, including goals, timeline for completion, and significance
Thoroughness and completeness of responses to application queries, and quality of writing
Quality of proposal, including its alignment with professional standards, best practices, and methodologies for ensuring successful implementation
Quality of existing and proposed programming, and the relationship of the programming to the mission and goals of the organization
Quality of the proposed project with respect to its intended use [The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties and the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Historic Vessel Preservation Projects will be used to evaluate projects involving historic properties and vessels.]
Qualifications and experience of staff and personnel working on the proposed project
Feasibility
Applicant's preparedness to develop, administer, and complete proposed activities within budgetary, logistical and time constraints described in the application
Appropriateness of overall budget and request, including applicant's ability to use 4Culture funds to leverage private or other public funding and support for the proposal
Applicant's presentation of a well-developed plan for raising funds needed to complete the proposed activities
Financial stability of the applicant as evidenced by the operating budget and financial statements
Organization's ability to operate and use the facility or fixed asset as intended, including the organization's ability to secure appropriate leases, agreements, or permits
Extent of community support, which may include, but is not limited to, community involvement, endorsements, and in-kind or cash donations from individuals, foundations, corporations, or other government sources
Timeliness of the request: Applicants for facilities projects must expect to begin construction within 24 months of application.
Impact and Public Benefit
Ability to generate broad and/or lasting public benefit
Impact of the project on attaining programming, service, or organizational goals
Project's contribution to the preservation, conservation or interpretation of King County’s heritage resources
Project's contribution to the protection and preservation of endangered historic resources
Project's contribution to the interpretation and/or exhibition of resources which represent threatened or neglected aspects of King County heritage, such as those defined by theme, ethnicity or geography
Project's contribution to increasing public access to historic resources
Impact of the project on the community, county or region including number of people served and projected to be served ("community" includes, but is not limited to, a geographic, cultural, ethnic or specific heritage community)
Questions about your proposal or its eligibility? Contact Eric Taylor at 206 296.8688.
Funding from 4Culture programs is awarded on a competitive basis. The following opportunities are available to help applicants plan projects and prepare applications:
Free workshops are presented by program staff to identify the types of projects eligible for funding, explain how funding decisions are made, provide a step-by-step review of the application, and offer tips for preparing your proposal.
Applications from previous years are available for review at the 4Culture offices.
A sample application from the online system is available here, for reference purposes only. If you do not have the Adobe Acrobat software required to view this document, you can download a free Adobe® Acrobat viewer.
Requirements and appeals Learn about the legal requirements of award recipients, and about the process for appeal of a 4Culture award here.
Ready to Apply
How to prepare your application
STEP 1 - Read all of the above sections STEP 2 - Gather and prepare your information
You are required to submit your application using the new online form. In this section, you will find information on how to prepare your application and submit support materials.
At the end of this section, a link will be provided to the Online Application.
The following is a guide to help you fully respond to the Narrative section of the Online Application:
Narrative Section Guide
Project Description
Describe the project for which you are seeking funds within the context of your organization's history, mission and goals. Make a case for why this project, or completing this phase of a project, is a priority for your organization at this time. If the project involves restoration or rehabilitation of a historic property, describe how the proposed work complies with the applicable Secretary of Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.
Project Impact
Explain why this project is a priority for your organization and what planning you have undertaken to prepare for this project. Describe how this project will impact your organization's operations, and how it will benefit your community, King County, underserved areas and/or audiences. Use quantifiable numbers in describing how this project will impact your organization's ability to interpret King County history.
Relevant Expertise/Experience/Accomplishments
Identify relevant members of your staff, both paid and volunteer, outside consultants, design team, project manager, and their respective qualifications and responsibilities. Be sure your project's key personnel reflect expertise in your project area. Include résumés in the upload section of the online application.
Project Plan
Clearly state your project's timeline and priorities. Explain how you expect this project to be implemented. Summarize in simple language the work that will be completed with 4Culture funding. Identify other funding sources, cash and in-kind, to demonstrate community support for this project. If you have a long-term, complex project, describe the "big picture" project and timeline for completion, along with specifics about the phase for which funding is requested.
Support Materials (Required)
You are required to submit the following during the "upload" step of the online application, unless otherwise noted:
Project Budget (Required Upload) Download the budget form provided here. Enter your estimated project costs in the Expenses column. Enter your sources of income for the project in the Income column.
Organizational Operating Budget (Required Upload) Download the budget form provided here. Enter your estimated project costs in the Expenses section. Enter your sources of income for the project in the Income section.
If you do not have the Adobe Acrobat software required to view this document, you can download a free Adobe® Acrobat viewer.
Board List (Required Upload) Submit a list of your organization's board members and their affiliations in the file format of your choice.
Financial Statement (Required Upload) Submit your organization's 990 Federal Tax Return or an audit, review or compilation pertaining to the last completed fiscal year.
Fixed Asset List (Required Upload) Submit in the file format of your choice, only if requesting funds for equipment.
Note: The online application system will not allow uploads of files larger than 2MB.
Additional Support Materials (Optional)
You are encouraged to upload, in the file format of your choice, any of the following:
Long Range Plan
Portion of a long range plan that references this project in the larger context of your organizational priorities
Résumé(s) of Project Personnel Résumés of key project personnel, including professional consultants
Project Planning Documents Project feasibility studies and cost estimates General plan and timeline for implementation of the proposed project
Project Images
Renderings, architectural drawings, photos, etc., to illustrate the project
Mail/Deliver Instructions
If you prefer to send hard copies of the above, materials must be postmarked on or before October 13, 2010, or delivered to 4Culture offices by 5:00 p.m., October 13, 2010, addressed to:
Eric Taylor
4Culture
101 Prefontaine Place S
Seattle, WA 98104
STEP 3 - Begin your Online Application here.
Note: Once you have started the process of applying online, you can hit "save" after each completed step in the application, sign out, and your application will remain saved as a draft. You can then return to your application any time before the deadline to continue working or to make changes by signing in with the username and password you created. Once you hit "submit," you will still be able to see your application, but you will not be able to make any more changes.
For technical questions about the online application system, contact staff member Brandi Link at 206 296.8707.
