Message from the Director, Mary A. Becht:
Arts Update on Economic Stimulus Package   

                                                                                                        AP Photo
On February 17, 2009, President Barack Obama signed the Economic Recovery Stimulus Bill. In the days and weeks leading up to this, more than 85,000 messages were sent to Congress through Americans for the Arts.  The final Bill resulted in The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) receiving $50 million. 

The following is a summary of each of the federal agencies that may provide items of interest for cultural organizations and artists during the economic recovery.

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1)  $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts
The NEA is positioned to use existing mechanisms to allocate lifeline funding quickly to state and nonprofit organizations to retain jobs. 

• 40% to be distributed by formula to state arts agencies and regional arts organizations. Stay in contact with the Florida Division of State Department of Cultural Affairs; http://www.florida-arts.org/ for information on how to access this funding.

• 60% will be set aside for individual arts projects competing for National Endowment grants; http://www.nea.gov/.

• Application Deadline for nonprofit arts organizations is April 2, 2009.

• Applicants must have received NEA funding in the last four years to be eligible to apply.

• Application guidelines for two funding programs can be found on the NEA website, CLICK HERE (http://www.arts.gov/recovery/index.html)
   

2)  $1 billion for the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) for communities to support economic development projects
Arts projects and service programs are eligible in most municipalities, and the boost in funding will provide much-needed relief for cultural services and add shovel-ready development jobs.

Contact your city agency that administers HUD’s CDBG program for specific guidelines.
http://www.hud.gov/localoffices.cfm; http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/communitydevelopment/programs/contacts/
 

3)  $130 million to support grants and loans for “essential” Rural Community Facilities such as community centers and libraries
Rural areas are often underserved, and funds would help ensure that cultural facilities in these localities have the resources necessary to continue operating,  http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/recd_map.html.  1-800-670-6553. There maybe limited opportunities in Broward County for this program.
 

4)  10% of certain Transportation funding for the Transportation Enhancement program
Federally funded and state administered programs support surface transportation projects through 12 eligible categories including preservation, design and public art - http://www.fta.dot.gov/regional_offices.html;

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/te/teas.htm or U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Federal Transit Authority Regional Contacts

http://www.fta.dot.gov/regional_offices.html.

5)  Increased funding and incentives for states that adopt Unemployment Insurance Modernization programs expanding benefits to part-time and low-wage workers
This is a significant change to the eligibility for part-time workers by increasing access to benefits and those seeking additional part-time employment. This may offer assistance to laid-off part time cultural workers and artists who previously could not access unemployment.
 

6)  $13 billion for Title 1for local school districts, $14 billion for school modernization, $53.6 billion for State Fiscal Stabilization Program, including education uses
As a core academic subject, local officials can use federal funds to support arts education. Title 1  funding may be utilized for arts education because in the No Child Left Behind legislation, arts is a core academic subject. Therefore arts education has an elevated status and is an eligible use of this funding. Contact the Broward School District, Title 1 office for more information.
 

7)  $160 million for Center for National & Community Service (CNS)
This expands funding for AmeriCorps State and National grantees and VISTA program - an opportunity to organize and utilize volunteers. See model program - Community Art Corps Maryland Institute College of Art http://www.communityarts.net/readingroom/archivefiles/2008/08/fostering_commi.php.
 

8)  $3.9 billion for Job Training and Employment Services
$3.9 billion for job training for state formula grants for Adult, Dislocated Worker and Youth programs, including an initiative to help provide 1.2 million summer jobs for youth. Also, potential partnerships with Workforce 1 to train and employ workers; http://www.nyc.gov/html/sbs/wf1/html/home/home.shtml.

Register ASAP to become an employer and benefit from this student workforce program at no cost.

Summer Youth Employment Program
Visit the Summer Youth Employment Program Website: http://syep.wf1broward.com. 
Click link for Employer, then click link for Job Order, complete, submit.
Additional Contact Information:
Ricardo Shaw  Community Liaison, Workforce 1 Employment Solutions
3800 Inverrary Boulevard, Suite 400, Lauderhill, FL, 33319
954-535-2300, Ext. 3069;  rshaw@wff1broward.com,  www.wf1broward.com

9)  $150 million for Economic Development Administration (EDA) to address distressed urban industrial cores and rural areas
The EDA leverages $10 in private investments for every $1 in federal funds and could include projects like the planning and creation of cultural districts and pilot programs.
 

10)  $589 million to the National Park Service for much needed historic preservation efforts
Funds will help protect museum collections and cultural sites that have gone into disrepair. The three national parks in South Florida are Big Cypress, The Everglades and Biscayne.
 

11)  Extension of healthcare for the unemployed
Extension of COBRA and expanded Medicaid coverage for those without insurance available to unemployed artists and cultural workers.
 

12)  Southern Arts Federation Economic Response Technical Assistance
In the continuing effort to support and promote the arts in the South, the Southern Arts Federation (SAF) with support from the National Endowment for the Arts is offering a limited number of Economic Response Technical Assistance grants for non-profit presenting organizations in the nine-state region.

This special initiative encourages visual, media, performing, and literary arts presenting organizations to contract with an outside consultant for intensive work to focus on organizational stabilization and to strengthen an organization’s infrastructure. 

Activities should focus on ways that the organization will respond to the current economic conditions for the long-term health and stability of the organization.  The maximum request is 50% of the consultant fee, up to $2,500.

CLICK HERE for more grant details

The Southern Arts Federation (SAF) is a non-profit regional arts organization founded in 1975. The Southern Arts Federation, in partnership with nine state arts agencies, builds on the South's unique heritage, and enhances the public value of the arts in our communities, by:

• promoting and supporting arts in the South

• enhancing the artistic excellence and professionalism of Southern arts organizations and artists

• serving the diverse population of the South