Rhode Island Code of Regulations › Title 665 - State Council on the Arts › Chapter 20 - Grants and Certification › Subchapter 00 - N/A › Part 1 - Rules and Regulations for Cultural Facilities Grant Program › Section 665-RICR-20-00-1.7 - Application Review and Project Selection for State Cultural Facilities Grant Program Competitive Grants

Current through June 14, 2024
A. PRELIMINARY
				 REVIEW: After the closing date, the applications will be reviewed by RISCA
				 staff or its designee. The Review Panel will evaluate all of the timely and
				 complete applications according to the scoring criteria.
B. MINIMUM ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS: An
				 application shall be deemed eligible for evaluation only if it satisfies all of
				 the following criteria:
1. The applicant is a
				  26 U.S.C. §
												501(c)(3)  nonprofit agency. Applicants must demonstrate the
				 capacity to successfully carry out the project. Applications will not be
				 accepted from private individuals, for-profit organizations or corporations.
				 RISCA shall be responsible for determining eligibility status to participate in
				 the Cultural Facilities Grants program.
2. The applicant owns or leases the property
				 for which the grant is sought. Applicants who have a lease or written agreement
				 of at least ten (10) years from the date of the application are eligible. With
				 the understanding that the applicant is required to provide evidence that State
				 investment in private property is clearly for the long-term public good,
				 applicants with less than a ten (10) year lease will be required to provide a
				 document signed by lessor and lessee committing to enter into a ten (10) year
				 lease or a five (5) year lease with options that comprise a full ten (10) year
				 period in the event a grant is awarded.
3. The property for which the grant is sought
				 is used as a cultural facility.
4.
				 The grant is sought for capital improvements to the property.
5. The applicant certifies that any property
				 renovated or improved with funds made available by RISCA will remain under the
				 ownership or lease of the applicant for a minimum term of ten (10) years unless
				 approved by RISCA and agreed to by the applicant and owner in writing. If the
				 property passes from the applicant to another lessee before this minimum period
				 from date of award has expired, the owner of the facility may be required to
				 return funds to the Cultural Facilities Grant Program, as negotiated at the
				 time of application with both parties. Such conditions and negotiations are
				 subject to approval by the Council.
6. The application contains all information
				 and supporting documentation specified or requested in the application
				 package.
7. An eligible applicant
				 may only submit one (1) application in each grant application round.
8. The following activities are not eligible
				 for grant funding:
a. Projects whose entire
				 scope of work consists solely of general maintenance.
b. Projects that consist only of landscaping
				 or site work as part of improvements such as parking lots, sidewalks,
				 etc.
c. Projects that consist only
				 of predevelopment or planning, such as historic structure reports, master
				 plans, and architectural studies.
d. Acquisition of collections.
e. General Operating Support (GOS).
				 Administrative costs for running the organization (including but not limited to
				 salaries, travel, personnel, office supplies, mortgage or rent, operating
				 overhead or indirect costs, etc.)
f. Costs associated with representation,
				 proposal, or grant application preparation.
g. Costs for lobbying or attempting to
				 influence Federal, State or local legislation, the judicial branch, or any
				 State agency.
h. Costs associated
				 with bad debts, contingencies (money set aside for possible expenses), fines
				 and penalties, taxes (of any kind), and other financial costs including bank
				 fees and charges and credit card debts, except costs related to debt service
				 for the designated project.
i.
				 Costs for travel, private entertainment, food, beverages, plaques, awards, or
				 scholarships.
j. Projects
				 restricted to private or exclusive participation, including restriction of
				 access to programs on the basis of sex, race, creed, national origin,
				 disability, age, or marital status.
k. Re-granting, contributions, and
				 donations.