Artist Hiring Incentive Grants

To respond to industry-specific, COVID-related workforce impacts through targeted grants to Boulder-based organizations. This grant is a hiring incentive for nonprofits to employ Boulder-based visual, performing, and literary artists to perform, or create new work. This grant is funded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

The creative industries represent approximately 10% of the workforce in Boulder (WESTAF Creative Vitality Snapshot for the City of Boulder, 2017). This sector was disproportionately impacted by the pandemic; one study by Colorado State University and Colorado Creative Industries estimates that, state-wide, the industry retracted by about one decade of growth in workforce and revenue (2020 Colorado Creative Economy Report, 15-17).

Total Funds: $54,000

Awards: 18 grants at $3,000 each. The costs of hiring a Boulder-based artist for exhibition or performance.

Cycle: Three rounds awarding 6 grants each cycle.

Round one

Monday, April 3 – Grant opens

Friday, May 5 at 11:59 p.m. – Deadline for applications

May 5 to May 12 – Staff reviews applications for eligibility

Friday, May 12 – Staff uses Picker Wheel website to select 6 awardees randomly from the applicants. This is recorded for transparency. Grantees are alerted via email and are announced at the next meeting of the Boulder Arts Commission following the deadline.

Watch the Round One decisions here.

Round two

Monday, June 5 – Grant opens

Friday, July 7 at 11:59 p.m. – Deadline for applications

July 7 to 14 – Staff reviews applications for eligibility

Friday, July 14 – Staff uses Picker Wheel website to select 6 awardees randomly from the applicants. This is recorded for transparency. Grantees are alerted via email and are announced at the next meeting of the Boulder Arts Commission following the deadline.

Watch the Round Two decisions here.

Round three

Monday, August 28 – Grant opens

Friday, September 29 at 11:59 p.m. – Deadline for applications

September 29 to October 6 – Staff reviews applications for eligibility

Friday, October 6 – Staff uses Picker Wheel website to select 6 awardees randomly from the applicants. This is recorded for transparency. Grantees are alerted via email and are announced at the next meeting of the Boulder Arts Commission following the deadline.

• General eligibility. Meets all general eligibility requirements.
• Applicants. Any organization may apply if the General Eligibility Requirements are met, including non-profit organizations, organizations with pending non-profit status, fiscally sponsored organizations, and for-profit organizations with a community focus. These for-profit organizations must be able to demonstrate the following:
  • The organization has community-oriented mission and goals, services, and programming.
  • The organization is currently active and has conducted programming consistently for at least two years.
  • The organization has oversight from a board, advisory committee, or other stewardship group. That group must include community representation.
• Service area and programming. Projects must have a significant component of public programming that takes place within the city limits of Boulder. This programming must meet the criteria described in the Chapter 14-1-2 of the City of Boulder Revised Code. The applicant must demonstrate that they are headquartered in the city limits of Boulder. Applicants may also demonstrate that they are partnered with a Boulder-based organization. Examples of documentation to demonstrate being headquartered or residing in Boulder may include a utility bill, phone bill, pay stub, renter’s or mortgage bill, lease, insurance policy, or other official document. P.O. Boxes are not acceptable. The term “city limits of Boulder” is defined in the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan. For additional information on the planning area and Comprehensive Plan visit this link. As a shorthand, office staff use addresses with the zip code starting with 803— to determine if it is in the acceptable area.
• Boulder-based artists. The artist hired must have their primary address in Boulder. Examples of documentation to demonstrate having a primary address in Boulder may include a utility bill, phone bill, pay stub, renter’s or mortgage bill, lease, insurance policy, or other official document. P.O. Boxes are not acceptable. The term “city limits of Boulder” is defined in the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan. For additional information on the planning area and Comprehensive Plan visit this link. As a shorthand, office staff use addresses with the zip code starting with 803— to determine if it is in the acceptable area.
• Award Limitations. One grant per organization or business will be awarded annually.
• Projects must take place after the grant funding decision and be completed by December 31, 2024.

Deliberation and evaluation of applications. Artist Hiring Incentive Grants are selected lottery-style to those who have met all the requirements of application. Staff may take applications to the Arts Commission for review should they have questions. Awards are announced at the next meeting of the Boulder Arts Commission following the deadline.

Log onto the Boulder Arts Commission online grant portal to preview and apply. If you have not logged on before, make a profile. Applications must be submitted using our online grant applications.

Written Appeals Process. The deadline for a written appeal is 14 days after funding decisions has been made by the Boulder Arts Commission. The appeals process can be found here.

Grant report forms are on the Boulder Arts Commission grants software. Log in with the same user name and password utilized to submit the application. After logging in, go to the ‘Dashboard’, then you’ll see a ‘Follow Up’ section for the grant. On the far right is the ‘Edit’ button. That will take you to complete the final report.

After you submit the report you’ll receive email confirmation and copy of the report via the email that you have included in the report. Contact Lauren Click at clickl@bouldercolorado.gov or 720-564-2355 if you do not receive email confirmation.