Welcome Letter – Grants for Arts Organizations

As part of our commitment to fostering transparency and strong relationships with our grantees, we kindly ask that you formally acknowledge your grant award with a letter if you have not already. Please send your acknowledgment by email to Jessica.Ball@delaware.gov OR postal mail to the Delaware Division of the Arts, ATTN: Director Jessica Ball, 820 North French Street, 4th Floor, Wilmington, DE 19801

Why This Is Important:

Acknowledging the grant in writing is not only a professional courtesy but also an essential part of maintaining clear and open communication between your organization and the Delaware Division of the Arts. Your acknowledgment helps us document the successful disbursement of funds and allows us to share in your excitement as you embark on your funded project. Additionally, it serves as a formal record that you have received the grant and understand the terms and conditions associated with it.

We strongly encourage you to express your gratitude to your elected officials each year that you receive funding. Their ongoing support is vital to the continued success of your organization and the broader arts community in Delaware.

Why This Is Important:

Public funding for the arts is a reflection of the value that our elected representatives place on culture, creativity, and community enrichment. By taking the time to thank them, you help to reinforce the importance of this support and demonstrate the tangible impact it has on your organization and the community you serve.

Raising awareness among elected officials about how their support enables your work is crucial. It not only helps to sustain current funding but also builds a foundation for future investment in the arts. When legislators see the positive outcomes of their decisions, they are more likely to continue advocating for the arts.

How to Take Action:

If you haven’t yet written to your elected officials, please do so as soon as possible. It’s a simple yet powerful way to keep them informed and engaged with the incredible work you do. For guidance on how to acknowledge public support for the arts, please go to the Delaware Arts Alliance’s Action Center page for DDOA grantees for a useful resource.

Find Your Elected Officials:

You can use this tool to find your local elected officials’ contact information. We encourage you to reach out to them regularly to share your successes and express your appreciation.

Your advocacy is a key part of ensuring that the arts continue to thrive in our state. Thank you for your commitment to this important work!

Publicly acknowledging your grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, as described here, helps community members understand the impact of public arts funding and the broad range of activities their tax dollars support. In accepting a grant from the Division, you have agreed to provide proper credit. Failure to comply may jeopardize current or future funding.

Delaware Division of the Arts grantees are required to submit all public arts and cultural events in a timely manner.

Please submit your events as soon as they are scheduled and no later than the three months before the event is scheduled to take place. Please make every effort to submit your events by these deadlines, even if you must add more detail at a later date. If you have missed a deadline, it is possible, though not preferable, to submit events as late as two weeks prior to your event.

If you can submit events earlier than the recommended deadline, please do so, especially for events that have substantial attendance from out-of-state visitors. The state and county-based tourism offices have recommended posting events 3-6 months or more in advance so that they can assist in marketing (if the events are likely to attract large numbers of out-of-state visitors). In addition to listing these events on DelawareScene, please contact your county’s tourism office for additional information about promotion of large-scale events.

How to Submit an Event

• Click on the Submit an event link at the bottom of the home page and then complete the form. You do not need to have a username and password to submit an event, however you may create one if you wish to receive priority processing and access the Conflict Checker.
• All submissions will be reviewed and, if accepted, posted within 5 to 7 business days.
• If you have questions about DelawareScene.com, you can review our FAQ’s here or contact Andrew.Truscott@delaware.gov.

DelawareScene reserves the right to edit submissions for grammar, style, accuracy and content. DelawareScene also reserves the right to revise, reject or cancel, in whole or in part, any events, venues or attractions for any reason in its sole discretion.

Please be sure to make any updates to your Organization Profile directly in the Division’s grant portal, smARTDE.

If your board membership and grant contacts have changed since you submitted your grant application in March, please send your staff liaison an updated list if you have not already done so. It is particularly important to keep the Division informed about the election of new officers and staff contact changes.

• Go to the upper right of your homepage screen and select “Organization Profile.”
• Street address – within the Organization Profile, select the link under Primary Address and enter the new address. It will default to the USPS address.
• Website or main email address: You may also edit these.
• To add or edit additional volunteers, board members, or staff, or to add someone to your organization, you must email your Staff Liaison their email address and phone number. You will not be able to do that yourself. They will then be able to log in and view your past and current applications and reports by clicking “Forgot Password” on the smARTDE homepage.

We routinely send out volunteers to conduct evaluations of the arts programs the Division supports. Grant review panelists emphasize the importance of these evaluations when they review applications each year. Typically, evaluators are current or upcoming panelists, State Arts Council members, and Division staff. You can assist us in this process in the following ways:

• Provide your staff liaison with a name and contact information (phone and email) for the person who can best assist us in reserving complimentary tickets or making arrangements for evaluations. Please forward a copy of this email to that contact person.
• Respond promptly to requests for tickets or information related to on-site or virtual evaluations so that arrangements can be confirmed with the evaluators.
• Keep your profile and public event information current on DelawareScene.com, the Division’s comprehensive online arts and culture calendar. If your events are not listed in DelawareScene.com far enough in advance, we cannot assign an evaluator. Failure to comply with this obligation may impact future funding. Please see these DelawareScene Instructions with more information.
• Please be sure to post virtual events as well.

Evaluations that we receive are available to you in smARTDE under the Award info tab of your grant application.

As a valued partner of the Delaware Division of the Arts, we encourage you to keep us informed of any special events related to your funded project or organization. Whether it’s an opening night, gallery opening, fundraiser, or other significant occasion, we would be honored to share in your success and support your efforts in person.

Why This Matters:

Your events are a vital part of the cultural fabric of our community, and they provide an excellent opportunity for us to witness firsthand the impact of our shared work. By attending these events, we can better advocate for the arts in Delaware and showcase the importance of public support for cultural initiatives.

How to Invite Us:

Please ensure that we receive invitations to your special events well in advance, so that we can make the necessary arrangements to attend. We look forward to celebrating your achievements with you. Email invitations can be sent to individual staff members by using their email, found here.  Paper invites can be mailed to our offices at:

Delaware Division of the Arts

Director Jessica Ball

820 North French Street, 4th Floor

Wilmington, DE 19801

During the year, if you have any questions about your grant or need to make any changes in your planned projects, please contact your Staff Liaison and be sure to add them to your mailing and/or email lists if you haven’t done so already.

General Operating Support and StartUp– Kathleen Dinsmore, Kathleen.Dinsmore@delaware.gov, 302-577-8287

If you have any questions about your grant, the panel comments, or need to make any changes in your planned projects, please don’t hesitate to set up a call or meeting through this booking link. As always, feel free to check in throughout the year.

To help us stay informed about your organization’s latest activities, accomplishments, and news, we kindly ask that you add the Delaware Division of the Arts to your e-marketing contact list. Being included in your regular communications allows us to stay up to date on the exciting work you’re doing and to share in your successes. It also enables us to better support and promote your organization through our own channels. Please add the following email addresses to your e-marketing contact list:

delarts@delaware.gov

Kathleen.Dinsmore@delaware.gov – Program Officer, Organization Support

Andrew.Truscott@delaware.gov – Program Officer, Marketing and Communications

The Division of the Arts has engaged SMU Data Arts to launch the Cultural Data Profile in Delaware. The Cultural Data Profile (CDP) is a free and secure online survey that collects financial and programmatic data from nonprofit arts, culture, and humanities organizations so they can apply for grants, gather insights, use data to strengthen a case for support, and contribute to nationwide research. Surveys are modified based on your organization’s budget size and are mandatory for all General Operating Support and StartUp organizations. Examples of the surveys can be found here:

CDP for very small organizations – expenses less than $50,000 annually

CDP for un-audited organizations – expenses over $50,000 annually who do not receive an audit or review from a nonprofit accounting firm

CDP for audited organizations – receive an audit or review from a nonprofit accounting firm

Learn more about how to get started with the Cultural Data Profile here. There will be additional information distributed to all organizations once Delaware’s portal has been activated.

If your organization would like to deepen its connection with the Delaware Division of the Arts, we would be delighted to attend one of your upcoming staff or board meetings. Our team is available to speak about Delaware’s vibrant arts community and the important role your organization plays within it.

Why This Is Valuable:

Having a Division representative at your meeting provides a unique opportunity to learn more about statewide arts initiatives, discuss how your organization aligns with broader cultural goals, and explore ways we can continue to support your work. It also allows us to gain insights into your organization’s vision and challenges, strengthening our partnership.

How to Arrange a Visit:

If you’re interested in scheduling a visit, please email Kathleen.Dinsmore@delaware.gov with the details of your meeting. We’ll do our best to accommodate your request and look forward to the possibility of engaging with your team or board.

We love to showcase the incredible work of our grantees in our promotional materials, whether it’s in advertisements, flyers, or other outreach efforts. To help us highlight your organization, we kindly request that you forward us high-resolution images of your physical spaces, events, and programming.

Why This Matters:

Your images help tell the story of Delaware’s vibrant arts community and the meaningful work being done across the state. By sharing photos of your organization in action, you allow us to feature your contributions in a visually compelling way, bringing greater visibility to your efforts and the impact of public support.

How to Submit:

Please send your high-res images to Andrew.Truscott@delaware.gov, along with any relevant captions or credits. We ask that images be at least 300 DPI to ensure they’re suitable for print and digital use. If your images are too large to email, we would suggest uploading them into a WeTransfer or Google Drive file.