StartUp Program Grants

Newly formed arts organizations, or organizations that are applying to DDOA for the first time or have had a lapse in GOS funding, must successfully complete the DDOA StartUp program for emerging arts organizations before applying for GOS, Education Resource, or Arts Stabilization Fund grants.

To be eligible for StartUp, applicants must:

• Have the promotion, presentation, production, and/or teaching of the arts as their primary purpose as outlined in their charter, incorporation papers, bylaws, and IRS nonprofit determination letter
• Have a stable, functioning board of directors that meets at least quarterly
• Be based and chartered in Delaware as a nonprofit organization; exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) or 509(a) of the Internal Revenue Code; and eligible to receive donations allowable as charitable contributions under Section 170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954
• Have been providing continuous public arts programming for at least two years at the time of application
• Have total operating income of more than $16,000 for the last completed fiscal year
• Submit a Letter of Intent Form through smARTDE no later than January 15, and receive approval to apply. It is strongly advised that new applicants contact the Division prior to submitting a Letter of Intent Form

Please note the following restrictions:

• The Division will not accept applications through fiscal agents
• No individual may compile or submit an application on behalf of an organization if that individual is a member or relative of a member of the Delaware State Arts Council or Division staff

Board Support: Since this program requires the full engagement of the board, organizations wishing to apply for StartUp Program support are expected to review the StartUp program guidelines at a board meeting and submit a copy of the complete meeting minutes including the discussion and affirmative vote to participate in the program.

StartUp Program funding consists of operating support up to $2,500 and a program of training classes and consulting with Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement (DANA). The program pairs the organization with a Standards for Excellence® Licensed Consultant to determine the needs of the organization, and then provides customized training for staff and board members to learn nationallyaccepted best practices for nonprofit management. Topics covered may include: Vision, Mission, Strategy and Evaluation; Leadership: Board, Staff and Volunteers; Legal Compliance and Ethics; Finance and Operations; Resource Development and Fundraising; Public Awareness, Engagement and Advocacy. DANA will continue to work with members of the organization’s board/staff for a period pf time to guide them in their growth.

Funding awarded in the FY2027 grant cycle must be spent on activities that occur between September 1, 2026 and August 31, 2027.

StartUp grants are funded on a matching basis. Matching funds (1:1) must be cash and may not come from the National Endowment for the Arts. Other federal grant sources may be used as match in accordance with authorizing legislation.

Download the full StartUp Grant guidelines here.

Download Grantwriting Tips for Organizations here.

After the Letter of Intent has been submitted and reviewed, applicants may be invited to submit a full application. The Delaware Division of the Arts strives to keep our grant applications concise, while gathering the essential information needed for a thorough and fair evaluation. We aim to balance simplicity with the comprehensive details necessary to ensure we can effectively assess each project’s potential impact and success.

The StartUp application includes:

• An organizational profile
• Narrative questions addressing programming, artistic quality, availability and service to the community, and management
• A board list with contact information, board-designated responsibilities/committees, occupation/expertise, and # years of service
• A staff contact list with names, titles, and email addresses • A 2-year side-by-side budget comparison
• Financial reports for the most recently completed fiscal year (instructions available in smARTDE)
• Board minutes indicating board approval to participate in the StartUp program
• Support materials (up to three)

Note: All materials submitted to the Division of the Arts during the grant application process are subject to public inspection upon request, in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act. Please redact any confidential information contained in financial documents and audits prior to submission.

Expenses Eligible for StartUp Support

Funding from StartUp grants may be used to support most aspects of an arts organization’s annual operating expenses (not including capital expenses), such as:

• Artists’ fees
• Administrative costs
• Contractual services
• Facilities operations (utilities, routine maintenance…)
• Marketing or publicity of events/activities
• Personnel (salaries, benefits…)
• Professional development (workshops, seminars, conferences, excluding credit earning post-secondary coursework)
• Supplies and materials
• Technical costs
• Travel (domestic) and other operational expenses necessary to deliver arts programs and services

Expenses Not Eligible for StartUp

Division funds may not be used for these expenses:

• Activities for which academic credit is given
• Activities outside Delaware
• Awards and cash prizes or donations
• Bad debt
• Building, renovating, or remodeling of facilities
• Capital expenditures and non-consumables valued over $3,000
• Traditional circus performers and athletic activities
• Contingency funds
• Expenses incurred outside the grant period
• Fundraising costs (capital/endowment campaigns)
• Investments of any type
• Lobbying
• Meals/refreshments
• Private entertainment
• Projects restricted to exclusive participation or enjoyment
• Projects that have sectarian or religious purposes
• Scholarships or research by individuals

The Division recognizes that StartUp applicants face many challenges in their nascent stages. Nevertheless, in order to introduce emerging arts organizations to the rigor of public evaluation, the criteria listed below, which are used to evaluate established arts organizations, are also used to evaluate StartUp Support applications. A panel reviews the application, using a detailed scoring rubric.

Artistic Quality (40% of score)

• Artistic product, process, and/or service
• Interpretative materials and/or educational activities
• Ingenuity, vitality, relevance
• Program evaluation

Availability of the Arts/Service to the Community (30% of score)

• Fulfillment of community needs
• Audience development
• Demonstrated efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Outreach and collaboration

Outreach and collaboration Management (30% of score)

• Board/staff qualifications and governance
• Fiscal responsibility
• Operational evaluation

After all applications have gone through an internal grant review process for completeness, the Delaware State Arts Council will make funding recommendations for Fiscal Year 2027 to the Division Director at the June 2026 Council meeting. The recommended grant awards will apply to Fiscal Year 2027 only. Applicants will be notified of final funding decisions after July 1, 2026, following the Council meeting and passage of the state budget.

For details on the grant review process and appeals procedures, visit the Division of the Arts’ Grant Review Process.

The Division of the Arts retains the right to reduce or rescind a grant award during the grant period if the grantee is found not to be in compliance with state and/or federal grant requirements, or if funding (state or federal) is reduced during the fiscal year.

Notification:

Applicants will be notified of grant award decisions after July 1, 2025, following the Council meeting and passage of the state budget. Notification will be made through the smARTDE application portal.

As part of the grant award notification, there will be a number of documents that applicants are required to read and acknowledge before receipt of your first payment.

eSupplier:

To receive a grant payment, organizations must have an active State of Delaware eSupplier record.

We recommend that you choose to receive payments through Automated Clearing House (ACH), an electronic fund transfer, when completing or updating your eSupplier record. Both ACH and paper checks are free methods of payment. However, DDOA strongly encourages grantees to enroll in ACH, as paper checks are likely to take much longer to receive and require extra processing time for DDOA staff.

• First-time grantees: will receive instructions on how to register electronically as an individual (not a business) in the State of Delaware’s eSupplier Portal. *If you’re an individual, your Tax Identification Number is your Social Security Number
• Past grantees: will receive instructions for checking and updating their eSupplier record.

Questions about eSupplier? Please contact: Division of Accounting by email at FSF_Supplier_Maintenance@delaware.gov or by phone at (302) 526-5600.

Payment:

Payments of StartUp Grants typically occur in two parts:

First Payment: On or around September 30

Final Payment: On or around October 30 of the following year (conditional on submission of a completed final report by the deadline)

The Statement of Assurances is the contract that all Division grantees must sign. Grant applicants must indicate that they have read and agreed to the obligations of grant recipients, should a grant be awarded. Receipt of state and federal grants carries with it certain obligations and responsibilities. By submitting a Division of the Arts grant application, applicants are affirming that they are familiar with the requirements of the Delaware Division of the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts, as presented in the Division of the Arts Statement of Assurances, including but not limited to:

• Crediting the Division appropriately on all materials
• Keeping public arts events current on DelawareScene.com
• Notifying the Division of any significant changes to the program or budget
• Providing complimentary tickets for use by on-site evaluators, if appropriate
• Compliance with Accessibility Requirements
• Submitting all required Final Reports

Final Report: An annual final report describes how funds were spent over the most recently completed granting period. The final report collects narrative, fiscal, and demographic information in keeping with DDOA and National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) requirements.

Final Reports for StartUp grants must be submitted through smARTDE by September 30, 2027. Failure to submit a final report on time may result in forfeiture of the final payment of the grant award and may impact future funding.

Cultural Data Profile* completed through the SMU DataArts portal (see more details below).

The Division of the Arts continues to require the Cultural Data Profile (CDP) in Delaware. The CDP is free and secure online tool found in the SMU DataArts portal which  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. The amount of data required depends  on your organization’s budget size. The CDP  is mandatory for all General Operating Support and StartUp organizations.

The Division of the Arts was created by the Delaware General Assembly to serve as the principal mechanism for supporting the arts in Delaware. Arts organizations seeking StartUp Program support from the state are expected to apply for support through the Division

The Division will notify the Delaware Controller General’s Office and the General Assembly Joint Finance Committee of all organizations that apply and receive funding through the Division for General Operating Support or StartUp. Any arts organization receiving general operating support through other state mechanisms, including Grant-in-Aid, could see an impact in Division funding. Before applying for Grant-in-Aid, please contact the Division.

You can use this interactive tool to search for Delaware Division of the Arts grants awarded to organizations and individuals from 1999 through today.