General Operating Support Grants

To be eligible for General Operating Support, applicants must:

1. 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
2. Have a stable, functioning board of directors that meets at least quarterly
3. 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
4. Have total operating income of more than $16,000 for the last completed fiscal year.
5. Have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) through the federal SAM.gov system

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

Arts organizations that have not received a general operating support grant in recent years, or have never applied to the Division, must have been awarded a StartUp grant before applying for the General Operating Support, Education Resource, or Arts Stabilization Fund grants.

Virtual programming is eligible for funding, provided it complies with the rest of the guidelines.

The Division uses a staggered, three-year application cycle for General Operating Support (GOS). Organizations seeking a general operating support grant must submit a Full Application in the “on year,” and Interim Applications in the “off years.” Grant awards are determined by applying a funding formula to the organization’s three-year rolling average of expenses.

A multi-year application cycle permits grantees, as well as the Division, to focus more attention on the delivery of programs and services and less on the preparation, processing, and review of grant applications. Organizations approved for a general operating support grant demonstrate a history of programming, service to their community, and management of their operations that provides confidence that a similar level of service or activity may be sustained over a three-year period without requiring a full application and review each year.

Funding awarded in the FY2028 grant cycle must be spent on activities that occur between September 1, 2027 and August 31, 2028.

General Operating Support 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 General Operating Support Grant guidelines here.

Download Grantwriting Tips for Organizations here.

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.

Full Application Components

The General Operating Support Full Application includes:

• An organizational profile
• Narrative questions addressing the current year (September–August) and upcoming year’s programming, artistic quality, availability and service to the community, management, and any significant organizational changes.
• A board list with contact information, board-designated responsibilities/committees, occupation/expertise, and # years of service
• A staff contact list with names, job titles, and email addresses
• A detailed 2-year side-by-side budget report including the most recently completed fiscal year (actuals), and current fiscal year (budgeted)
• Financial reports for the most recently completed fiscal year (see instructions within smARTDE)
• Support materials (up to four)

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.

Interim Application (Report) Components

The General Operating Support Interim Application (Report) includes:

• An organizational profile
• Narrative questions focused on the current year’s program highlights (September-August) and any significant changes in the organization.
• 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
• Financial reports for the most recently completed fiscal year (see instructions within smARTDE)
• 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 General Operating Support

Funding from General Operating Support 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 General Operating Support

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 following criteria are utilized by panels to evaluate each General Operating Support application in the “on year.” Panelists use detailed scoring rubrics in their review of each application.

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 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, they will be reviewed, discussed, and evaluated by an external committee of Delawareans.  The committee’s feedback and scores are then tabulated and provided to the Delaware State Arts Council, who will make funding recommendations for Fiscal Year 2028 to the Division Director at the June 2027 Council meeting. The recommended grant awards will apply to Fiscal Year 2028 only. Applicants will be notified of final funding decisions after July 1, 2027, 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.

Applicants should not expect the funding to be exactly the same each year of the three-year cycle. Grant awards are re-calculated annually from a formula and panel review process that encompass the following: a satisfactory review of application materials and on-site evaluations, actual operating expenses/income as reported in the application and IRS materials, the number of organizations in the applicant pool, and available state and federal funds. Because of these variable factors, grant awards are likely to fluctuate from year to year. In addition, prior funding does not guarantee future funding.

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, 2027, 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:

Grantees will be notified of awards via email, and payments will be issued according to the payment schedule issued with the award notice. Grantees may opt to receive payments electronically through ACH (recommended) by updating their information on Delaware’s eSupplier Portal. Payments via ACH and paper check are always free. However, the Division strongly encourages grantees to use electronic/ACH deposit. Mailed checks are unreliable methods of payment and require additional processing time for Division staff.

Payments of General Operating 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
• Submission of an annual SMU Cultural Data Profile report
• 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

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 FY2028 General Operating Support 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.

Arts Trust Fund recipients are also required to submit a mid-year narrative report on professional development activities in the month of February.

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 General Operating Support from the state are expected to apply for support through the Division.

Some arts organizations also receive general operating support through other state mechanisms, including Grant-in-Aid. If those cases, arts organizations should inform the Division. The Division will notify the Delaware Controller General’s Office and the General Assembly Joint Finance Committee of all organizations that apply to the Division for General Operating Support.

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