Activation Grant Opportunity

History

Previously, the City of Wichita offered three grant opportunities every year: the Operational Grant opportunity, the Developing Arts Grant opportunity, and the Artist Access Grant opportunity. Based on feedback from the local arts community and empowered by the City Council-approved 2024-2028 Cultural Arts Strategic Plan, The Division of Arts and Cultural Services paused the Developing Arts Grant opportunity for fiscal year 2025 and placed the program in review. After review by the Cultural Funding Committee and City staff, the Developing Arts and Artist Access grants have been retired, and the intended goals for each have been combined to create the new Activation Grant opportunity. 

Guidelines

Inspired by the mission put forward in the City’s Cultural Plan, Activation Grants will serve to strengthen the creative potential of our community through one-time operational or programmatic funding.

Each application will fall into one of four categories:

1. Individuals applying to make art (Programmatic Funding).
2. Organizations applying to make art (Programmatic Funding).
3. Individuals applying for professional development help (Capacity Building Funding).
4. Organizations applying for organizational development help (Capacity Building Funding).

Capacity Building for Individuals

One-time funding for professional development or skill-building opportunities to advance an individual’s work and career as a working artist. Examples include but are not limited to:

• Artist workshops, conferences, and seminars (including hotel, registration fees, travel)
• Artist residencies (including travel expenses)
• Individual artist website development
• Resume preparation
• Professional presentation development
• Ineligible expenses include accredited or continuing education courses, such as a college class

Capacity Building for Organizations

One-time project funding to increase an organization’s ability to deliver services to the residents of the City of Wichita. Examples include but are not limited to:

• Strategic planning 
• Financial audits
• Board development
• Funding for workshops, seminars, conferences, and professional consultations including fees, registrations, required support materials and travel 
• Website, social media, and marketing development including professional and consultation fees 
• Computer/hardware/software purchases 

Programmatic Funding for Individuals and Organizations

One-time project funding to create art of any kind that serves the residents of the City of Wichita. Examples include but are not limited to:

• Public art or other art exhibitions, including its creation and/or display
• Film productions, performances, or other special events

Eligibility

This grant opportunity is open to all individuals, groups of artists, and arts and culture nonprofit organizations that serve the residents of Wichita, with the following modifications:

• An organization is ineligible if it was awarded a 2026 Operational Grant or has Cultural Institution status with the City of Wichita.
• Support organizations, such as foundations or “friends of” organizations are eligible to apply.
• Individuals are ineligible if they are employed on a full-time basis by the City of Wichita.

These exceptions are rooted in providing a more uniform playing field for the competitive program and preventing a conflict of interest with the City granting itself an award that targets external partners.

Nonprofit status is required for organizational applicants. Individuals do not need business or nonprofit status to apply. Unlike the Operational Grant opportunity, a full season of work is not required.

If an individual or organization receives funding from this grant opportunity, they must wait at least one year before applying for funding from this opportunity again. The required pauses are:

• If Capacity Building Funding is received: Cannot reapply until the 2028 opportunity (apply Fall 2027)
• If Programmatic Funding is received: Cannot reapply until the 2029 opportunity (apply Fall 2028)

Project Specifics

Serving the Residents of the City of Wichita

All programmatic funding must be used toward a project that serves the residents of the City of Wichita. All capacity building funding must be used by individuals or organizations who, through their work, serve the residents of the City of Wichita.

Alignment with the 2024-2028 Cultural Arts Strategic Plan

The proposed project must align with a goal, objective, strategy, or other aspect of the 2024-2028 Cultural Arts Strategic Plan. This includes capacity building proposals. Options include but are not limited to:

• Increase opportunities for engagement and access for residents.
• Ensure cultural arts opportunities are provided across the city.
• Promote free and affordable cultural arts opportunities.
• Attract and retain cultural arts participants and artists from outside of Wichita.
• Incentivize community partners to develop new artwork.
• Encourage the development of paid professional opportunities for mid-career artists.

Funding Request Limits

Applications are limited to a minimum request of $500 and a maximum request of $10,000, though neither City staff nor the members of the Cultural Funding Committee guarantee that any grant will be funded at $10,000.

Scope of the Project

Projects may be of any scope, with the grant funds representing any percentage of the project’s budget. Thus, selected projects will not be required to add or match funds.

Using a For-Profit Partner

Applicants may utilize the services of a for-profit business as part of their project proposal, but the nonprofit organization or individual artist must be the primary applicant. Please see “Terms and Conditions”, below, for more information on bringing in a for-profit partner.

Calendar

• September 8 – Applications open
• September 16 & 23 – Grant Information Sessions
• November 3 – Applications are due.
• December 4 – Cultural Funding Committee deliberates the applications and makes their final recommendations to City Council.
• December 15 – Division of Arts and Cultural Services staff present the recommendations to City Council for approval.
• January 1, 2026 – Funding is available for projects.

Info Sessions

In-person and virtual information sessions about the grants will be held on September 16 and 23. The virtual sessions will be recorded and made available for later viewing.

Selection

Complete applications that meet all the following criteria will be passed along to the Cultural Funding Committee for consideration:

• The applicant is not ineligible to apply.
• The project aligns with at least one goal, objective, strategy, or other aspect of the Cultural Plan.
• The application has a clear plan for all the funds requested for the project.

The Cultural Funding Committee will make a recommendation to the Wichita City Council, and the Council will decide whether to authorize final approval of the selected grant recipients. 

The Rubric

Applications will be graded by the Cultural Funding Committee based on the following criteria:

1. On a scale of 0 to 5, please rate how well the project aligns with identified goal, objective, strategy, or other aspect of the 2024-2028 Cultural Arts Strategic Plan (25% of final score)
2. On a scale of 0 to 5, please rate the applicant’s proposed project, including the amount of detail and level of understanding provided (50% of final score)
3. On a scale of 0 to 5, please rate the applicant’s timeline and budget, including the amount of detail and level of understanding provided (25% of final score)

For the purposes of this rubric, a score of 0 is the lowest, and a score of 5 is the highest.

Final Selection

The Cultural Funding Committee will vote to decide which projects, if any, earn funding. Those projects selected will be as varied in their medium, scope, location, and other qualities as can be reasonably attained based on the options available.

The projects will be selected based on 1) the average score of each application and 2) the ensuing discussion following the scoring. Because the intent of the opportunity is to select projects of varied medium and scope, etc., the awardees may not represent all the applications receiving the highest initial scores.

Applicants for the artistic and developmental projects selected for funding as part of this opportunity will receive contracts sent by the Division of Arts and Cultural Services staff and approved by the City Council for Fiscal Year 2026.

Completing the Project

City staff will be in contact with grant recipients through the process of fulfilling their contracted responsibilities. 

Grant recipients will be asked to keep and submit all necessary paperwork for the funding received, which may include receipts or invoices, proof of payment for all goods and services, and proof of receipt of any purchased items.

Grant recipients will be asked to fill out a final report, the format of which will depend on the project type. Final report questions may include but are not limited to the following:

Final Report – Capacity Building Funding

• Briefly describe how you used the funding.
• Please upload relevant invoices/receipts.
• Please describe your or your organization’s experience with the project. Please include lessons learned, skills gained, etc., and how that increased capacity will help with your career or your organization’s ability to serve the residents of Wichita moving forward. Questions may include: What did you do? What did you learn? How will that help you? What do you plan to do with this increased capacity?

Final Report – Programmatic Funding

• How many artists were compensated in whole or in part with the funding you received?
• How many people were impacted by your project?
• How many of those people were under 18 years of age?
• Please describe how you used the funding you received.
• Please upload any relevant invoices/receipts/final budget documents.
• Please describe your or your organization’s experience with the project. Please include any lessons learned as part of this process and how that will impact your work moving forward.
• Please upload any relevant images or recordings of your work.

Terms and Conditions

Contract and Timing

Funded applicants will receive a contract from the City of Wichita. Applicants approved for funding will expend Activation Grant funds in 2026. All grant funding must be expended in 2026.

Final Report

Funded applicants will be required to submit a final report along with paperwork for their expenditures. Additional paperwork should be anticipated to include receipts or invoices, proof of payment for all goods and services, and proof of receipt of any purchased items.

Lobbying

Applicants shall not communicate with the Cultural Funding Committee or City Council regarding their application or the project in general. Lobbying of any kind will remove the applicant from consideration.

Utilizing a For-Profit Partner

If any portion of the award is subcontracted to other organizations for the delivery of objectives and criteria, the primary applicant will ensure that the fiscal and accomplishment records of the subcontractor will be available for inspection by the City or its duly authorized auditors.

Time Between Applications

If an individual or organization receives funding from this grant opportunity, they must wait at least one year before applying for funding from this opportunity again. The required pauses are:

• If Capacity Building Funding is received: Cannot reapply until the 2028 opportunity (apply Fall 2027)
• If Programmatic Funding is received: Cannot reapply until the 2029 opportunity (apply Fall 2028)

Use of City of Wichita Funding

City of Wichita funding cannot be used for unallowable costs, which include but are not limited to:

• Alcohol
• Lobbying Expenses
• Religious institutions or religious group-sponsored organizations whose primary purpose is the religious socialization of individuals or whose arts programming exists as parts of religious sermons or services
• Direct Fundraising 
• Regranting 
• Construction of facilities or capital expenditures over $5,000 
• Debt Reduction
• Funding spent with the intent to damage, disrespect, or dishonor religious objects, the U.S. flag, or the Kansas state flag, regardless of any other law.

Again, this list is not comprehensive. Most costs are allowable. If you are uncertain whether a cost is allowable, please contact the Division of Arts and Cultural Services.