OVERVIEW

The Virginia Beach City Council recognizes that arts and cultural non-profit organizations play integral roles in the vibrancy and economic well-being of our city.  and has directed a portion of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding to establish a Virginia Beach COVID-19 Arts & Cultural Relief Grant Program. This program provides grant assistance to qualified arts and cultural 501(c)3 non-profit organizations for immediate financial relief for unforeseen expenses due to the global health emergency. 

ELIGIBLE REIMBURSIBLE EXPENSES

As defined in the CARES Act, grant funding must only be used for reimbursement of eligible expenses related to business interruptions the applicant experienced due to COVID-19. Expenses must have been incurred and paid between March 1, 2020 and November 15, 2020.  Eligible expenses may include:

Eligible expenses due to COVID-19 related business interruptions may include:

• Rent, lease or mortgage payments for real property used for business purposes
• Rent, lease or purchase payment for business property
• Building modifications
• New or expanded technology applications and Wi-Fi services
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), sanitation supplies and equipment, testing for employees
• Payroll expenses
• Other unanticipated expenditures due to the impact of COVID-19 business interruptions

GRANT CONDITIONS

• Applicants must meet all of eligibility requirements and must be able to demonstrate that their requested grant funds are in compliance with Federal Guidelines.
• Applicants must provide all receipts at the time of application and must retain receipts and records related to this grant for at least 3 years after the close of the grant period.
• The funds awarded must remain in Virginia Beach and cannot be applied to fund national organizations.
• Awards will be based upon the applicant's request but may not total 100% of the amount requested.
• Federal law requires that each eligible expense can only be funded by one CARES Act program. Please ensure that all reimbursements submitted to the City of Virginia Beach have not also been funded through other federal sources such as the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan; Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EDIL); Health and Human Service Provider Relief Fund payments; or other similar assistance programs.

EXPENSES INELIGIBLE FOR REIMBURSEMENT

• Funds used to pay debts to close the non-profit organization or start a new non-profit organization
• Pass-through grant funding to other non-profit organizations
• Grant administration overhead
• Scholarship or awards
• Food/beverage/hospitality or fundraisers
• Any other costs that are determined ineligible through continued release of federal guidance, since the guidance on this funding is updated frequently

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Non-profit organizations eligible to apply must meet the following conditions:

• Based in Virginia Beach and serving Virginia Beach residents
• Mission must be centered on the arts, humanities, history, or cultural programming
• Must be a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization meeting the legal requirements of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Internal Revenue Service, and the City of Virginia Beach

Organizations ineligible to apply:  

• For-profit organizations
• Any entity receiving line item grants from the Commonwealth of Virginia
• Schools including public, private, charter, college, or university
• Departments from state or local government or their affiliated foundations
• Fundraising entities
• Agencies controlled in whole or in part by a church or sectarian society, in accordance with Section 15.2-953 of the Code of Virginia. Factors considered in making a determination of whether a particular organization is controlled by a church or sectarian society include: the organization under which the tax-exempt status is obtained, who administers the organization, and the level of funding from a church or sectarian society
• Re-granting institutions

APPLICATION GUIDELINES

In addition to the completed application, the following attachments are required in order to be considered:

• IRS letter verifying the entity’s non-profit, 501(c)3 status or proof of application for that status
• Most recent IRS filing (FORM 990 or 990-EZ) and/or audited financial statement prepared by an independent certified public accountant for the entity’s most recently completed fiscal year 
• Request for Taxpayer ID Number & Certification-Substitute Form W-9
• Copy of current by-laws
• Copy of Articles of Incorporation
• Listing of current board of directors 
• Receipts as back-up documentation for expenses incurred related to the pandemic 

APPLICATION PROCESS

• Grant applications will be accepted between September 1 and November 15, 2020 and will be reviewed on a rolling basis until funding has been expended. 
• Virtual grant information sessions will be held Thursday, August 27th at 3:30pm and Thursday, September 10th at 3:30pm. Email Hillary Plate (hplate@vbgov.com) to be sent link to WebEx meeting.
• Staff will be review applications for completeness. If an application meets all requirements, funding will be recommended to the Arts & Humanities Commission for final approval.  Awards may not total 100% of the amount requested.
• Award notifications will be sent via email to the contact listed on the application.
• If selected as a grantee, instructions will be provided on invoicing for the grant funds.
• Organizations should register in the City’s Supplier Portal to ensure timely electronic funds transfer. The Supplier Portal can be found here.

Please list the expenses that you wish to apply to this grant funding. Please provide receipt documentation for each. Be sure to review the list of eligible expenses prior to completing. Examples include: rent, PPE purchases, building modifications, technology to provide services or remote working, other unanticipated expenditures related to COVID-19. You must be able to provide documentation.

Please be sure to upload the following documents:

• The IRS Letter verifying the agency’s non-profit, 501c3 status, or proof of application for that status.
• The most recent IRS filing (990 or 990EZ) and/or Audited Financial statement prepared by an independent Certified Public Accountant for the agency’s most recently completed fiscal year
• The request for taxpayer ID Number & certification-substitute form W-9.
• The agency’s current by-laws.
• The agency’s charter (Articles of Incorporation).
• A listing of the agency’s current board of directors.
• Receipts as back up documentation for expenses incurred related to the pandemic.