Oakland Fund For The Arts - Funding Guidelines

Funding Guidelines

Program Funding
Guidelines

Oakland Fund for the Arts (OFFTA) provides grants of up to $5,000 for arts education programs in the Oakland, California, public schools.

We fund hands-on arts education programs in which children participate in the direct experience of making art.

We fund arts education programs primarily for elementary grades, although innovative and unique middle school and high school programs will also be considered.

We require the Principal's support of the arts education program and the active participation of a school liaison to ensure the program's success.

We prefer the arts education program be conducted at a school (or schools) or at an off-site location in conjunction with a school.

We also provide one-time funding for specific arts-related needs, depending on the circumstances.

OFFTA's Guiding
Principles

We support arts education programs that combine the hands-on experience of actually making art with an aesthetic education about the essential role that art plays in our cultures, our histories, and our lives.

We partner with schools, artists, projects, and organizations that share our vision of combining the experience of making art with an aesthetic education.

We support arts education programs that benefit communities in which inadequate financial resources have limited young peoples' access to a full range of opportunities.

We work with schools in which principals, teachers, and parents partner to provide the support structure necessary to ensure the program's success.

The Request for Funding Process

Requests for arts education program funding may be submitted two times during the year, although we reserve the right to consider requests at any time.

1. Contact OFFTA by phone 510-488-3036 or by email to introduce the proposed arts education program.

2. A member of OFFTA's Board (your assigned Board liaison) will contact you to discuss the proposed program. If it is determined that the proposed arts education program appears to be consistent with OFFTA's mission and guiding principles, you will be asked to arrange a site visit at the location(s) where the program will take place.

3. If you are invited to submit a Request for Funding, a form will be provided by OFFTA. Please submit your completed Request for Funding proposal by one of the two deadlines.

4. The Request for Funding proposal will be reviewed by the Board of Directors. Your liaison will work with you to make sure you provide all the required information. Incomplete Requests for Funding proposals will not be reviewed.

5. The Board liaison will inform you of the Board's decision and discuss the next steps.

Requests for Funding will be considered according to the following cycle:

Summer/Fall programs:	January 31, deadline for RFF
	March, Board review
	April Board meeting, vote
Winter/Spring programs:	September 30th, deadline for RFF
	October, Board review
	November Board meeting, vote

Please send an email request or email your Board liaison if you need help or additional information.

We believe that
art should be
an integral part
of every child's
education.