Item 07 - Arts Commission_Feb2026_Funding Update.pdf — original pdf

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Funding Programs Update Arts, Culture, Music, and Entertainment | February 23, 2026 REVISED Funding Program Timeline December 19, 2025 February 2026 April 2026 REVISED Application Deadline REVISED Panel Meetings Occur 6:59 PM REVISED Funding distribution begins (Activities are for calendar year 2026) REVISED Austin Live Music Fund and Creative Space Assistance Program scored REVISED Panelists trained and assigned (Elevate and Heritage Preservation Grant) REVISED Funding Decisions announced Nexus Application Opens Thrive, Elevate, Austin Live Music Fund, and Heritage Preservation Grant application cycle begins January 2026 March 2026 July 2026 2 Funding Programs: Funds Available Austin Live Music Fund • $5,000 - $70,000 • Music Industry (musicians, independent promoters, venues) $7 Million ~380 awards Creative Space Assistance Program • $60,000 • Commercial creative spaces $1.6 Million ~25 awards Elevate • Up to $30,000 - $80,000 • Arts organizations, individual artists, creative businesses $13 Million ~250 awards Heritage Preservation Grant • $50,000 - $250,000 • Preservation projects and activities $3 Million ~25 awards 3 Eligible (Application sent) Ineligible (No Application sent) Applications Submitted Funding Programs: Application Status • 2,085 Intake Forms Submitted (2,065 EN; 20 SP) Austin Live Music Fund Creative Space Assistance Elevate Heritage Preservation EN SP EN SP EN SP EN SP Eligibility Forms Sent Eligibility Forms Submitted 1,377 1,111 16 299 10 6 138 0 1,399 1,060 25 247 8 14 125 1 991 4 72 0 855 9 67 1 ALL PROGRAMS TOTAL 3,381 2,455 1,999 120 2 66 0 205 5 58 0 456 806 3 64 0 680 7 46 0 1,607 4 Funding Programs: Application Comparison Austin Live Music Fund ▪ 2024: 904 Submissions ▪ 2025/26: Elevate ▪ 2024: 554 Submissions ▪ 2025/26: ▪ 1,117 Eligibility Forms submitted ▪ 1,074 Eligibility Forms submitted ▪ 24% increase ▪ 93% increase ▪ 809 Applications Forms submitted ▪ 687 Application Forms submitted ▪ 10% decrease ▪ 24% increase Creative Space Assistance Program ▪ 2023: 152 Submissions ▪ 2025/26: Heritage Preservation Grant ▪ 2024: 22 Submissions ▪ 2025/26: ▪ 138 Eligibility Forms submitted ▪ 126 Eligibility Forms submitted ▪ 9% decrease ▪ 64 Applications submitted ▪ 58% decrease ▪ 473% increase ▪ 46 Application Forms submitted ▪ 109% increase 5 Funding Programs: Ineligibility Reasons Detailed Breakdown for Austin Live Music Fund (124 Ineligible) Does Not Qualify By Definition Live Music Venue Does Not Qualify By Definition Indepedent Promoter Independent Promoter tied to venue Insufficient evidence (Live music venue) Insufficient evidence (Independent Promoter) Insufficient evidence (Professional Musician) Operating budget under $60k (LMV) Lives outside MSA Full time City of Austin employee Under age 18 2% 6% 4% 8% 24% 24% 5% 6% 3% 3% Yes nonprofit 13% On Non-Complaint List 1% 6 Funding Programs: Ineligibility Reasons Detailed Breakdown for CSAP (66 Ineligible) Owned or operated by a government agency or public authority. 9% Applicant is a full-time City of Austin employee. 3% Space is not currently open to the public for business. 2% Public does not gather to experience art at the creative space. 21% Space does not have an operating budget of at least $60,000. Does not have a commercial lease or lease offer. 16% 17% Not in a commercially zoned location. 8% Not located in an Austin Council District or ETJ. 5% Ineligible business type. 19% 7 Funding Programs: Ineligibility Reasons Detailed Breakdown for Elevate (210 Ineligible ) Events not in Austin Council District 0.7% Individual/Arts Group with a budget over $500,000 5.7% Contract with "non-compliant status" 0.7% Full-Time City of Austin Employee 0.3% Not producing work in Austin for 2 years 54.0% Not an artist, arts group, or arts non-profit 29.0% Not in the MSA 2.5% Nexus 2025 Awardee 7.0% 8 Funding Programs: Ineligibility Reasons Detailed Breakdown for Heritage Preservation (58 Ineligible) Project site is not located in an approved City of Austin heritage district. 2% Site does not have a historic designation or not City of Austin heritage… 11% Applicant does not have obtained a signed Owner Authorization Form. 1% Project site is not commercially zoned. 20% Project site is not in an Austin City Council District or ETJ. 4% Did not evidence at least two years of operations in Austin 31% Activities do not highlight the site’s history/not marketed to tourists. 3% Does not include a valid IRS Employer Identification Number (EIN) 2% Applicant is not a verified a 501(c)(3). 4% Not structured as a for-profit business or 501(c)(3) nonprofit. 20% Applicant not in the MSA. 3% 9 Funding Programs: Feedback Loop ▪ Internal Retrospective Meetings – City Staff/Leadership, The Long Center ▪ 1:1 Meetings / Focus Groups ▪ Application Experience Survey ▪ January 30th – message to everyone in the AACME Funding Pipeline in English/Spanish (2,000+) ▪ Reiterating timeline & Inviting them to take the Application Experience Survey ▪ Commissioner Perspectives Survey ▪ Will go out to Music & Arts Commission tomorrow! 10 Evaluation & Scoring: Elevate Applications Submitted Submittable Program review build out AACME Staff sort applications and create panels Scheduling/ Assignments Panel Facilitation Panelists paid Panel Recruitment Panel Selection Panel Training Panelists evaluate assignments & score by rubric Panel Meetings • 33 Panels based on Type (501c3, Arts Group, Individual), Discipline (Exhibition, Performance, Arts Service), and Budget size • Olympic Scoring, highest scores = Awards • The Long Center = Agreements & Payments • City Staff = Contract Monitoring/ Approving Reports/ Approving Payments 11 Evaluation & Scoring: Heritage Preservation Applications Submitted Submittable Program Review build out Heritage Preservation Office and AACME staff review all projects Scheduling/ Assignments Panel Facilitation Panelists paid Panel Recruitment Panel Selection Panel Training Panelists evaluate assignments & score by rubric Panel Meetings • 1 Panel for Capital Improvement; 2 Panels for Heritage Events • Olympic Scoring, highest scores = Awards • Capital Improvement Projects = City of Austin Contract Process (includes all steps of contract monitoring) • Heritage Events = The Long Center Agreement Process; AACME Staff monitors activities/ approves reports 12 Funding Programs: Panel Meetings in Feb! 2 Grant Programs 724 Applications Reviewed 36 Panels 229 Panelists 7 Meetings w/ Spanish Interpretation 13 Funding Programs: 36 Panel Meetings in Feb! 14 Evaluation & Scoring: Live Music Fund Applications Submitted Submittable Program Review build out Application Auto- Scored (Form Score) TLC reviews/ verifies all documentation Points adjusted based on documentation (Reviewer Score) • Form Score + Reviewer Score = Final Score • Highest Final Scores = Awards • The Long Center Agreement Process; AACME Staff approves interim/final reports AACME staff provides secondary review for any questions 15 Evaluation & Scoring: Creative Space Assistance Program Applications Submitted Submittable Program Review build out Application Auto- Scored (Form Score) AACME staff reviews/ verifies documentation Points adjusted based on documentation (Reviewer Score) • Auto Score + Reviewer Score = Final Score • Highest Final Scores = Awards • Rally Austing helps determine 30% base rent for all awardees • The Long Center Agreement Process; AACME Staff approves interim/final reports Rally Austin provides secondary review for any questions (~25%) 16 Next Steps! ▪ Award Notification ▪ Mid-March ▪ Program + Award Amount, if awarded ▪ All notifications will include ▪ Score received* ▪ Score needed for funding in that program* ▪ How to follow up with staff for a debrief* ▪ Information/link to AACME’s Artist Access Program* ▪ Free/reduced rate rentals for rehearsals and performances at four of AACME’s culture and arts venues! October 1, 2026 – December 31, 2027. ▪ Grant Writing Workshop (virtual): March 2nd, Noon – 1:30 PM* ▪ Practical workshop around writing compelling narratives and building a budget that supports proposal ▪ Work samples and helpful tips for all programs! *New AACME enhancement 17 Upcoming Launch ▪ Nexus Launch! ▪ Opens: March 10th ▪ Deadline: April 16th at 6:59 PM ▪ $5k and $10k grants to support individuals and arts groups producing public art, performances, and cultural projects in Austin. ▪ Built-in/ automatic Eligibility verification* ▪ Variety* of workshops scheduled ▪ Virtual Open Office Hours ▪ Regular: 10 AM – Noon (March 10, March 17, March 24, March 31, April 7, April 14) ▪ All day: 10 AM – 5 PM on April 16th ▪ Info Sessions: March 10th (6PM Virtual/recorded), March 14th (10:30 AM, Virtual/Spanish), March 19th (5:30 PM, In-Person Ruiz Branch Library with ASL) ▪ Ask Us Anything Session, March 21st 11 AM – 1PM (in-person at University Hills Branch Library) ▪ From Draft to Done Session, April 8 (afternoon, in-person, TBD) *New AACME enhancement 18 Questions? www.austintexas.gov/acme/grants-funding