Ohio Arts Jobs Preservation Grants—Part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) recognizes that the non-profit arts industry is an important sector of the economy. The National Endowment for the Arts is uniquely positioned to fund arts projects and activities that preserve jobs in the nonprofit arts sector threatened by declines in philanthropic and other support during the current economic downturn. As part of this important investment, the Arts Endowment is planning to expedite distribution of critical funds at the national, regional, state, and local levels for projects that focus on the preservation of jobs in the arts.

The NEA asks that Recovery Act projects funded through state arts agencies “make the arts and arts education widely available.” While the overall Recovery Act speaks to both job creation and job preservation, the part of the Act specific to the NEA awards states that funds are to be distributed in direct grants "which preserve jobs in the non-profit arts sector threatened by declines in philanthropic and other support during the current economic downturn." For additional information on the NEA Recovery Act funding visit www.nea.gov/recovery/NEA-recovery-agency-plan.html.

Ohio Arts Jobs Preservation Grants
On July 27 and 28, 2009, the 10-member Ohio Arts Jobs Preservation Grant panel met and selected 21 grantees out of 135 eligible applicants. The OAC, with assistance from Arts Midwest, had $395,000 to award. The total amount requested by Ohio arts organizations was $2,480,000. In total 25 jobs were saved impacting 1,222,186 people and 474,086 children. For more information about the award recipients and descriptions of the jobs saved see the Award announcement: Ohio Arts Council Awards Stimulus Money to Preserve 25 Jobs in the Arts

For Ohio Arts Jobs Preservation Grant Award Recipients
On this Web page you will find the information and resources you need for managing your Ohio Arts Jobs Preservation Grant award, including the program guidelines, scoring criteria, and contacts. The FAQ, reporting requirements, and other nformation will be added to the page as it becomes available.

Overview of the Federal Recovery Act
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009.  It is an unprecedented effort to jumpstart our economy, create or save millions of jobs, and put a down payment on addressing long-neglected challenges so our country can thrive in the 21st century. The Act is an extraordinary response to a crisis unlike any since the Great Depression, and includes measures to modernize our nation's infrastructure, enhance energy independence, expand educational opportunities, preserve and improve affordable health care, provide tax relief, and protect those in greatest need.

Recovery Act Legislation
To review the federal legislation visit: www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/ARRA_public_review/