Arts Respond Performance Support
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Q: Who can apply for a Performance Support grant?
- A: Any Texas nonprofit organization or unit of government is eligible to apply.
- Q: What expenses does the Performance Support grant cover?
- A: The grant provides help with paying a portion of the fee charged by an artist on the Texas Touring Roster. If the artist’s contract shows that you’re responsible for paying it, you can add hotel, travel, and per diem costs. TCA cannot help with the cost of food, alcohol, marketing, venue rental, equipment rental, or personnel.
- Q: How is what we can ask for determined?
- A: The amount is calculated on a sliding scale. Artist fees on the roster vary widely. For a $150 fee, TCA can pay 50%. For a $100,000 fee, TCA can pay up to $8,000 or 8%. You will see how this works on the online application form.
- Q: Is a match required?
- A: Yes. Your organization must show that it matched TCA's grant equally (at the minimum, since we expect you to follow the original payment terms of your contract with the artist), with money that ran through its own bank account. This is why the maximum you can ask TCA for is 50%: the other portion is your minimum match.
- Q: Can the match be in "donated services" from the artist, or a free hotel room provided for the artist's stay?
- A: No (These kinds of donations are called in-kind). TCA only counts expenses that your organization pays out of its own bank account and can document. This means you should not use cash to cover these grant expenses: it is not trackable.
- Q: Are there any restrictions on what types of activities are funded?
- A: TCA does not provide assistance for fundraisers/galas, programs where college students are earning college credit, or invitation-only events.
- Q: What does our organization need to do to apply?
- A: Read the grant guidelines. Fill out the Arts Respond Performance Support grant application online and submit it by the appropriate deadline . By the same deadline, email the supporting attachments.
- Q: What are the supporting attachments?
- (1) The assurances page printed from the online application, then signed by the head of your organization; (2) the complete contract or letter of agreement with the artist. The contract should show the number of artists who will be paid with the contract fee.
- Q: What should be included in the contract/letter of agreement?
- A: The names of the artist and the presenting organization, a description of the service(s) the artist(s) will provide, the number of artists being paid under the contract, the date(s) and time(s) of service, where the service will be conducted, how much the presenter will pay the artist, the signatures of representatives of the artist and presenter, and the date of each signature. Usually, the artist issues the contract.
- Q: Can we submit an artist contract that shows a high fee and then renegotiate with the artist for a lower fee once we know what we’re getting from TCA?
- A: NO. The contract you provide us in the application stage should show the finalized fee you’ll pay the artist. YOUR TCA GRANT AMOUNT IS DETERMINED BASED ON THE AMOUNT NAMED IN YOUR CONTRACT WITH THE ARTIST. IF YOU ACCEPT A TCA GRANT, YOU MUST PAY THE ARTIST THE FULL CONTRACTED RATE.
- Q: How long before we know anything about the application we submitted?
- A: We will send you an email to let you know what you’re recommended to receive. This is generally sent 2 weeks after the application deadline. The recommendation will be considered at the following month’s Commission meeting and a final decision will be made then by TCA’s Commissioners. Information on Commission meetings is listed in the TCA Events and Deadlines area, located on the right side of TCA’s homepage. After the Commission meeting decision, we will work on getting your grant paid quickly.
- Q: What happens if we change some of our performance agreement details with the artist?
- A: If the date or any other terms of your agreement with the artist changes, please let TCA know at once. We will require a new copy of your contract with the artist to make sure the original intent of your agreement is still being followed. YOUR TCA GRANT AMOUNT IS DETERMINED BASED ON THE AMOUNT NAMED IN YOUR CONTRACT WITH THE ARTIST. IF YOU ACCEPT A TCA GRANT, YOU MUST PAY THE ARTIST THE FULL CONTRACTED RATE.
- Q: We got the grant! Now what?
- A: Congratulations! There’s still some work ahead of you. TCA requires all grant recipients to contact their state representative and state senator to share news about their grant award and thank them for making these funds available. This is an opportunity to educate your elected officials about the work that you do in your community. You may use one letter to each legislator to acknowledge all of your current TCA grants. Please send copies of these letters to attach@arts.texas.gov. If appropriate, additional thank-you letters sent to your legislators from the children, audiences, and participants served by your TCA-funded grant are appreciated.
- Q: How do we acknowledge TCA support?
- A: For general use in promoting your event and TCA’s support of it, the Texas Commission for the Arts logo is here: http://www.arts.texas.gov/logo. There is a variety of files to help you acknowledge our support in printed materials and online. You can also use “Funded in part by the Texas Commission on the Arts” in your print/web materials. If you don’t have print/web materials, you can acknowledge our support verbally as you introduce the artist.
- Q: What about on social media?
- A: Sure! Tag Texas Commission on the Arts on Facebook and/or Twitter as @TXCommArts.
- Q: What do we need to do after our funded activity?
- A: TCA requires all grant recipients to return a grant report form (sent to you with your grant payment) with financial documentation within 30 days of the project ending date. The documentation should provide the check number, payee name, date, and dollar amount of reported expenses. This can be in the form of a check copy or a spreadsheet that lists these items for each payment. As you fill out the report form:
• Make sure all payments to the artist/their management (as determined in your contract with them) are made, at the latest, by August 31, 2020.
• Make sure all payments to artists are trackable (NOT CASH) and run through your organization’s bank account.
• Provide documentation of all your payments to the artist/their management to show TCA you followed the terms of your contract. (Total payments should equal amount on contract.)
© Texas Commission on the Arts