Eligibility Requirements
In order to be eligible to apply for support to RISCA, you must be one of
the following:
• A nonprofit corporation, incorporated in and conducting business
in the State of Rhode Island, with 501(c)(3) tax exempt status from the
Internal Revenue Service, governed by a revolving board of directors, trustees
or advisory board drawn from the community at large and shown to be actively
involved in the activities of the organization.
• Organizations that have not yet received the appropriate IRS non-profit
determination may be sponsored by an eligible nonprofit organization. If
a grant is awarded to your organization as the sponsor of another organization,
it is understood that the sponsor organization is financially, administratively
and programmatically responsible for all conditions of the grant. The sponsor
is also responsible for signing the contract, compliance and final report
forms. If organizations applying through this sponsorship process have operated
for more than two years without seeking nonprofit statusthey must submit
a written explanation for operating in this manner..
• An individual who is a current, legal resident of the state of Rhode
Island, and has been for a minimum of twelve consecutive months prior to
the date of application. Applicants must be at least eighteen years of age
at the time of application. Students pursuing graduate or undergraduate
degrees in an arts discipline or an arts-related subject area at the time
of application may not apply for support.
• A unit of local or state government
• A public school, or a college or university with tax-exempt status
• A tax-exempt school (Catholic or independent)
Other considerations:
• All public performances or exhibitions must take place in a space
that is physically accessible to people with disabilities, as required
by law.
• General Operating Support (GOS) grant recipients are not eligible
to apply in this category. However, GOS grantees are encouraged to collaborate
in RFP projects, as long as they are not the principal applicant.
• Divisions, branches, departments, programs, or other subunits
of nonprofit corporations, colleges, or universities shall be ineligible
to apply on their own; applications may be submitted only by the parent
corporation (only one application per deadline).
• In addition, former grantees who have outstanding Final Reports
or other obligations to the Council are INELIGIBLE to apply if such obligation
exists at the time of application.