Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
The FAQs below provide quick answers to common questions about eligibility, the application process, and other available services of the Expanded Access to Arts and Culture Program. Questions not found here may be submitted to [email protected].
Find a Topic
- Agreements
- Application
- Application Review Committee (ARC)
- Budget
- Eligibility
- Fiscal-Sponsorship
- Funding
- General
- Project Types
- Reporting
- Insurance
Agreements
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What specific insurance coverage will be required for youth serving programs? | Insurance requirements are determined at the time of grant agreement. Typically, projects serving youth will require additional insurance including sexual misconduct liability (SAM) insurance. |
| Does the requirement to complete a risk assessment apply only to fiscal sponsors, or to all applicants? | The risk assessment requirement applies to the fiscal sponsor who is considered the applicant. |
| Does the timing of grant awards mean a project cannot truly begin until after grants are awarded, and even then, start dates are not guaranteed? | Yes, that is correct. No work shall be performed until service agreements have been fully executed. No previous work will be reimbursed. |
| Under what circumstances is fingerprinting required, and is there a designated agency or provider that must conduct the fingerprinting? | Fingerprinting, commonly referred to as “livescan” could be required when working with sensitive audiences. Requirements will be determined based on the scope of work outlined during the application process. If required, the party can go to any location offering livescan services. To find a location nearest you, visit: https://www.oag.ca.gov/fingerprints/locations/live-scan-fresno |
Application
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| I submitted wrong information, how do I get back into my application or eligibility screening form? | If your application or eligibility screening form has already been submitted, please email [email protected] and request that your form be reopened so you can make the necessary corrections. If you have not yet submitted your form, it will be saved automatically as a draft, and you can return to it at any time to make updates before submitting. |
| How do we locate the eligibility screening? | Go to www.fresno.gov/eaac and click on the button to apply for Cycle Three. For support with submittable, please visit: www.submittable.help/en/collections/185534-help-for-applicants |
| If the pre-qualification or eligibility screening applications are submitted prior to August 15, but there are questions or changes needed after department review, will updates be accepted after the deadline? | We encourage you to submit early. Applications submitted close to the deadline may have limited time for follow up questions or resubmittals. |
| Will grant application scoring take “actual costs” into account? How will monies spent be verified? | Within the grant application, the proposed budget must be clearly explained with relevant details. Throughout the grant term, costs incurred must be substantiated. Copies of paid receipts or paid invoices, timesheets, receipts and other backup documentation associated with all expenses must be submitted with reports and retained and available for inspection by the City for a minimum of three (3) fiscal years. Scoring will include a review of the budget in accordance with the rubrics listed in the grant guidelines. |
| Is a PDF copy of the application available? | Submittable does not provide the ability to download the application as a PDF. However, applicants can log into the platform and view all questions prior to submitting. It is recommended to draft answers in a separate word document, and copy & paste responses into the Submittable platform. Submittable does not automatically save your drafts, so please remember to click save when using the platform. |
| If an org has been inactive for a long period of time, what should be submitted as a most recent financial statements/balance sheet? | Please submit an in-progress balance sheet available from the date of reactivating within the current fiscal year, or the most recent board-approved financial statement from before the period of inactivity, regardless of its age. |
Application Review Committee (ARC)
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How can I apply to be part of the Application Review Committee (ARC)? | The PARCS Department will notify the community when the application period for the ARC opens through a mass email, social media posts, and other relevant communication channels. If you would like to be added to the email list for these updates, please contact [email protected]. You can also follow us on social media to stay informed: www.facebook.com/parcsfresno www.instagram.com/parcsfresno |
Budget
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How do I find the value of in-kind volunteer time? | Please refer to https://independentsector.org/research/value-of-volunteer-time/ to calculate California’s value of volunteer time. Other methods may be accepted if described in the budget notes. |
| Would scholarships for camp attendance be an eligible expense? | Scholarships and cash prizes are an ineligible expense, please see page 13 of the grant guidelines for the full list. Acceptable alternatives to provide expanded access to programming could be implementing fee waivers to reduce or eliminate the cost of participating in the program. |
| Can you charge door covers/fees for events held with grant money? | Yes, please note on page 24 of the grant guidelines, “The Grantee must provide discounted admission to residents of the City of Fresno for any ticketed events or general admission to venues.” |
| Can I purchase a gift card for a volunteer? | If adequate explanation for the value and reasoning for the gift card is clearly stated in the grant application, it may be an allowed expense. The City reserves the right to disallow expenses that do not reasonably tie to the proposed scope of work or have insufficient documentation. Purchase documentation and distribution receipts must be provided in expense reports. |
Eligibility
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Who can apply? | Please review page 10 of the grant guidelines for eligibility requirements. |
| We were awarded Cycle 2 General Operating Support based on our Candid profile. Is that sufficient for Cycle 3 or do you need something additional from us? | If this is in relation to NTEE code or another standing, please provide documentation from Candid as part of the eligibility screening process. The City does not currently subscribe to Candid, but will review documentation submitted. The City is using the IRS documents to verify NTEE codes. If there is an issue with the IRS documents please email [email protected] with additional information. |
| What counts as “another state or federal designation”? | This language was included to provide maximum flexibility. If the applicant has an example of another state or federal designation that identifies their organization as an arts or culture organization, applicants are encouraged to submit documentation for review as part of the eligibility screening. |
| What specifically in our articles or bylaws would qualify as demonstrating arts/cultural status, if the NTEE code alone does not? | For General Operating Support: The bylaws would need to state that the organization is an arts or cultural organization. This may be achieved through a mission or purpose statement included in the bylaws which recognizes the organizational purpose as one that is tied to arts or culture. IRS NTEE activity codes provide numerous examples of arts and culture organizations and can be found here: https://urbaninstitute.github.io/nccs-legacy/ntee/ntee.html |
| Could any Measure P funds be used toward a “workshop” for Nonprofit funding / how to operate for success? | Please refer to page 11 of the grant guidelines: Costs associated with a nonprofit organization providing technical assistance to develop, strengthen, or establish arts and cultural organizations may be eligible for project support funding, provided the primary purpose of the project demonstrably increases access to arts and cultural programming for Fresno residents. Technical assistance may include training, mentoring, consulting and other capacity-building services designed to improve an organization’s ability to provide arts and cultural programming. Such services may include, but are not limited to, board development, strategic planning, fundraising, grant writing, budgeting, financial management and controls, program evaluation, regulatory compliance, marketing, and volunteer development. |
| If our organization recently became independent after previously operating under a fiscal sponsor, can we use our former sponsor’s Form 990 to demonstrate past funding? | Please refer to page 8 and 9 of the grant guidelines. If the most recent tax return has not yet been filed, the immediately preceding tax year tax return may be accepted. Emerging non-profit applicants or fiscally sponsored applicants that do not yet have filed tax returns shall be eligible to apply for no more than $75,000 for project support and $50,000 for general operating support. |
| Are IRS Determination Letters required or will a Letter of Affirmation suffice? | A letter of Affirmation from the IRS will suffice to fulfill the IRS Determination Letter task. |
| Regarding maximum funding requests, must a fiscal sponsor meet the Total Annual Revenue threshold for both their own request and the sponsored organization’s request combined? | When fiscally sponsoring an organization, the sponsored organization’s revenue, as described in their tax return, is what will be used to determine their maximum funding request. The revenues of the fiscal sponsor and the sponsored organization are not combined to meet the threshold. |
| Can an organization serve as a fiscal sponsor and also apply for a grant themselves? | An organization can submit an application for themselves as well as for their fiscal sponsees. Any fiscal sponsor who submits more than five (5) proposals will be required to undergo a pre‑qualification process. See page 14 of the grant guidelines. |
| Can an artist complete the eligibility screening, or must the artist already have a fiscal sponsor, with the sponsoring organization completing the form? | A fiscal sponsor must be identified prior to completing the eligibility screening form. The fiscal sponsor will be the one to fill out this form. During the application process, collaborators can be added so that multiple people can complete the application. |
| For fiscal sponsees, is the maximum request amount based on the fiscal sponsor’s Annual Total Revenue? | If you are a fiscal sponsor, the maximum request amount is based on the most recent tax return of your sponsee. If the sponsee has no previous annual revenue, please provide a document acknowledging there was no previous annual revenue. |
| The Eligibility Screening shows that a Form 990 is required. If the organization filed Form 990-N because the organization had little or no reportable revenue during the last tax year, is this enough documentation? | Form 990-N (e-Postcard) is sufficient if the organization had an annual revenue less than $50,000. |
| Would classification under P62 (Human Services) make an organization ineligible to apply for general operating funds? | If the organizations NTEE code does not qualify the organization for operating support, there are other ways to qualify. Please see page 11 of the grant guidelines for other ways to qualify. |
| Can we apply if our business address is in Clovis, California, and our fiscal sponsor’s address is in Fresno, California? | To be eligible for grant funding, all applicants must meet all criteria outlined on page 10 of the grant guidelines. This includes the requirement that the primary place of business is physically located within the City of Fresno limits (A P.O. box does not meet this requirement). |
| How would an artist or cultural commissioner who is not part of an organization, but plans to work with a fiscal sponsor, determine Annual Total Revenue? | Annual total revenue may be self-reported using tax returns. If no tax returns are available, the individual may report no prior revenue. Emerging non-profit applicants or fiscally sponsored applicants that do not yet have filed tax returns shall be eligible to apply for no more than $75,000 for project support or $50,000 for general operating support. See page 8-9 in the grant guidelines. |
| For Project Support Grants, which NTEE codes qualify as an eligible entity? | Eligible entities are classified under the NTEE “A” series, which encompasses Arts, Culture & Humanities organizations. Please see page 10 of the grant guidelines for NTEE code description. |
| Might the City consider a broader regional-benefit, outside the sphere of influence, approach in a future cycle? | The sphere of influence is based on the Measure P ordinance language. We are unable to change the language in the ordinance without voter approval. |
| Are religious nonprofits able to apply to EAAC? | All nonprofit applicants must meet the eligibility requirements listed on page 10 of the grant guidelines. Religious non-profits that meet the requirements on page 10 may apply, though per the grant guidelines, projects with religious or evangelical purposes are ineligible for grant funds (page 13). |
| Can you clarify what all needs to be included in “a resolution certified by the Secretary” that we have among our purposes “the provision of community services”? | If the organization has among its purposes, community services, a nonprofit’s Board of Directors may choose to adopt a board resolution that states that the organization has, among their purposes, the provision of community services. The resolution must be certified by the board secretary. A sample secretary certification can be found on page 7 of the City of Fresno Administrative Order 4-1 |
| The IRS link does not show a “download letter” option. Which is sufficient, a screenshot of the webpage or scan of physical letter of determination? | Please submit supporting documents as PDFs. Scanned copies are acceptable; screenshots are not allowed. |
Fiscal Sponsorship
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| To help us best prepare for the next step in the application process, and to better support our fiscal sponsees as they prepare their applications, may we receive a copy of the application questions? | Applicants are welcome to begin the application at their convenience, save their progress as a draft, and return to any questions they need additional time to complete. After completing the eligibility screening, a link will be provided for the application. Applicants will be able to add fiscal sponsees as collaborators to view the questions in the application. |
| If our organization is both serving as a fiscal sponsor and also applying as an organization, which option should we select? Do we need to submit the eligibility form twice, one for each scenario? | If your organization is both serving as a fiscal sponsor and also applying independently, you will need to submit an eligibility screening for each grant you are applying for. This means completing one eligibility form for each fiscally sponsored organization, and an additional eligibility form for your own organization if you are also applying. |
| The form requests the “Name of person, group or organization being fiscally sponsored” If we are sponsoring multiple persons/organizations, should we submit a separate eligibility form for each sponsee? | If you are serving as the fiscal sponsor for multiple individuals or organizations, a separate eligibility screening form will need to be completed for each individual or organization. |
| For fiscal sponsors, does the sponsee need to provide their own tax return, or is eligibility determined solely based on the sponsoring organization? | The sponsee must provide their own tax return. Acceptable documents include Form 990, Form 990‑N, or a document acknowledging there was no previous annual revenue. This should be provided in addition to the organization that is sponsoring. |
| If I am an artist applying for the first time for a project grant and need a fiscal sponsor, and I am not attending in person today, how can I find a fiscal sponsor in time to meet the August 15th deadline? | A Meet and Greet will be held on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, at 4 p.m. at the Ted C. Wills Community Center. The City is providing space in an open public format for any interested fiscal sponsor to connect with interested sponsees during this time. Note: Participation in the meet-and-greet should not be understood to infer or imply endorsement of any organization(s) or participant(s) by the City. Participating organizations are fully independent of the City. |
| For projects with a fiscal sponsor, does the fiscal sponsor need to submit the eligibility form directly, or can the sponsored organization complete that form? | For projects with a fiscal sponsor, the fiscal sponsor must submit the eligibility form. After the application is received, the fiscal sponsor can add collaborators to help complete the remaining sections of the application. |
| Can a fiscal sponsor and their sponsee continue working together on aspects of the project before the grant agreement is signed? | Any work commenced before a signed agreement will not be reimbursed. Grant funding can only be used for work performed after the date of a fully executed/signed agreement. |
| Why would I need a fiscal sponsor? | Organizations or individuals who do not qualify to apply on their own may choose to partner with a fiscal sponsor. Fiscal sponsorship is discussed on page 14 of the grant guidelines. |
| If an organization is a fiscal sponsor for multiple projects, must all the projects be submitted within the same solicitation? | No. Fiscal sponsors may submit under multiple solicitations for their sponsored projects. |
| What are the requirements for sponsor fees? What percentage is approved and what would it cover? | Fiscal sponsor fees are an eligible expense based on actual costs incurred. Fiscal sponsor fees generally include but are not limited to: reimbursement for personnel time spent training, overseeing and reporting, audit and other financial services or software or equipment necessary for oversight. Fiscal sponsor fees shall not exceed 15% of the overall grant budget. See page 12 of the grant guidelines. |
| Are written agreements required and will the city be require specific terms or disclosure of agreements between fiscal sponsors and the subgrantees? | Establishing a written agreement between fiscal sponsor and sponsee is highly recommended to ensure all requirements are clearly outlined. |
| Can a sponsee submit multiple projects under the same fiscal sponsor? | Nonprofit organizations may apply for General Operating Support or Project Support, but not both. To support access, applications are limited to one per organization except for those serving as fiscal sponsors. Fiscal sponsors may submit one application for themselves and a maximum of one application on behalf of each of their fiscally sponsored organization(s). |
| If we submit the eligibility screening and indicate we will sponsor more than 5 projects, when we will receive the Fiscal Sponsor pre-qualification application? | Fiscal sponsor pre-qualification forms will be emailed once the eligibility screening form has been reviewed and approved. |
| What tools are recommend to coordinate sponsorship? | While the City cannot recommend one specific tool over another, conducting an internet search for “fiscal sponsor management tool” or similar search terms can help to identify relevant examples. As always, fiscal sponsors are advised to conduct their own independent research to ensure the security of any platforms. |
| Can the sponsee manage the financial administration if they have better software than the fiscal sponsor? | The fiscal sponsor is ultimately responsible for all requirements outlined in the grant agreement, including fiduciary responsibilities. The City completes a financial risk assessment during the grant contract phase. The risk assessment evaluates key areas such as; internal controls, organizational policies and procedures, staffing, separation of duties, review of prior year audit(s) and recordkeeping practices. Any financial administration methods used by the fiscal sponsor to administer the funds must be in compliance with the financial controls outlined within their organizational policies and procedures. |
Funding
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Can you please confirm whether 90% of awarded funds will be disbursed upfront? For example, if an applicant is awarded $100,000, would $90,000 be provided at the start of the grant period? | The grant funds will be disbursed in a 90% / 10% structure. This means that 90% of the awarded amount will be provided upfront to support the completion of the scope of work. The remaining 10% will be released upon successful completion of the full scope of work and once all required reporting, documentation, and expenditure verification have been submitted and reviewed. |
| Can you confirm what the grant period for cycle 3 will be? Is the funding retroactive? | The grant period timeframe will be set during contracting but will be for a 13 month period (12 months to deliver + 1 month for reporting). Applicants are advised to leave milestones broad (ex. event to occur in quarter 2) to allow flexibility. Additionally, funding will not be retroactive. No project costs may be incurred prior to the full execution of the Grant Agreement. |
| What happens if we are under budget at the end of the grant term? | Specific terms will be identified within the grant agreement. Grantees may need to return unused funds back to the city as grants are intended for the actual costs incurred. The final payment of 10% may be reduced if only 5% was needed to complete the project. |
General
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Could you clarify the Measure P acknowledgement requirements? | Measure P acknowledgement requirements refer to the requirement to use the Measure P logo and include a brief funding statement on materials/events/facilities funded, in-part, by Measure P. More information about these requirements will be provided in grant agreements. |
| Is there an anticipated award date? | Please refer to the Notice of Funding found at www.fresno.gov/eaac for the estimated timeline. |
Project Types
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Can an organization apply for both solicitation opportunities? | An organization can only apply for one grant, either General Operating Support or Project‑Specific Support. |
| What are the differences to what General Operating vs. Project Support grants can fund? | Eligible expenses differ between the two solicitations. Examples of eligible expenses can be found on page 11 of the grant guidelines. One example of different eligible expenses can be found below: A.) General Operating Support grants cover the core-operating expenses, including but not limited to; utilities, maintenance, repairs, rent, marketing, insurance, etc. 100% of the requested grant funds can be used for core operating expenses. B.) Project Support grants cap core operating expenses at 15% of the total project cost. Insurance expenses directly associated with the coverage required by the City of Fresno Grant Agreement will be considered a direct expense required for the project and will not count toward the 15% cap. |
Reporting
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Could you confirm whether grant‑related records must be retained for three years or five years, since the two documents appear to provide conflicting guidance? | Copies of paid receipts or paid invoices, timesheets, receipts and other backup documentation associated with all expenses must be submitted with reports and retained and available for inspection by the City for a minimum of three (3) fiscal years. Please see grant guidelines page 24. |
| Where can we find information about what will be required for progress reports and program reports? | All applicable information will be added to the EAAC website at www.fresno.gov/eaac. |
Insurance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| If my insurance broker says we already carry the coverage needed for the EAAC project, can I bill a portion to the grant? | Insurance coverage required by the City is an eligible expense. You may assign a proportionate share of the insurance cost to the EAAC grant. |
| Besides SAMS registration and general liability insurance, are there any additional insurance requirements? | The insurance requirements will be determined based on the scope of work outlined during the application process. Insurance requirements will be made known prior to agreement execution. Sample insurance requirements will be posted to the website in the next few weeks to provide examples. |