SAN FRANCISCO, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Community
Vision Capital & Consulting announces the availability of space
acquisition grants for all business structures that practice and
perform artistic and cultural forms of creative activity,
expression, preservation, and healing, reflective of the
communities they serve. The grant program, funded by the William
and Flora Hewlett Foundation, will fund up to 40% of the purchase
price for properties located in any of the following counties:
Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa,
San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa
Clara, Santa Cruz,
Solano or Sonoma.
Grant funds will support real estate acquisition for
organizations that meaningfully engage in the artistic and cultural
vibrancy of communities throughout the Bay Area but operate on the
fringes of existing arts infrastructure and face a high degree of
constraints that limit the ability to generate capital. Priority
will go to projects led by organizations that are driving change
and amplifying visions for their own communities.
"Artists and cultural practitioners have long stabilized
communities who have faced generations of racism, displacement, and
financial exclusion," said Catherine
Howard, President of Community Vision. "Investing in the
arts is critical to equitable community development, and this
program provides an exciting opportunity for us to demonstrate just
how powerful arts investments can be. When we invest in our
community arts leaders, we invest in the long-term health of our
communities."
The program has a two-phase application process. Organizations
that have recently purchased or that plan to purchase a property
soon are invited to submit a Letter of Interest (LOI) no more than
two pages long by 12pm PST on Friday,
July 2nd. Organizations will be notified the week of August 9th if they are invited to submit a full
application. Submission information is available at
communityvisionca.org/artsacquisitionfund.
The following general eligibility criteria will be used:
- Must be located in the following counties: Alameda, Contra
Costa, Marin, Napa, San
Francisco, San Mateo,
Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano or Sonoma.
- Must practice and perform artistic and cultural forms of
creative activity, expression, preservation, and healing,
reflective of the communities they serve.
- Must be seeking to own and operate real estate.
- Must have site control by Friday,
October 1, 2021.
- All business structures are eligible.
Applicants will be reviewed by a panel of local experts who are
experienced arts, culture, and community development leaders.
Panelists bring unique geographic and industry perspectives, and
are deeply-rooted members of their communities. Panelist bios can
be found at communityvisionca.org/artsacquisitionfund/face. This
group will assess applicants via the following criteria: mission
fit, track record and organizational impact, degree of ongoing
financial constraints, project readiness and viability, and the
project's short- and long-term community impacts.
"Displacement was already a huge challenge for Bay Area artists,
communities, and arts and culture organizations before the
pandemic," said Emiko Ono,
Performing Arts Program Director at the Hewlett Foundation. "The
last year has only added to the crisis, and shown how important it
is to invest in community-owned assets, including spaces for arts
and culture."
Two webinars for groups interested in applying for a grant will
be hosted on Thursday, June
3rd and Wednesday, June
23rd.
Community Vision Capital & Consulting is a CDFI working
throughout California with offices
in San Francisco, Oakland, and Fresno. Since its inception, Community Vision
has supported 2.5M Californians,
deployed more than $483M in capital,
and provided more than 1,000 real estate and financial management
consults.
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SOURCE Community Vision Capital & Consulting