Metro Arts commissioners voted to postpone action on FY26 grant recommendations and spent the meeting reviewing proposed policy changes intended to reduce denials and clarify eligibility.

The delay was announced by Ashley Batchelder, interim executive director: “we won't be voting on anything today, but next month is when we anticipate bringing these things to you.” The grants committee said the extra time keeps the timeline intact to distribute funds by the end of the year while allowing legal review of revised guidelines.

Why it matters: Commissioners said the organization needs clearer, more operational rules after an atypical cycle of denials and appeals. Staff argued the tweaks aim to prevent avoidable denials, support first-time applicants and small organizations, and make funding more equitable across budget-size categories.

Key proposals discussed included a three-day curing period after technical review so applicants can fix correctable application errors; clarified background-check procedures; expanded support and office hours for first-time applicants; removal of the Thrive “public art” category (separating those projects from the grants program’s capacity to properly evaluate maintenance and long-term stewardship); and a flat fiscal-sponsor fee option rather than the current negotiable 0–10 percent model.

Interim director Ashley Batchelder and Grants Committee chair Commissioner Levkowitz described the rationale. Batchelder told commissioners that the committee “went through a number of recommended policy changes or recommendations, some rather simple, some that would require a lot more discussion.” Commissioner Levkowitz summarized the committee’s approach: they favored small, operational fixes this cycle while scheduling more complex analytics and equity modeling for the next fiscal year.

Staff presented specific numbers from the current FY25 cycle: of 165 grantees in the current cycle, 159 grants had been paid; $3,191,000 of a $3,200,000 grant pool had been disbursed, and six contracts required follow-up. Commissioners heard that if unexecuted contracts exceed the fiscal year, the unobligated funds revert to Metro’s general fund.

Fiscal sponsor discussion: Staff reported that of 75 Thrive projects, 59 used a fiscal sponsor, represented by 33 unique fiscal sponsors. Of those 59 projects, 22 reported a 0% fee and 18 used the 10% cap. Staff proposed a standardized flat fee (example given: $750 for a $15,000 Thrive grant) that would be contracted in addition to the artist award so the artist’s budget would not be reduced.

Dual eligibility: Commissioners debated whether micro and small organizations should be allowed to apply for both Thrive (project) grants and operating support. Staff explained the programs are different in intent—project seed funding versus general operating support—and that rules on dual eligibility changed mid-cycle in recent years, causing confusion. Tessa from the department of law clarified legal constraints in a separate discussion about payment processes, saying, “the law prevents us from giving out grants directly to artists as I understand it,” a reason Metro requires fiscal sponsors for artist awards.

Next steps: The grants committee will refine recommended guideline text, submit it for legal review, and return with an action item next month with the goal of opening the FY26 application round in mid-July and disbursing funds by year end.

Commissioners asked staff to share committee materials and denial-category data with the full commission and encouraged continued community engagement before formal adoption.