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Orleans Cultural District extends pilot creative-economy mini-grants through December
Summary
The committee approved extending a pilot that funds small grants to businesses and artists at First Friday events, allocating $2,700 for August, September and December rounds and directing staff to execute the rolling acceptance process.
Staff presented results from the creative economy mini-grants pilot, reporting that the program received six applicants and that all six awards were distributed during the pilot window. "We received 6 applicants and we had 6 mini grants to provide," the staff liaison stated, noting recipients and upcoming submission and payment processes.
Members discussed evaluation and whether to continue the program for August, September and December. Options considered included keeping three mini grants at $300 each per First Friday (a $900 per First Friday model) or scaling the number or amount of grants. Staff recommended a continuation that mirrored the pilot structure while allowing tweaks in future rounds.
The committee moved to extend the pilot for August, September and December with a total budget of $2,700 (three grants per First Friday at $300 each), authorize the staff liaison to execute the process with rolling acceptance as applications come in, and maintain an eligibility limit of one mini-grant per applicant per year as a working rule. The motion was moved, seconded and carried by voice vote.
Committee members asked staff to clarify application priority rules (e.g., first-come first-served, and preference for applicants who have not previously received a grant) and to prepare evaluation criteria for later review. Staff will implement rolling acceptance, require W-9s and invoices for payment processing, and return results to the committee at future meetings.
