If awarded a grant, the grantee organization agrees to tell its legislators about the value of state and federal investment in the arts to the community that the grantee serves. Please note: This validation will occur in the form of education, not lobbying. To do so, the grantee will:
- Send a letter to the organization’s State Representative, State Senator, and the Governor describing specifically how this Creative Communities grant has allowed the organization to provide a valuable activity in the community it serves. Keep a copy of these letters in the organization’s files.
- Send personal invitations to the organization’s State Representative and State Senator to attend, participate in programming, or interact with audiences and staff of the organization. Keep a copy of these invitations in the organization’s files.
- Submit Final Reports and support materials in a timely fashion as summarized in the Final Report section of the Creative Communities guidelines.
Please note: The above requirements help educate legislators and do not constitute lobbying. Grantees should call Arts Board staff with any questions about this distinction. Samples of the above letters and invitations are available on the Arts Board’s website.
Public Service Activity Requirement
Section 44.56 of the Wisconsin Statutes requires that each Arts Board grant recipient perform a public service no earlier than July 1 and no later than June 30 of the fiscal year for which the grant is awarded. The public service should increase the public’s awareness of Wisconsin’s artists and artistic resources, artistic cultural heritage, the economic impact of the arts, the importance of formal K-12 arts education for our children, or the importance of life long learning in the arts.
To fulfill this requirement, organizations must:
- make a public announcement of the activity that reaches the largest possible number of community members
- ensure that the activity relates clearly to the project supported by the Creative Communities grant
- conduct the activity within Wisconsin in a public facility that is accessible to persons with disabilities.
Public service activities include, but are not limited to the following: an exhibition, a performance, a publication, a lecture/demonstration, a workshop, a residency, or a media presentation. A fee for admission or publication may be charged.