FY25/26 & FY26/27 General Funding Hotel Tax Grant Application

NORMAN ARTS COUNCIL

GENERAL FUNDING HOTEL TAX GRANTS

Norman Transient Guest Room Tax Grant Program
GRANTS FOR JULY 1, 2025 – JUNE 30, 2027

APPLICATION GUIDELINES

ELIGIBILITY:  The Norman Arts Council (NAC) is calling for grant applications for General Funding Support.  Applicants must be one of the following: 

• Norman-based 501C3 organization with a mission in the arts or humanities
• Norman-based 501C3 organizations with a mission other than arts or humanities but with year-round arts programming 
• University of Oklahoma arts or humanities departments producing year-round Norman-based community arts or humanities programming 

DEFINITIONS:

Norman-based community arts and humanities programming: Arts and humanities programs that are targeted to the broader Norman Community. Excluded from this would be:

• University curriculum and associated costs. The audience for programs must be open to the community beyond university students and faculty.  
• Any programming and associated programming costs by a Norman-based 501C3 organization with a mission in the arts or humanities that takes place OUTSIDE of the City of Norman

APPLICATIONS:  All applications will be submitted online. Applications may be accessed at this website starting on November 25, 2024.  It is encouraged that submitted application forms be printed and saved by the applicants. All guidance to support organizations in writing successful grants will be available via the NAC website. 

DEADLINE: The deadline for grant applications is 11:59pm, Friday, January 17, 2025. Early submission is encouraged.  All questions should be addressed to the NAC by emailing cher@normanarts.org

FUNDING PERIOD: Grants will be awarded for July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2027. 

FUNDING LIMITS: Organizations will be considered for a grant of up to 50% of their annual operating budget or a maximum of $30,000. No grants will exceed $30,000.  We will not make awards of less than $10,000, so your budget must be a minimum of $20,000. 

FUNDING DISCLAIMER: Due to limited funds, applications may not receive the maximum award possible or may not receive any funding.  While any OU departments that meet the qualifications may apply, the NAC will only award a maximum of six (6) OU grants in FY26 & FY27, each year. 

REVIEW CRITERIA:  Consider these criteria in your responses to the grant application. The Grants Review Panel will use a Matrix based on these areas to evaluate your application. Please see the Matrix for details. 

• History & Experience
• Programming Summary 
• Organizational Excellence 
• Community Impact 
• Access & Opportunity 
• Sustainability 
• Promotion & Visibility 
• Evaluation Plan 
• Budget 

MATCHING REQUIREMENTS: There are no matching requirements.

FUNDING ALLOCATION: Each year funding will be dispersed as such:

• 25% of the annual funding at the signing of the Grant Contract in July 2025 
• 25% of the annual funding after submitting a FY25/26 mid-year report #1 in December 2025 
• 50% of the annual funding after submitting a final report for FY 25/26 by August 15, 2026, 

Awards adjusted proportionately based on Hotel Tax funding availability, new contracts sent.

• 25% of the annual funding at the signing of a new Grant Contract in July 2026
• 25% of the annual funding after submitting a FY25/26 mid-year report #2 in December 2026 
• 50% of the annual funding after submitting a final report for FY 26/27 by August 15, 2027 

FUNDS MAY BE USED FOR ANY OPERATIONAL SUPPORT INCLUDING (but not limited to): 

• General administrative costs (salaries and overhead)
• Program costs
• Capital improvements

ANNUAL BUDGET:

Your submitted budget should include ALL annual income and expenses including overhead, administration, and programming.

BUDGET LIMITS:

• Only the portion of your budget that supports Norman-based community arts or humanities programming will be considered in the Grant Application.
• The portion of your budget that is allocated to programs performed in direct conjunction with a religious service will not be considered.
• If your organization is an arts or humanities department within the University of Oklahoma system, you must submit an annual budget that encompasses ONLY your Norman-based community arts or humanities programming for the year. This may include allocation to administrative costs. It may not include any costs associated with a credit-earning curriculum. 

COMPLETE APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS: Incomplete applications will not be accepted or reviewed. 

Applicants will be required to submit the following during the application process:

a)  Online Grant Application

b)  Annual Budget for the current year (see BUDGET LIMITS above)

c)  Be prepared to upload the following documents:

• Copy of the applicant’s federal non-profit 501(c)(3) exemption status letter – 1st time applicants only
• Applicant’s last Form 990 or Form 990-EZ. If Form 990-EZ is used most recent end-of-year financial statement must also be submitted
• Current list of board of directors and officers with assigned responsibilities (if applicable) and terms
• Current organization bylaws 
• Copy of Secretary of State Charitable Organization Registration Certificate reflecting active status. For more information on this, visit: https://occf.org/documents/SB1070HowToComply.pdf
• OU Applicants must use either the OU Foundation or Office of Research Services documents 

REPORTING AND RECORDS: The Final Report is due by August 15th each year.

In the final report, grantees will be asked to report on outcomes from the grant: 

• What you used the funds for (this can be different than was anticipated at the time of the application)
• How your organization addressed access & opportunity in FY25/26 & FY26/27, respectively
• Program successes (and failures) in FY25/26 & FY26/27, respectively
• Communities served in FY25/26 & FY26/27, respectively
• Total audience attendance in FY25/26 & FY26/27, respectively
• Hotel stays generated in FY25/26 & FY26/27, respectively
• Sales tax revenue generated in FY25/26 & FY26/27, respectively
• Final Annual Budget for FY25/26 & FY26/27, respectively

Grant recipients must retain accounting records and supporting documents for three years following the completion of the project.  NAC shall have access to these records as necessary for audits, examinations, and other purposes.  

The remaining award funds will automatically be forfeited by any organization that fails to submit a final report by the above deadline. Failure to submit the final report will be noted in the organization’s file and will be taken into consideration by the Grants Award Panel during the next granting cycle. If extenuating circumstances make it impossible for an organization to meet this deadline, the organization must contact the NAC before the deadline.

Award recipients are required to have a representative attend 75% of Roundtable meetings, held monthly.

LIABILITY:  Award recipients agree to indemnify and hold harmless the NAC, its employees, its agents, and its Board of Directors, in connection with any action, claim, lawsuit, charge, or proceeding, including but not limited to any civil action in State or Federal Court, or before any State or Federal agency, which is made or brought against recipients, NAC, and/or any of NAC’s employees, agents, or board members, by any person or entity, based upon and/or arising out of a recipient’s use of the funds provided to the recipient by NAC according to this contract. 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:  The Hotel Tax Grants Program is administered by the Norman Arts Council.  For this program to continue to grow, grant recipients must give proper acknowledgment to the Norman Arts Council for administering the granting of these funds. Organizations must comply with the following acknowledgment requirements if awarded a grant: 

1.  Grant recipients must include the Norman Arts Council logo on all organizational marketing materials where sponsors are acknowledged. Press releases must include the acknowledgment, “This project was made possible, in part, by a grant from the Norman Arts Council Hotel Tax Grant Program.”  The logo is downloaded from the Norman Arts Council website: www.normanarts.org/grants.  The logo must appear no smaller than 1/2" x 1/2". If you have questions about complying with requirements, call the NAC to have your publication reviewed.  Failure to follow these acknowledgment requirements may invoke the penalty clause listed below.  

2.  Events including announcements from the organization to the audience must include an announcement using the line “This project was made possible, in part, by a grant from the Norman Arts Council Hotel Tax Grant Program.” 

3.  All promotional pieces for a Hotel Tax Grant-supported event submitted to media outlets must also be submitted contemporaneously to the NAC at pr@normanarts.org. 

PENALTY:  Failure to comply with these requirements may result in the forfeiture of final payments, required reimbursement of funds previously awarded by NAC to the organization for the specific project, and/or disqualification from consideration of future applications.  If you have further questions regarding any aspect of the NAC Hotel Tax Grant Program, email cher@normanarts.org. 

APPEALS:  Any applicant who is denied a grant in whole or in part may only appeal directly to the NAC Board under our Grievance Policy 10.7. Appeals may be made on the following grounds: 1) discrimination against the applicant or its membership based on: race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, or disability, which is shown to have materially and adversely affected the outcome of their application; 2) illegal activity on the part of the awards panel or a member of the awards panel, which is shown to have materially and adversely affected the outcome of their application. 

Norman Arts Council * 122 E. Main, Norman, OK 73069 * office | 405.360.1162 * fax | 405.360.0086

Email: cher@normanarts.org

Website: www.normarts.org