Capital Grants support specific capital projects, equipment purchases, or construction to small Dane County nonprofit arts, culture, and local history organizations. Range of activities supported include: purchase of permanent equipment, construction of permanent exhibitions, building construction, improvements or expansion, and historic preservation initiatives. Applicants must own the building/space.

Applicant Eligibility

To be considered for this grant, the applicant must be a Dane County Resident / Organization and one of the following:

• Nonprofit Organizations (with proof of 501(c)(3) status)
• Individual(s) or group with a qualified designated fiscal receiver in Dane County without formal nonprofit status
• Schools, school districts, and municipalities but only if the capital project directly serves the greater community

Additional Eligibility Considerations:

• Applicants may not submit more than one Capital Grant Application per cycle.
• Capital grants for any single ongoing project are limited to a total of five Dane Arts grant awards. This limit does not apply to capital grants awarded prior to 2011.
• Capital grants are not available to individuals, public libraries, fraternal groups, churches, commercial businesses, neighborhood centers, and higher educational institution.
• Applications will not be considered from grantees that have not fulfilled obligations to Dane Arts under terms of prior grant awards. To check obligation fulfillment status, refer to “Status Report” in WebGrants. If you need to create a status report, please use the Status Report Instructions. 

Project Budget Requirements and Information

• The grant cannot make up more than 50% of the total project budget (the amount requested must be matched on a dollar-for-dollar basis, including earned income and cash contributions).
• A budget error may disqualify an application.
• Dane Arts grants may not be matched by other Dane County tax dollars.
• A grant award in a lesser amount than what is requested by an applicant may be offered.
• A grant in any amount carries no commitment for future support by Dane Arts beyond terms of the project supported.
• Award amount range and project date requirements are specified in the WebGrants application portal (please refer to the Apply webpage to navigate WebGrants).

Capital Grants MAY be used for:

• Permanent equipment, i.e., a durable product having a useful lifespan of more than two years
• Capital projects with permanent, lasting significance (life history of the item rehabbed or purchased must have at least a 10-year life span. E.g., replace dance floor) 
• New construction 
• Renovation/restoration
• Permanent exhibition

Capital Grants MAY NOT be used for:

• Purchase of artwork
• Purchase of historical artifacts
• Theater scripts, stage properties, costumes, music and dance scores
• Books and other printed materials
• Computer equipment, systems or software
• Improvements to private residential or commercial property

Application Requirements

• (2) Letters of support from the community
• (2) Professional cost estimate or equipment/capital improvement specifications including brief description of process/rationale
  • For professional cost estimates, they must be from 2 separate vendors
• Capital Expenses and Capital Income related to your project, not just the expenses covered by a Dane Arts grant