Fort Fund

FORT FUND OVERVIEW

Fort Fund, the City of Fort Collins’ Cultural Development & Programming and Tourism Accounts, is funded by an allocation of the lodging tax revenues collected within the city limits of Fort Collins. Applications are reviewed three times a year by the City of Fort Collins Cultural Resources Board and recommendations for funding are submitted to the Fort Collins City Council for final approval. The objective of Fort Fund is to foster, encourage, and promote cultural and/or tourism activities in Fort Collins. Fort Fund offers three tiers. Tiers 1 and 2 primarily fund events that are artistic, ethnic, historic, educational or recreational in nature and reflect the values and traditions of Fort Collins. Events of this type will have wide appeal for a significant part of the community, thereby advancing the good of all. The resulting economic and noneconomic benefits of these events will promote the general welfare of the inhabitants of Fort Collins.

FORT FUND (FORMERLY TIER 4) CULTURAL INNOVATION FUND

The Cultural Innovation Fund embodies the above, and is primarily focused on activities that will increase Fort Collins’ identity as a cultural center and tourist destination. The term “activity” can mean events, projects, products, exhibits, festivals, programs, etc. These activities can be in the area of arts, nature, heritage, recreation, science, and/or humanities and shall be designed to develop new arts, culture or heritage tourism activities and products that have the potential to impact Fort Collins’ economic and cultural growth and perpetuate the Tourism Fund by generating over night stays in the city’s hotels and lodges. These activities should enrich the cultural life available in the city because they will serve as an attraction to visitors, represent new cultural offerings or can be described as unique, innovative or inventive. The activities should be designed to meet the strategies and criteria as listed below.

CIF ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

1. The applicant organization must be a non-profit organization, or the governmental equivalent. Written proof of this status must accompany all applications. All organizations that fall under the same IRS non profit tax status will be considered the same unit for funding.
2. The organization has an officially adopted mission statement expressing their primary purpose.
3. The organization has been in existence for a minimum of three years.
4. The organization can provide financial statements for the previous three completed fiscal years from their application date.
5. Activities funded under the CIF shall not be simultaneously funded under Tier 2 of Fort Fund.
6. Funding under the CIF shall be available for a maximum of three years to any one activity and applicants must compete each time for funding.
7. Applicants must submit a completed Tourism Impact form with their application.
8. Activities must be held in Fort Collins or the Fort Collins Growth Management area, or in such other location as will accomplish the CIF strategies.
9. The activities may not commence prior to 45 days following the following the application deadline.
10. Activities funded under the CIF must be completed within 18 months of the funding session date (the fourth Wednesday of April).
11. Activities must benefit and be accessible and/or open to the general public. 
12. Religious, sectarian or ‘faith-based’ organizations may apply for funding for activities which are secular (non-religious) in nature. Fort Fund monies may not be used to promote religion.
13. Activities must provide a direct public benefit of reasonably general character to a significant number of Fort Collins’ residents and meet the strategies as outlined below.

STRATEGIES:

Proposals should address specific strategies to increase Fort Collins’ identity as a cultural center and tourism destination, resulting in at least two of the following benefits:

1. Address a need in the cultural activity of Fort Collins
2. Perpetuate the Tourism Fund by generating over night stays in local hotels
3. Develop new arts, cultural, or heritage tourism activities and products that have the potential to impact Fort Collins cultural and economic growth.

Fort Fund will not fund capital improvements or projects, or any activity in which the net profit or proceeds from the activity is donated by the sponsor to another organization and/or individual.

CIF GRANT REQUEST AMOUNT

• Maximum Request Amount: $25,000 (a higher amount may be considered)
• Minimum Request Amount: $500
• Funding is subject to the amount available per funding session. The Cultural Resources Board reserves the right to not fund any organization if it does not fully meet the criteria.
• Request amount cannot exceed 50% of the total activity expenses.
• Request amount requires a dollar-for-dollar cash match.
• In-kind contributions may not be used in calculating the organization’s match.
• Fort Fund monies, from current or previous funding sessions, may not be used in calculating the organization’s match.
• Activities funded under the CIF cannot be simultaneously funded under Tier 2 of Fort fund.
• Funding under the CIF shall be available for a maximum of three years to any one activity and applicants must compete each time for funding.

CIF APPLICATIONS DUE:
First Tuesday of April by 5:00 p.m.
To the Lincoln Center Administration Office
417 West Magnolia Street, Fort Collins

LATE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED
Notification of Award: The Cultural Resources Board will review applications on the fourth Wednesday of April, provide a recommendation for funding to City Council, who will then approve the recommendation at a regularly scheduled Council meeting in May. Applicants will be notified by mail after the Council meeting.

GRANT AWARD REQUIREMENTS

• Contracts for services with the City of Fort Collins must be signed prior to the issuance of funds. The funds must be spent on the activity within 18 months of the funding session.
• All funds must be used for direct costs of the activity within the time frame as required by contract, or returned immediately to the Cultural Development and Programming Account.
• If the activity changes significantly, the Cultural Resources Board must be notified in writing. Funding, even if already distributed to the organization, may be re-evaluated at that time.
• Organizations that receive funding must recognize the support of the City. All publicity and advertisement of the funded activity must include the Fort Fund logo.  Downloadable images are available on the Fort Fund website at www.fcgov.com/fortfund/logos.php and a Fort Fund banner to exhibit at the activity is available through the Lincoln Center Administration Office.  Organizations must also list the funded activity on the Fort Collins Convention and Visitors Bureau website calendar at www.visitftcollins.com/events.
• Organizations funded under the CIF must submit a written report within sixty (60) days of the completion of an activity. These reports, which evaluate estimated attendance, promotional materials, in-kind services, actual cash expenses and actual revenues, must be submitted to the Cultural Resources Board through the Lincoln Center Administration Office. All reports must be signed by a representative of the organization that receives funding, verifying their accuracy. Records of the activity need to be available for inspection upon request of the Cultural Resources Board.
• A member of the Cultural Resources Board may be assigned to each organization receiving a CIF Grant to act as liaison between funded organizations and the Board. If tickets are required for admission to an activity and are not extended to the liaison as a courtesy, tickets will be then purchased from the Cultural Development and Programming Account.