CITY OF SANTA MONICA ANNOUNCES
ARTS AND CULTURAL TRANSPORTATION GRANT PROGRAM
 

September 26, 2007 

The City of Santa Monica seeks to enhance the lives of its citizens by providing them with increased access to arts and cultural activities available throughout Los Angeles County.  In order to meet that goal while at that same time reducing traffic and fuel emissions, the Santa Monica Cultural Affairs Division and the Santa Monica Arts Commission have created a transportation grant program. Los Angeles County Proposition A Local Return Funds are made available for schools and community groups to use buses and other public transit methods to attend cultural activities and special events and to visit cultural and arts destinations.   

Eligibility

Local Return Funds are to be used for public transit purposes that will sustain or improve access to public transit services by the general public or those requiring special public transit assistance.  Santa Monica Arts and Cultural Transportation Funds may only be used for transportation to bring Santa Monica residents to arts destinations such as art museums, galleries, artist's studios, theatres and performing arts venues.  This support is available to any Santa Monica based public school or non-profit organization wishing to expand its arts education programming.  All destinations must be ADA accessible. 

Eligible expenditures are for transportation only. Funds cannot be used for admissions, lunches or other non-transportation related expenses.  Grantees may use a private bus, Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District buses, the Santa Monica Big Blue Bus or other methods of public transportation.    

Funding is available for excursions taking place between October 1, 2007 and May 2, 2008.   

Application Process  (click here for application form)

Applications should be completed (must include an estimate of transportation costs) and submitted to Santa Monica's Cultural Affairs Division by 5:00 pm on Friday, November 16.  Groups are encouraged to visit venues in which curators, artists, lectures or other interactive activities are available.  All applications will be reviewed by City staff to determine eligibility and to ensure that the excursions meet with the City’s funding criteria with special efforts made to distribute grant funding throughout the Santa Monica School District. 

It is strongly encouraged that applicants partner with other related groups in the same grade or age range or with the same interests or needs.  All proposals should serve the largest possible number of participants.  Applicants must demonstrate that all efforts are made to maximize the use of this funding.  For example, most buses seat 60 people; therefore, a group of 25 must partner with another group in order to fill the bus. 

Public Notice of Trip Availability

It is required by the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) that this service be made available to all members of the general public and not restricted to a specific group or program.  Therefore, participation in funded excursions must be open to all individuals within the group represented.  As an example, if a third-grade classroom is traveling to the Getty Museum, the trip must be available to any third grader within the City of Santa Monica.  To that end, the Santa Monica Cultural Affairs Division will be listing all approved grants with contact information on their website.  This will make it possible for the parent of a third grader at another school to contact the trip coordinator to see if there is room for their child to also participate in the funded activity.  

Invoicing Process

Final reports and invoices must be submitted and include the following information:  destination, number of riders, and group(s) served.  Invoicing must be made prior to May 15, 2008 in order to receive funding. Invoices submitted after that time will not be honored.  A copy of the invoice and final report form will be sent to grant recipients via e-mail with their notification letter.   

If you have questions or require additional information, please feel free to contact Hamp Simmons in the Santa Monica Cultural Affairs Division at (310) 458-8350 or via e-mail at hamp.simmons@smgov.net.

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This page was last updated on 09/27/07.