Arts Relief General Operating Support

The ARGOS program provides supplemental funding to support pandemic recovery for FY 2023 grantees of the following MSAC programs: Arts & Entertainment District Operating Support, County Arts Development, Creativity Grants for General Operating Support, Folklife Network, and Grants for Organizations.

ARGOS funds are available to programs already receiving general operating or arts programming support through certain MSAC grant programs in FY 2023.

ARGOS is part of a larger Arts Relief supplemental budget package being distributed as grants by MSAC in FY 2023.

Must be a FY 2023 grantee of one of the following MSAC programs:

  • Arts & Entertainment District Operating Support
  • County Arts Development
  • Creativity Grants for General Operating Support (the Arts Relief application for Creativity Grantees is not currently available and will open shortly.)
  • Folklife Network
  • Grants for Organizations

The ARGOS program is open to organizations fitting the eligibility requirements listed above. Any applicant with questions about preparing an application is encouraged to reach out to relevant MSAC staff, as listed below.

All applications are submitted via the secure online grants management system SmartSimple. Log in or create a free account at marylandarts.smartsimple.com.

ARGOS funds are intended to bolster the regular budgets of Maryland’s arts organizations and arts programs in recognition of the continuing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the arts sector. Therefore, funds may be used for debt servicing, allocations to cash reserves, and contributions to endowments. These uses are allowable regardless of the MSAC program from which the grantee has received FY 2023 funds.

Some unallowable expenses apply to ARGOS funds regardless of the MSAC program from which the grantee has received regular funding in FY 2023. These are: contributions to any persons who hold, or are candidates for, elected office; to any political party, organization, or action committee; in connection with any political campaign or referendum; or for any lobbying activities.

Further uses of ARGOS funds are based on allowable and unallowable expenditures for the MSAC program from which the grantee has received regular funding in FY 2023. Lists of allowable and unallowable expenditures are available in the guidelines documents for each MSAC program, which are available for download at msac.org.

Upon execution of a grant agreement, payment will be processed for receipt in 8-10 weeks. Grantees are required to submit a final report at the completion of the funded project. For detailed reporting requirements, please see below.

This Financial Worksheet may be used as a guide for grantees to determine allowable and non-allowable income/expenses.

All MSAC grants are paid on the same timeline. To learn more, click here.

An annual final report describes how funds were spent over the most recently completed granting period. The final report collects narrative, fiscal, and demographic information in keeping with MSAC and National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) requirements. Successful completion of a final report is required. Final reports are completed in SmartSimple, the same online grants management system used for applications. Final Reports are available at the end of each granting period. MSAC notifies grantees in writing when Final Reports are available.

Failure to submit reports may jeopardize current and/or future MSAC grants and may result in the required return of grant funds to the State of Maryland.