Our North Star
A thriving arts community helps us live vibrant lives, so we are working toward making the creative arts accessible for all members of our community.
How We Can See It Through
The Farash Foundation is committing its focus on small and mid-size creative arts organizations serving Monroe and Ontario Counties. We want to help organizations serving diverse communities so that anyone can access the types of arts that they find meaningful.
Creative Arts
Utilizing creative expression and imagination through visual, literary, and performing arts including music, theater, dance, spoken word, and film.
Additional Considerations
We believe our small and mid-size organizations have the power to move people in creative ways. To help bolster our creative arts community, we will partner with organizations that have annual operating budgets of $2 million or less.
Education and community connection are important to the foundation. We will make special consideration to those organizations that offer arts education as part of their programming.
The 2023 Farash Foundation Creative Arts Request for Proposals
Release Date: April 19, 2023
Due Date: May 19, 2023
Award Announcement: By July 31, 2023
Virtual Information Session: April 24 at 1pm
During this one-hour session, staff from the Foundation will walk through the new strategy and the elements of the new proposal process. There will be plenty of time for Q&A at the end of the session.
Please register here for the session
Overview
The Max and Marian Farash Charitable Foundation is dedicated to the civic and religious communities of its founders, who believed in the importance of education in all its aspects and knew the power of entrepreneurial creativity. The Foundation places its highest priority on endeavors designed to transform the lives of individuals and the work of organizations. It strives to make long-term and meaningful contributions in Monroe and Ontario Counties with half of its grants supporting Jewish Life, and the other half supporting secular activities. Max and Marian Farash were passionate about the arts and believed that every thriving community has a commitment to the arts.
The 2023 Creative Arts Program focuses on arts organizations with visual, literary, and performing arts at their center. The Foundation prioritizes creative arts organizations that provide the opportunity to experience dynamic, easily accessible arts, and have arts education programming as part of their regular operations. It strives to make meaningful contributions to a vibrant and thriving arts community offering representation and expression for all in Monroe and Ontario Counties.
Funding Opportunity
Creative arts institutions in Monroe and Ontario counties, NY are invited to apply for 2023 flexible support. Flexible support funds are unrestricted operating grants that can be used in an any capacity the organization decides. It is not necessary to designate these funds to any program or budget item. The funds are used at the organization’s discretion. The Farash Foundation endeavors to provide organizations with flexible support to help offset financial capital needs. It is the Foundation’s hope that in doing so, organizations are positioned to spend more time thinking of its long-term needs and future.
Eligibility
- Organizations in Monroe and Ontario counites, NY
- Creative arts organizations defined as those utilizing creative expression and imagination through visual, literary, and performing arts including music, theater, dance, spoken word, and/or film as the primary medium to advance its mission
- Operating budget of $2 million or less
Beyond the standard grant application questions, please consider the following as you prepare your request:
- Does your organization provide arts education opportunities to the community it serves? If so, how? If not, are you interested in doing so in the future?
- How does your organization look to engage new audiences?
- What will this flexible funding help make possible for your organization?
Process
The Foundation will use a blend of financial data, qualitative information from your proposal and your requested amount to determine the award. As a general guideline, flexible funding grants will not exceed 30% of the grantee’s annual operating budget.
Once awards are announced, Foundation staff will work with each grantee to determine the mutual goals for the funding. These goals will be assessed in partnership with each organization to determine the expectations for renewed funding after the grant cycle is complete.
If necessary, staff may reach out to you for additional information in reviewing your request.
Inquiries
Direct questions to Marcus Bliss, Program Officer, at mbliss@farashfoundation.org.
Guidelines
Applications are submitted via the Foundation’s Grants Management System. Please access the Fluxx web portal at: https://farash.fluxx.io/user_sessions/new
If you require assistance accessing or navigating Fluxx, please contact Pam Schlierf at pschlierf@farashfoundation.org or 585-479-7764.
Compliance and Restrictions
Grants must benefit residents of Monroe or Ontario Counties and be tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code of 1986. They cannot be classified as private foundations or Type III supporting organizations under Section 509 of the Code.
Grants cannot be used for research, grants, or scholarships for individuals, or lobbying or attempts to influence legislation. Please note that incomplete proposals will not be considered.
Have an idea about how we can have a vibrant creative arts community? Please contact Marcus Bliss by calling (585) 479-4470 or sending an email.
Keep in mind our guidelines for grants:
- Grants must benefit residents of Monroe or Ontario Counties and be tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code of 1986.
- They cannot be classified as private foundations or Type III supporting organizations under Section 509 of the Code.
- Grants cannot be used for research, grants, or scholarships for individuals, or lobbying or attempts to influence legislation.
More information can be found on our Grantseeker Resources page. Or, give us a call.
