NEA/ARRA Broward County Lifeline Grant Program

About the Program

Category: Arts, Culture and Historic Preservation (Best in Category)

Year: 2011

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) gave Broward County an opportunity to reflect and indeed celebrate recover in some communities throughout 2010. In the middle of a great Recession, these stimulus recovery funds have been a ray of hope. While keeps tabs on budget management and tightening strings for fiscal prudence, it is equally important to reflect and celebrate what is working for the economy and the community. For 17 cultural organizations in Broward County, this ray of light came in the form of a federal grant administered through the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Forty-eight jobs were directly saved by this program. Through this economic stimulus package, Broward Cultural Division received a $250,000 grant, and in turn, re-granted the funds, through an NEA Line application process. These funds were specifically directed to save existing jobs in the arts. Arts organizations had the opportunity to apply for funds to provide salary support for an existing staff member who would otherwise have been laid off, or to reengage artistic/contracted services for programs that were previously slated for elimination due to the economy. The scope of services ranged from concert musicians to education coordinators, to historians and programming staff.