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Match Programs

Cuyahoga Arts & Culture Match Program 2024

Large cover image for article

$25

Match funds remaining

$79,975

Match funds allocated

396

Matched donations

38

Projects

Overview

Up to $3,000 in donations matched for community projects that make Cuyahoga County more vibrant through the arts!The Cuyahoga Arts & Culture Match Fund supports organizations and residents (like you!) as they make our county more vibrant and creative.Individuals, artists, informal groups of residents, and nonprofits with budgets under $200,000 can all receive one-on-one fundraising coaching and dollar-for-dollar matching to your ioby crowdfunding campaign for a project that brings arts and culture to Cuyahoga County residents. Donors are matched instantly up to $500, and projects can access up to $3,000 until the program ends.

Eligibility

Your project is eligible to be part of the Cuyahoga Arts & Culture Match if it meets the following criteria. Donors are matched instantly up to $500, and projects can access up to $3,000 until the program ends.  
  1. Projects must take place in Cuyahoga County and be for the benefit of Cuyahoga County residents. 
  2. Projects must create a public benefit and be non-profit in nature, not aimed at private profit for a specific individual, family, or business. 
  3. Projects must be led by or in partnership with the residents of the neighborhood where the project is taking place. 
  4. Projects should be specific. Please note that all ioby campaign pages must include a budget outlining how funds will be spent. 
  5. Projects must complete fundraising and cash out by November 30, 2024. 
  6. ioby policy requires that match participants achieve a minimum of five distinct donors in order to cash out with matching funds. 
  7. Match funds cannot be applied to a project already funded by a CAC grant, including projects funded through CAC’s Support for Artists programs and projects co-funded with Neighborhood Connections.  
  8. Organizations currently receiving a Project Support grant of $5,000 or less may be eligible to receive match funds, but only for a project that is different from the CAC grant, per #7 above. 
  9. *Not eligible: Organizations currently receiving a General Operating Support or Project Support grant of more than $5,000 from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture.  
  10. Cuyahoga Arts & Culture reserves the right to determine eligibility for any project. 
  11. Organizations with an annual budget larger than $200,000 are not eligible for this match funding. 
  12. Projects must be arts or cultural by CAC’s definition:  The 
  13. Large organizations or institutions that are not eligible to receive match funding are still encouraged to support projects either as a fiscal sponsor, the donation of space, expertise, networks or other resources.
Examples of potential projects include:
  • Murals on a local school or neighborhood building
  • Temporary or permanent public art installations in a local park
  • Arts fairs and parades
  • Afterschool art classes for youth
  • Community gardening
  • Musical street fairs and affordable/free public concerts
  • A series of nature walks in a local metropark.
  • Summer film screenings in a local plaza or community garden
  • New dance classes offered at the local community center
  • A new mosaic beautifying the entryway to a school or park
  • Outdoor dance performance for the public
  • New event series for local artists to gather to share work and build community
  • Funding for a community gallery or existing arts nonprofit
Funds raised on ioby can be used to cover any cost directly related to your specific project, including:
  • food and other event costs
  • event permitting and insurance fees
  • volunteer rewards such as T-shirts
  • advertising and marketing
  • materials and equipment
  • educator, performer, speaker or intern stipends
  • local travel
  • software and hardware
  • contracted services
  • consultant fees
  • staff salaries and administrative overhead, prorated for the time spent on the project

Want to discuss your project and see if it’s a good fit?

Contact ioby Cleveland: cleveland @ ioby .org

Ineligible Projects and Budgets:

  1. Because all ioby projects must have a public benefit, projects that benefit one specific individual, family, or business are NOT eligible.
  2. Organizations with an annual budget larger than $200,000 are not eligible for this match funding.
  3. Projects involving: political campaigning, lobbying, or contributions to political campaigns are NOT eligible.
  4. Fundraising for a pool of funds to be re-granted to others or used for an unspecified purpose in the future is NOT eligible.
  5. General operating support or funding new staff hires for nonprofits, including nonprofits focused exclusively on arts projects, is NOT eligible.
  6. ioby may determine a project ineligible at any time.
If your project isn’t the right fit for this opportunity, you may still be eligible to fundraise on ioby without matching funds, which will still give you access to our training materials, low-fees, fiscal sponsorship, and one-on-one support from an experienced Leader Success Strategist.