Trust Cultural Development grant applications are due this Thursday, May 15, at 5pm and, as many cultural nonprofits put finishing touches on their proposals, others are asking, “What’s next?”

The process of reviewing, evaluating, scoring and recommending proposed Trust Cultural Development grant projects will take place over the next two months and culminates in final approval by the Cultural Trust Board at its July 17 meeting.

Prior to that, staff and five independent subject expert panels will be busy reading, meeting, discussing, and ultimately ranking applications in the four categories supported by the Trust’s Cultural Development Grant program: creativity, capacity, access and preservation.

After staff organizes the online applications, panelists will have three weeks to read, review and individually score the proposals in their category.

Panel meetings are scheduled in Salem, at 775 Summer St. NE, 97301, Conference  Room 201.

Creativity:  Tuesday, June 24, 8:30am-4pm

Capacity: Thursday, June 26, 8:30am-4pm

Access: Wednesday, July 9, 8:30am-4pm

Preservation: Friday, July 11, 8:30am-4pm

During those meetings, panelists will discuss the applications and score them collectively, moving the high-ranking proposals forward in the competitive process. These meetings are open to the public and can be accessed by attending the meeting in person or by webinar connection.  Information on how to access the webinar connection will be made public in advance of each panel meeting. Proposers are encouraged to attend the meetings, but will not be able to speak about their applications unless the panel asks a direct question.

After all panels have met, the Trust will convene a “Super Panel” of board members and statewide cultural partners, who will review the top ranking proposals in each category to make final recommendations to the Board, based on available funding.  After final recommendations are approved by the Trust Board on July 17, grant awards will be announced by the last week of July.

For more information, please call 503-986-0088 or email shannon.planchon@biz.state.or.us