Civic Lubbock Inc. (CLI) is a 501(c)(3) established in 1956. Their mission is to foster and promote cultural, educational, and entertainment activities, to include the visual and performing arts, for the citizens of Lubbock and the surrounding communities. CLI and the City of Lubbock continued their 67-year partnership by entering into a license agreement in July 2023. The agreement defines the relationship between the City and CLI. The Lubbock City Council is responsible for appointing the CLI Board of Directors.
As part of this license agreement, CLI administers an allocation of the Hotel Occupancy Tax that is used to underwrite local visual and performing arts programs. The Cultural Arts Grant Program (CAGP) is funded through a portion of the Hotel Occupancy Tax allocation and those funds are used in making grant awards to local established non-profit organizations, for the encouragement, advancement, improvement, and application of the arts and the promotion of tourism in the Lubbock community.
The total allocation paid to CLI for the 2024 Program was $578,145.04, which represents 5.92120% of the hotel/motel tax collected at the end of FY 2022-23. Of that allocation, the following amounts have been deducted: 10% ($57,814.50) for the Public Art Program and ($11,800.00) for the 2024 Airport Arts Program. This leaves $508,530.54 available for the 2024 Cultural Arts Grant Program. In addition, interest of $40,218.64 from prior year and current year funds, unused grant funds of $890, and a carry-over of $0.62 from 2023 funds provides a total of $549,639.80 available for this annual cycle of Cultural Arts grants. CLI elected to absorb all administrative expenses incurred for administering this program. Therefore, the entire amount available for the 2024 CAGP is $549,639.80.
A Grant Workshop was held on May 2, 2024, for first-time applicants wishing to apply for a Cultural Arts Grant. Thirty (30) applications were received by the June 1, 2024 deadline. The CAGP Review Committee and the CLI Board recommended full or partial funding for all thirty (30) applicants.
The CLI Board of Directors approved the grant award recommendations at their June 26, 2024 meeting. These recommendations are now being presented to the City Council for approval.
The CLI Board of Directors are requesting City Council approval of $549,639.00 in grant awards for the 2024 CAGP.
All applicants recommended for grant awards are in good standing with the City of Lubbock and CLI. |
