CGO Glossary
Clearing Browser Data - Instructions

FAQs

 FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions

Can more than one person be associated with an Organizational Profile?
Yes, more than one Registered User can be associated with an Organization. This enables multiple Users to work on a grant application.

I am a grant writer working for multiple organizations.  Do I have to register more than once?
Yes, it is recommended that independent grant writers and consultants working with various organizations create separate, unique Usernames that can easily identify each client organization. eg: JoeSymphony, JoeBallet, JoeOpera

Can I use the same password for multiple User Accounts?
Yes.

Do I need to re-register my organization if I submitted an application to the Employment for the Arts in a Struggling Economy (EASE) Grants Program in 2009?
Yes, you will need to register your organization and create an Organizational Profile.

Can I save my work and come back to it later?
Yes, clicking the Save or Save and Continue button at the bottom of the screen allows you to save the information and return to it at a later time. Remember, clicking the Previous or Next buttons do NOT save your work.

Can I change my Organizational Profile’s primary account user?
Please consult Department staff with any questions regarding this function.

Can I print a copy of my application?
Yes, clicking the Print Icon allows you to print a hard copy of your complete application, or individual pages. The Print Icon can be found in the My Form > My Grants table. We strongly recommend that you keep a hard copy of every application form(s) submitted to the Department for your records. 

What is the maximum space allowed for media files?
Currently, CGO allows you to upload up to 50 files, at a maximum of 50 MB per file. Accepted files that may be uploaded in the Portfolio and/or Support Material section are: jpg, jpeg, gif, bmp, png, tif, 3gp, avi, flv, mov, mp4, mpg, rm, wmv, doc, docx, txt, xls, xlsx, ppt, pptx, pdf, aac, mid, midi, mp3, mpa, ra, wav, wma, eps. Below is an online resource that you can use to help convert video resolutions to meet minimum requirements:

Can multiple registered users review and edit an application at once?
Yes, an application can be opened and worked on simultaneously by more than one registered user. Keep in mind that the most recently saved data will overwrite any previously saved data.

Will Department staff continue to provide comments regarding required and/or suggested corrections to my applications?
Yes, Department staff will continue to provide a corrections period (corrections and/or suggestions to your application formset.) Administrative comments will now be available directly through the CGO system via the Comments function. Please refer to your specific program’s guidelines for corrections deadlines.

Can I request access to an application form of another grant program at a later date?
Yes. To request access to an application, log in and open your Organizational Profile and open the Grant Request Forms page and check off the name of the grant program and click Save followed by Submit. Remember, access to grant applications require the program administrator’s approval.

Can I submit hard copies of my support materials for my application package?
No. Please contact your program administrator if you need any assistance in converting your materials to an accepted file form.

Will CGO allow me to include hyperlinks to support materials that may be found online?
Not yet. Hyperlinks to websites, programs, videos, etc. will soon be supported on the CGO system.

Can I make changes to my Organizational Profile?
Yes. We encourage you to periodically update your Organizational Profile, especially when changes have occurred among your personnel. At a minimum, your Organizational Profile should be updated on an annual basis. 

My organization periodically serves as a Fiscal Agent for organizations awaiting tax exempt status from the IRS. How will I know if an organization in need of a fiscal agent has associated their account with mine?
The secondary registered user (i.e. the organization in need of a fiscal agent) must request approval to create an association by the holder of the primary account (i.e. the fiscal agent). The primary account holder can grant access to a secondary account holder by clicking Manage Account, then Manage Users. On this page, CGO will list all requests for associations to your account at which point, access can be granted or denied.   Consult your Grant Administrator for assistance with this association.

Will I need to create an Organizational Profile every year?
No, once you have created an Organizational Profile, the information remains in the CGO system until such time that you request that the Department deactivate the account.

Will panelists be able to view the support materials found in my Organizational Profile?
No. Panelists will only have access to any support materials you include in the file you will create in the Uploads section of your application form. For this reason, it is very important that you name the file exactly as it appears in the instruction section of the application upload page (for example, HCJ Application FY2010-2011, YAM Application FY2010-2011, etc.)

Is there a limit to the number of support documents that I may submit for my grant application?
Yes, each grant program has its own unique set of requirements, including those that pertain to support materials. It is important that you review the instructions carefully. Check with your grant program administrator to review ways in which multiple support materials may be submitted.

Is there a preferred internet browser that works best with CGO Miami?
We recommend downloading Mozilla's Firefox (http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/personal.html), Safari (http://www.apple.com/safari/) or Google Chrome (http://www.google.com/chrome) - all free internet browsers which work great with the CGO Miami system.

I signed in with my Culture Grants Online (CGO) Miami username and password but the grant applicant is not available to me. How do I begin the application?
Applications will be made available to users following the completion of the Organizational / Individual Profile. The last step of Profile completion is a Grant Application Request. Once approved by a grant administrator, the requested application will be available to the user.

Can I move back and forth within the application?
Yes, applications can be saved at any point. Simply click the “Save and Continue” or “Save” button at the bottom of the page to save entered content. You may return to the application at any time to continue work.  The application will not be submitted for review until all required fields are completed and the “Submit” button is clicked.

Can I save my work and return to it later?
For security reasons, the web page will time out after 20 minutes of inactivity. To prevent any loss of information, click “Save and Continue” on the bottom of the form.

How do I make changes to my grant form? How do I submit it? Who do I contact if I have a question or want to make a change?
Simply sign in and select the corresponding form. Once the grant form is completed, click the “Submit” button; an email receipt with time/date stamp will be sent to the user account email. It’s a good idea to print this confirmation email and keep it with your records. Once the grant form has been submitted, it cannot be changed. All questions or concerns should be directed to the grant program administrator.

How are grant forms evaluated and/or reviewed? When will I hear about a decision?
Each program has specific criteria, described in the guidelines, against which applications are measured. A panel of independent community citizens determine how well the application meets the funding criteria. Please check the program guidelines and speak with your program's administrator for more information.

Can I copy and paste my responses into the form?
You may compose your answers in another word processing program like Microsoft Word, but we strongly recommend first transferring this text into a text-only utility like Notepad before pasting it into the grant form. This will delete hidden formatting like website links and insure the proper capture of your text.

Can my organization apply to more than one grant program?
Yes, but restrictions apply. Please consult the Department’s Program Crossover Chart. Successful applicants to any of the Department’s programs are restricted from applying to another Department program to request funding for the same project in the same funding year, with the exception of the Tourist Development Council Grants Program (TDC) and the International Cultural Exchange Grants Program (ICE).

How can I obtain a grant application?
Electronic versions of the grant applications through this website. If you need assistance, please contact the appropriate grant program administrator listed on the Help page.

How do I get my event(s) listed in the Calendar of Events?
The Greater Miami and the Beaches Calendar of Events is a joint project of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs. To have your activities listed, all you need to do is to email your event information/schedule to: calendar@MiamiandBeaches.com. Please be certain to include the following information:

1. Name (title) of event Date(s) of event
2. Location of event
3. Phone number for event information
4. Description of event (25 words or less)
5. Website address providing event information (if applicable)

A published version of the Calendar is produced twice each year (covering the periods April-October and November-March, respectively). The deadline for inclusion in the printed version closes 8 weeks in advance of the issue/coverage dates. Listings in the online calendar are maintained on a continuous basis.

If you need additional information or assistance, please call Carolyn Keating at 305-539-3058 or email calendar@MiamiandBeaches.com.

Is my organization eligible for a grant?
To be eligible to apply, an organization must be legally incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation, with a designated tax exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code (IRS), or a unit of local government. You can submit your application to become a non-profit corporation in Florida online at the Florida Division of Corporations website. Proof of incorporation and IRS tax exempt designation is required at the time of application and will be verified through GuideStar, the national database of U.S. charitable organizations, which gathers and distributes data on more than 850,000 IRS-recognized nonprofits. Applications from not-for-profit organizations designated tax exempt under other subsections of 501(c) are considered in some programs on a case-by-case basis. In some cases, individuals and unincorporated groups may apply for program grants under the fiscal agency sponsorship of an eligible not-for-profit, tax exempt organization as specified in the guidelines of the program.

What types of grants are available from Miami-Dade County Cultural Affairs?
The Department of Cultural Affairs directly serves individual artists and cultural organizations Miami-Dade County through a competitive grants programs. Each grant program is designed to address specific areas of cultural development ranging from the renovation of neighborhood cultural facilities to the support of exemplary programs by the community's largest non-profit cultural organizations. Program guidelines are available in the Organizations section of this website. All potential applicants are required to meet with a grants program administrator prior to submission of an application. Some programs require workshop attendance by potential applicants.

 Individual Artist FAQs

Can I apply to local and regional grant programs as well as programs through the State?
Yes. Since Miami-Dade County, the South Florida Cultural Consortium and the State of Florida Division of Cultural Affairs are separate entities, there are no restrictions to applying to programs from all three sources.

Can the Department provide funding for my art project?
The Department’s grants to artists are not project-specific. Artists seeking grant funds for a cultural activity, i.e., a theatrical production, may submit an application to the Community Grants Program under the fiscal agency sponsorship of an eligible, non-profit, tax-exempt organization. For further information, please contact grants administrator Dana Pezoldt at 305-375-2161 or danap@miamidade.gov.

Do you provide assistance in completing any of the artist-related applications?
Workshops for the South Florida Cultural Consortium Fellowships for Visual and Media Artists are provided every cycle in four counties. Please visit the Individual Artists page for more information.

Do you provide grants to artists?
The Department provides five grant programs to address the needs of Miami-Dade County-based artists. The South Florida Cultural Consortium Fellowship for Visual and Media Artists grants $15,000 and $7,500 awards to resident visual and media artists. Dance Miami Choreographer’s Fellowships awards three $5,000 grants to nurture the development of local choreographers. The Playwrights Development Program provides local playwrights with opportunities to develop new work in tandem with such master playwrights as Nilo Cruz and A.R. Gurney. Artist Access provides mini-grants of up to $750 for artists to take advantage of professional development opportunities. The Creative Capital Professional Development Program, presented in conjunction with the Creative Capital Foundation of New York, is a new program structured to address the professional development needs of individual artists originating works in the dance, theater, music, literature and the visual arts.

The Artist Enhancement Grants Program provides $500, $750 and $1,000 grants to assist practicing, professional and emerging visual and performing artists residing in Florida. Support is directed to specific, professional development, skill-building opportunities to advance work and careers. Contact the State of Florida Division of Cultural Affairs at 850-245-6470 or go online to www.florida-arts.org.

Additional grants to individual artists are also available through the State of Florida’s Division of Cultural Affairs.

In addition, the Filmmakers’ Workshop provides professional development opportunities for screenwriters and filmmakers in a workshop/lab format in conjunction with Miami Light Project’s “Here and Now Festival.” For further information, contact Miami Light Project at 305-576-4350.

Workshops for professional actors are available for a nominal cost in conjunction with the Theatre League of South Florida. Contact 305-375-5019 for more information.


If I win a Choreographer’s or Visual/Media Artist’s fellowship, when can I expect payment of my grant?
Receipt of grant checks can be anticipated approximately four months after the artist receiving notification of the grant award.

What are the deadlines for the artist-related grant programs?
Dealines for all of our grants programs can be found in the Individual Artists section of this website.

When are recipients announced for the South Florida Cultural Consortium Fellowships for Visual and Media Artists?
Recipients are notified by a telephone call every December. Public announcements listing the recipients from all five counties are generally released in January-February.