The Kentucky Touring (KYT) Grant is a matching grant that helps make quality public performances available to the people of the commonwealth. This program provides presenters with support to book performers from the Kentucky Arts Council’s Performing Artists Directory. 

Performances supported by this grant must: 

• Feature at least one artist, group or ensemble from the Kentucky Arts Council’s Performing Artists Directory 

• Last a minimum of 60 minutes 

• Be open and marketed to the public and dedicated to serving a wide audience. (This requirement may not apply to organizations with residential populations) 

• Include a well-defined target audience  

• Present the Performing Artists Directory artist as the primary performer and not as a backup performer or support for other performers 

• Follow all local, state and federal safety protocols in effect at the time of the performance 

In addition: 

• Performances at schools must be presented after school hours and target a community audience. (Schools looking for student assembly programs should consider applying for a Teaching Arts Together grant.)  

• Performances supported by this grant may not be used to proselytize or for political or fundraising purposes.  

• Grant-funded events must be accessible to audience members and performers with disabilities. For the purpose of these guidelines, accessibility relates to the performance and the facility. In addition to physical access (accessible doors, parking, box office, restrooms, seating, etc.), communications and programmatic accessibility are required. The National Endowment for the Arts has resources to assist organizations increase accessibility. 

• Funding may be used for a single performance or for performances that are a part of a festival, performance series, or season. 

• Funded performance engagements may include outreach activities such as a master class for local performers, a workshop for community members, a 45-minute mini-performance for a community partner like a community center or nursing home, a Q&A with the performer, director, or choreographer, etc.   

• Applicants must upload a signed agreement with each performer. The agreement must include artist name; fee; performance date, time, and location; load-in/load-out times; and, if appropriate, a description of outreach activities, outreach location, date, and time, etc. When applying for multiple performances, create a PDF of all agreements and upload them to the application as one document. Acceptable agreement forms may be an Intent to Perform Agreement, a Letter of Agreement, or a Contract furnished by either the artist or the applicant. All agreements must be signed by the performer and the applicant.

Eligible applications will be reviewed using the following performance criteria: 

Serving the audience (30 points) 

• Applicant considers interests and needs of audiences 

• Applicant clearly states goals and desired outcomes  

• Applicant selects performer appropriate to stated goals and outcomes 

Marketing/promotion (20 points)
(Residential facilities are exempt from these criteria.) 

• Applicant demonstrates marketing and promotion experience.

• Marketing and promotion plan is appropriate for the performance(s) of the selected artist(s). 

Presentation/evaluation (30 points)  

• Applicant’s presentation plan ensures a successful presentation. 

• Applicant’s evaluation plan ensures impact of its goals and outcomes.  

• Intent to Perform Agreement, Letter of Agreement, or Artist Contract is complete and signed by both parties. 

Inclusion (20 points)
(Residential facilities are exempt from the second half of these criteria—contact the program director for clarification.) 

• Applicant demonstrates a variety of accessibility options for artists and audiences 

• Applicant includes a plan to ensure diversity in programming and audiences 

The Kentucky Arts Council program director will be available to answer questions about the program and the GO Smart application during regular office hours. In addition, the program director will offer scheduled Zoom office hours and an application webinar. Applicants who have not previously applied to the Kentucky Arts Council are strongly encouraged to contact the program director or attend an application webinar.  

Nonprofit organizations with annual budgets under $1,000,000, including arts organizations; public libraries; schools; cooperative extension offices; social service agencies; community-based organizations; college, university or public school-based nonprofit presenting arts organizations with discrete budgets; nonprofit institutions with residential populations such as assisted living and nursing homes, hospitals, youth and adult jails and detention centers, group and supportive living facilities, homeless and domestic violence shelters, etc.; and Kentucky state and city parks. 

The Kentucky Arts Council encourages applications from a variety of eligible organizations including: 

• Organizations serving marginalized and vulnerable populations, such as those whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by ethnicity, economics, geography or disability 

• Organizations from rural and urban communities 

• Organizations that may be applying for Kentucky Arts Council support for the first time 

In addition: 

• Applicants must have existing IRS tax-exempt status at the time of application and must retain that status throughout the grant period. Government agencies and programs must provide proof of government status. 

• Applicant organizations must be legally chartered in Kentucky, have their headquarters in Kentucky and hold their primary activities in Kentucky.  

The Kentucky Touring Grant is a matching grant. Applicants may request up to $5,000 for artist fees, marketing and promotion. Funding may be used only for performers who have juried into the Performing Artist Directory. Grantees must match at least 25% of the requested award with cash from other grants, donations, ticket sales, sponsorships, etc. The remaining match may be secured with in-kind goods and services.  

For example: 

Kentucky Touring Request: $5,000 

Matching Income:  

• • $500 ticket sales 
  • $1,500 grant from the city 
  • $500 donations 
  • $500 sponsorship from local business 
  • $1,500 in-kind from local media for radio/television/newspaper advertising 
  • $250 in-kind from local printer for advertising posters/programs 
  • $250 in-kind volunteer time (indicate the # of hours worked by the # of volunteers @ an appropriate hourly rate)

Total Budget: $10,000

NOTE: Applicant’s total budget may exceed the request + match, though the applicant is responsible for raising any additional funding required and must reflect that amount in the application budget. Do not include any performances, activities, etc., outside of those as a result of working with the Performing Artists Directory performer(s). 

Kentucky Touring Grant funds may not be used for: 

• Expenses other than approved performer fees and performance marketing and promotion 

• Performers not included in the Performing Artists Directory 

• Fee support for performing artists who are also the applicant organization (e.g., a producing theater organization cannot use grant funding to present a performance by its own company members, an orchestra cannot use grant funding to present performances by orchestra members, etc.) 

• Performances taking place outside of Kentucky 

• Performances that are commercial in nature or in which the arts are not a primary focus (e.g., sidewalk sales, food festivals, fireworks displays, etc.) 

• Performances used to proselytize or for political or fundraising purposes 

• Performances in which the Directory artist is not the primary focus  

• Performances that are not open to the public (this restriction is not applicable to institutions serving resident populations) 

• Performances taking place outside of the grant period (July 1, 2024-June 30, 2026) 

Applicants with past due final reports for any Kentucky Arts Council grant are ineligible. 

Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN or EIN)  

All nonprofit applicants must provide their Internal Revenue Service (IRS) determination of nonprofit status letter. The applicant’s FEIN number must be noted on the letter. Government agencies must provide appropriate documentation of nonprofit status that includes the FEIN number.  

Unique Entity ID (UEI) Number 

The Kentucky Touring program uses funding provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, which requires that each applicant register for a free UEI number. To learn more and register for a UEI number, use this portal. Applicants that do not currently have a UEI should apply for one as soon as possible to receive the number before the application deadline.  

Kentucky Vendor Number 

All applicants must be registered with the Kentucky Finance Department’s Kentucky Vendor Registration System at the time of application. To register for a free Kentucky Vendor Number, access the Kentucky Vendor Self-Service Registration portal. 

Applications are due no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern on Saturday, March 15, 2025. The application may take several minutes to submit, and applicants are strongly advised to submit early. The Kentucky Arts Council is open 8:30-4:30 p.m. Eastern, Monday-Friday. Staff will not be available to assist you outside of these hours. 

Following the deadline, each application will be reviewed by the program director, who may contact the applicant if clarification is needed.  

How Funding Decisions Are Made  

A panel of arts professionals with relevant experience will review all applications according to the review criteria. The panel’s recommendations will be forwarded to the Kentucky Arts Council’s governing board for final decisions. 

Grant Agreement Forms 

Applicant organizations that receive a favorable recommendation enter into a legal agreement with the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Agreements cannot be altered without prior approval from the Kentucky Arts Council. Grantees are required to promptly notify the arts council in writing of any changes in their grant activity. Grantees that do not notify the arts council about changes before they file a final report will jeopardize future funding.  

FY2025 Kentucky Touring Grant funds must be used between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026. Expenses incurred outside of the grant period are not eligible and must not be included in the budget. Grant agreement forms must be signed and returned within 30 days of receipt. Grant agreement forms received later than 30 days will cause a delay of payment or forfeiture of funding. Grant award material will be sent in an email through DocuSign. To ensure you receive DocuSign emails, please whitelist the address, [email protected], in your email program.  

Grantees are advised to save a copy of the grant agreement form for their files. 

Affirmative Duty to Report Major Organizational Change 

All grantees must promptly notify the Kentucky Arts Council in writing of any significant changes that could affect services provided under the grant contract, including changes to the organization’s nonprofit status, leadership or the physical or mailing address, phone number or email address. 

Crediting Requirement 

Grantees are required to clearly acknowledge support from the Kentucky Arts Council in their programs and related promotional material including publications and websites by including the KAC logo and acknowledgement line. All acknowledgements, including curtain speeches, must clearly indicate that funds from the Kentucky Arts Council were provided for the presentation of the specified performer(s).  

In addition, KYT Grant recipients are responsible for contacting their legislators to share information about the award and the importance of public funds to the arts and to the applicant organization. Copies of each letter must be sent to the Kentucky Arts Council by email or U.S. Post no later than Aug. 30, 2025. To locate names and contact information for your legislators visit the Legislative Research Commission’s Find Your Legislator webpage. A sample letter is available on the Kentucky Arts Council website.  

Final Reports  

Kentucky Arts Council grantees must submit a final report within 30 days of completion of the grant period. The final report may be accessed through the online grant system. 

If a grantee fails to submit the required final report for any grant, the arts council will accept no future applications from the grantee organization until an acceptable final report is received. In addition, any grant money payable to the organization will be held until after the required final report is submitted. 

Information from final reports will be used to meet the Kentucky Arts Council’s reporting requirements to the National Endowment for the Arts. 

Accessing the Application  

Applications for this program are made through the Kentucky Arts Council GO Smart online grants management system.

Do not use all CAPITAL or italic letters. 

Late applications will not be accepted. Ineligible and incomplete applications will not be reviewed. 

Submission of the application indicates that you have read and understand all guidelines and application instructions but does not guarantee eligibility or that all guideline requirements have been met. The Kentucky Arts Council strongly advises applicants to review all guidelines and instructions included in this document. 

Applicants new to the GO Smart application system must create a profile, including a username and password, for use whenever the account is accessed. The Kentucky Arts Council does not maintain username and password information. If you forget or lose your username or password, open the application, click on Login and use the prompt to reset your login information. Do not create multiple profiles. 

The GO Smart profile page requires the applicant organization’s congressional district number and state legislative district numbers.  

CREATING OR UPDATE YOUR PROFILE

Select Organization as Profile Type. 

Enter your first and last name as required, as well as your phone number and email address. Then create your username and password. Make a note of these as the Kentucky Arts Council does not maintain application login information and you will need it each time you login. 

APPLICANT INFORMATION 

Enter your organization’s legal name (as noted on your IRS determination letter), FEIN, address and other required information.  

To determine district numbers, contact your county clerk’s office or go to https://legislature.ky.gov/Pages/index.aspx. Find your congressional district by going to https://www.house.gov and entering a ZIP code and, when prompted, a street address. 

Click the CAPTCHA box next to “I am not a robot” and then submit.

You may now access the application by selecting the “Current Programs and Applications” tab. Find “Kentucky Touring 2026” and click “START.” 

Before moving from one page of the application to another, always click the “Save Work” button at the bottom of the page or your work will be lost. 

Page 1: ORGANIZATION INFORMATION 

Organization legal name

Include the Organization’s legal name as it appears on the IRS determination of nonprofit status letter and all legal documents such as tax and insurance forms. 

Authorizing Grant Contact

Include information for the person responsible for running the organization—typically the executive director, president or CEO. In smaller organizations with few or no staff, this may be the board chair. This person will receive the award letter and the grant agreement form through DocuSign. 

Grant Contact

Include information for the person who wrote and can answer applications about the grant, if different from the Authorizing Grant Contact. 

Page 2: NEA QUESTIONS 

The National Endowment for the Arts requires that the Kentucky Arts Council collect this information for reporting purposes. Other than the amount requested, all information is estimated for your upcoming season. While required, this page is not scored by the review panel.   

Page 3: PRESENTATION 

Name the selected performer(s) and performance date(s). With the performer in mind, respond to the prompts from the scoring criteria. (Note: If requesting funding for more than one performer, respond first with information for the first performer. A new section will open for each additional performer.) 

Page 4: INCLUSION 

Explain your approach to accessibility including physical access to the venue, accessibility aids available to audiences and artists, and accessibility in your marketing and promotion. In addition, explain how you will achieve diversity within your audience, staff and performers. 

Page 5: BUDGET 

Present your overall budget for the presentation of all requested performers. Include your KAC request and matching funds.  

Page 7: SIGNATURE 

Complete the application by attaching your e-signature. 

Page 8: SUBMIT 

Submit your application by clicking the SUBMIT button. GO Smart will re-direct to a page saying that your application has been submitted and you will receive an email confirming that it was received. If you do not see the GO Smart message or receive the email confirmation, contact the program director immediately. If the program director is unavailable, leave a message or send an email that documents your contact with the office about the issue.

Zoom application webinars: Wednesdays, Feb. 6 | March 6, 3-4 p.m. Eastern.

Registration required: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUrcu2sqD4qE9d9RGvTk200Reztpkte-EKA.