Clarence E. Beyers was a long time violist in the Erie Philharmonic and a shy philanthropist with a passion for music and the arts. Beyers generously funded arts and educational groups in the Erie area and helped talented Erie students obtain professional training at nationally recognized institutions.
Non-profit arts organizations in Erie County that present music performances are eligible to apply to the Clarence E. Beyers Fund for partial project and program funding. Applications will be accepted three times per calendar year. Requests that support innovative projects and/or audience development initiatives are especially competitive.
It was the wish of Clarence Beyers to support projects that promote the highest quality of musical performances in Erie County. Erie Arts & Culture intends to fund projects of all musical genres that exemplify one of more of the following principles of artistic quality:
Grants are awarded through a competitive application process. Projects that align with at least one of Erie Arts & Culture’s strategic priorities will be prioritized:
Erie Arts & Culture will only consider applications and projects that are grounded in commitment to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA).
Note: No awards will be made to individuals or in support of capital expenditures
Applications will be accepted three times per calendar year. Application portals will open on October 1, February 1, and May 1.
Grant award amounts are determined by the total amount of grant funding available, the number of applications received, and the quality of applications received. Award amounts will take into consideration the total project budget, amount of funding raised, and the amount of funding to be raised.
The Beyers Fund strictly supports music performance projects in Erie County. This means grant funds should not be requested in support of recurring programs or capital improvement projects. Projects seeking funding shall meet the following requirements explicitly:
*Blues and Jazz photography by Luis Carlos Garcia.
Hybrid virtual and in-person information session is scheduled for March 2nd at 6pm.
“You speak, I write” approach will be available for applicants who request assistance.
Project (50 points)
Impact (25 points)
Stakeholders (25 points)
All applications will be reviewed by Erie Arts & Culture staff for eligibility. Staff will conduct a preliminary review using an objective checklist to ensure eligibility, and eligible applicants will be forwarded to Erie Arts & Culture’s Programming Committee for review. The Programs Committee will present final grantee recommendations to the Board of Directors for approval.
In lieu of written reports, Erie Arts & Culture staff will host a brief interim check-in call with grantees. In addition to tracking progress towards grant goals, these calls will help Erie Arts & Culture identify grantees’ needs outside of funding, and determine what approach, if any, Erie Arts & Culture can take to help see these needs met. At the end of the 12 month grant cycle, small peer groups (assembled based on common feedback from interim calls) will meet and discuss their projects in a round table, oral report.
Please contact Casey Corritore, Program Officer of Capacity Building: [email protected].