MINI GRANTS	Mini grants are designed for arts and community groups whose desired funding totals $2,000 or less. Mini grants may be requested for Arts Projects and/or Technical Assistance for arts groups. Mini grants are also suggested for first time applicants whether arts groups, municipal groups or community organizations.
SPECIAL PROJECT GRANTS	Special Project Grants are available for non-recurring arts projects that hire professional New Jersey artists and take place in Middlesex County. Established and emerging arts groups or municipal commissions may apply, if they are based in the County and have a record of artistic excellence on a local level. Although individual artists are not permitted to apply in any category, the Commission encourages grant-funded groups to develop project components that assist the individual, professional artist. We offer additional funding, called Artistic Innovation, when the project will result in the creation of new works.
GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT (GOS)	Also called GOS, these grants are designed only for the more established, professionally managed, not-for-profit group, which is in existence exclusively for the purpose of the arts. Here the Commission supports, in part, the entire mission of an arts organization, based and functioning in our County, at a level up to 20% of the applicant’s total previous year's cash income.
SPECIAL INITIATIVES	This year, a Cultural Tourism Initiative has been designed as a pilot project, to encourage eligible arts groups to enhance marketing and promotional efforts. The Commission looks for innovative partnerships with local businesses, when they will encourage new audiences from regions other than Middlesex County. These funds are available to Special Projects applicants only.
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA)	All persons should have the opportunity to participate in the arts. Therefore, compliance is mandatory to all grant applications. ADA prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities. Existing facilities are required to remove barriers where it is "readily achievable" to do so, and ADA compliance requires programmatic access to persons with disabilities.
	Open Studio The Arts Online This web page has been made possible through a generous grant from the Benton Foundation and National Endowment for the Arts. The Benton Foundation has funded similar sites throughout the country, with each providing high quality, up to date information, on arts resources, nationwide. Just click here for your link to the arts community on the World Wide Web. - The Arts Online. Open Studio and the Cultural and Heritage Commission have created a public access site where anyone may surf the net, using a publicly accessible computer and software. Commission staff will help you navigate. We’ll show you how to locate arts and history web sites, folk arts and museum collections online, preservation and archaeological resources on the Internet. Installed in the reading room of East Jersey Olde Towne Village, the public access computer is available at the Village - Monday through Friday 9:00 am to 3:00 pm and every Sunday 1:00 pm to 3:00pm. Please be sure to read and follow the published policies for access to the computer.
E-mail	Want to know more, email us to receive a copy of the grant guidelines for 1998-99 or to be placed on the mailing list for next years guidelines, technical assistance workshop flyers and more, or contact us by phone or letter.