Yesterday afternoon, the PCA sent the email communication below to grant awardee organizations. I have sought further information on it, which I don't anticipate receiving answers to until after the holiday weekend. Here are my initial takeaways:

 - It appears to reinforce that organizations will not be receiving their grants in the amounts originally promised.
 - The PA Legislature will not be appropriating supplemental funds to the PCA budget to complement the money allocated by the NEA through the CARES Act.

In material terms, this means that the Commonwealth's match of funds to the PCA, which was already appropriated and budgeted for FY2019-20, remains frozen and unavailable, or in effect, revoked. Therefore, the Commonwealth is still reneging on its promised funds to our nonprofit arts & culture orgs. And our work continues.

Please stay tuned for further updates on this development. I welcome all your ideas about how to continue advancing this issue. And please don't stop sharing the petition, or contacting Governor Wolf, your Rep, and your Senator!

Best wishes for the holiday weekend to you all.

PCA EMAIL DATED 05/22/2020:

We write to let you know that your organization is eligible for the PA COVID-19 NEA Grants to the Arts funding opportunity.
This opportunity is open to all 19-20 AOAP track awardees.

ABOUT CARES ACT NEA GRANTS TO THE ARTS
Through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA) received $527,000, via the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), to distribute to Pennsylvania arts organizations and programs affected by the spread of COVID-19.

Through this program, the PCA will award one-time grant support to all eligible applicants that submit timely and complete applications and are able to meet the grant and federal reporting requirements.

PERMISSABLE USES OF THESE FUNDS
PA COVID-19 NEA Grants to the Arts funds will be non-matching.
Uses of funds will be limited to ongoing operational expenses between July 1, 2020-December 31, 2020, including:

Salary support (full or partial) for one or more positions that are critical to an organization’s artistic mission.
Fees for artists and/or contractual personnel to maintain or expand the period during which such persons would be engaged.
Facilities costs, such as rent and utilities.

ESTIMATED GRANT AMOUNTS

All eligible organizations that submit complete applications by 5 p.m. EST, June 12, 2020, and comply with eligibility criteria will receive funding.
Grant amounts will be determined based on the number of eligible and complete applications received.
Based on available funds, the PCA anticipates that grant amounts will range between $1,500 and $3,000.

NEXT STEPS
As of Thursday morning, May 28, you can begin accessing the COVID-19 Grants to the Arts guidelines and application at arts.pa.gov.

The PCA will send another email reminder next week, but we wanted to give you as much advance notification as possible. The application is streamlined and we anticipate that it will not take long to complete.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: June 12, 2020 at 5 p.m. EST.

The PCA staff wishes you a healthy and safe Memorial Day weekend.