Douglas County CARES Arts, Culture and Entertainment Program

The closures and shut-downs resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic have significantly impacted the arts, culture, and entertainment sector. This sector provides significant economic impact to the community, attracting out-of-town visitors who stay in hotels and providing performances or exhibitions that provide jobs and generate restaurant and parking revenues. This sector also hires local and national artists and performers who have been out of work since March.

In order to safely re-open Douglas County’s arts, culture, and entertainment facilities, additional funding will be required to ensure that these facilities mitigate the risk of transmission to audiences, artists, and facility personnel. Funding is also needed to market and promote the re-opening of these public facilities to include efforts to safely operate the facilities in the midst of this unprecedented pandemic.

$20 million in CARES Act funding is available, with $10 million allocated for arts, culture, and entertainment organizations in Douglas County.

The funding for this program comes from $166 million in federal Coronavirus Relief Funds awarded to Douglas County as part of the federal CARES Act. Douglas County has contracted with the Omaha Community Foundation to assist in developing and administering this grant program on behalf of the county, consistent with federal and state requirements. Applications for the CARES Act Grant Funding closed on September 23, 2020.

CARES Act Funding awards were distributed in November and December 2020.

To see the complete list of organizations who received funding CLICK HERE.