Please complete your organization’s Cultural Data Profile through the California Cultural Data Project (California CDP), or, if you have already begun using the California CDP, ensure that you have completed a Cultural Data Profile for each of your two most recently-completed fiscal years. Go to www.caculturaldata.org to enter your Cultural Data Profile.

Background: The California CDP is an online system for collecting and standardizing historical financial and organizational data about arts and culture organizations. The project is a collaboration of nearly 30 public and private funders across California, most of which will soon require arts and culture organizations to complete a Cultural Data Profile as part of their funding application processes.

The California CDP will provide an unparalleled basis for analysis and reporting on the impact, assets and needs of the state’s cultural community. This powerful tool will enable arts and culture organizations to benchmark their progress and streamline the grant application process, and it will better equip advocates to make the case for arts and culture.

You will only need to complete a Cultural Data Profile once each fiscal year in order to apply to any of the participating funders.

Other important details

• Process: Instructions on how to complete a Cultural Data Profile are at www.caculturaldata.org. You will be asked to register with the site and to provide two years of financial and organizational data by completing a Cultural Data Profile for each of your two most recently completed fiscal years. (In subsequent years, groups will only need to provide the most current year of data.) You also will have access to online training and can get support from the California CDP Help Desk during regular business hours.
• Generate Funder Report: Once you have completed your Cultural Data Profile, you will need to generate your Funder Report for the Creative Connections Fund, accessible via the Funder Reports link on the Data Profile Manager page of the California CDP. All applicable information from the Cultural Data Profile will be displayed in the Funder Report, which will be generated as a PDF. You must save a copy of the PDF of the report to submit with your complete application through Irvine’s online system. You do not need to send a hard copy of this report to Irvine. You will be able to print a copy of the report for your files.
• Time required: Plan to spend 10 to 15 hours completing your first Cultural Data Profile. We recommend that you complete the profile as soon as you have decided to apply to the Creative Connections Fund. We will not be able to extend the August 1st application deadline to give you extra time to complete the Cultural Data Profile.
• Help: If you have questions about any aspect of the Cultural Data Project, please contact:
  
  California CDP Help Desk
  Toll Free: 1-866-9-CALCDP
  Email: help@caculturaldata.org
  The California CDP Help Desk is available Monday – Friday from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time.

California CDP Web site: http://www.caculturaldata.org