Youth working on a car in a LeMay – America's Car Museum STEM class

How to Manage Your Tacoma Creates Contract

We encourage you to read through the following information to ensure a successful contracting relationship between your organization and the City of Tacoma. This section will guide you through the various steps and tasks you will need to do throughout the funding year.

Click on the section titles below for more information. If you need any clarity on the following information, please reach out to Tacoma Creates staff.

Getting Started ⇩

After your organization is approved for funding, the City of Tacoma requires your organization to sign a contract for services which lays out the funding your organization will receive and the public benefit deliverables that your organization will provide.

What is a Contract for Services?

A contract for services outlines specific deliverables that your organization will provide to people in Tacoma. In the case of Tacoma Creates funding, your deliverables are cultural services – the general public programs and/or youth education programs that your organization will develop, produce, and present. Funding will be broken into multiple payment phases spread out over the term of the contract. Organizations will receive final payment after all services outlined in the contract have been provided. Your organization should be prepared to cover the costs of your programming in the meantime.

What you need:

City of Tacoma Business License : All Tacoma Creates funded organizations must have a City of Tacoma business license. This includes organizations applying with a fiscal sponsor; the organization producing the work in Tacoma must have a City business license that is separate from the fiscal sponsor. Please reference this document for Business License assistance.
Required Insurance : All Tacoma Creates funded organizations are required to provide a Certificate of Insurance, naming the “City of Tacoma” as Additional Insured and showing verification of Commercial General Liability insurance, as well as Additional Insured, Waiver of Subrogation, and Primary and Non-Contributory. Organizations may also be required to carry other types of insurance. The exact insurance requirements will be determined based on the type of programming your organization offers and the audience you will be serving. Please read through the City of Tacoma’s insurance requirements to learn more. Possible insurances include:
- Abuse & Molestation
- Commercial Automobile Liability
- Marine General Liability
- Employer’s Liability
- Workers Compensation
Setting Up in Ariba: The City of Tacoma contracts with organizations electronically through a system called Ariba. If your organization has not contracted with the City of Tacoma recently, you will be required to set up an account in Ariba before the City can issue a contract to you. If your organization is fiscally sponsored, then the Fiscal Sponsor is the entity that must be registered in Ariba. View the instructions here.

Keeping Track of Your Information

Tacoma Creates staff will regularly communicate important information to your organization’s primary contact via email. We encourage organizations to keep all of their Tacoma Creates funding information, including signed contracts, relevant emails, and deadline dates, in one place. This will allow you to easily reference these items over the life of your contract.

About Submittable

Tacoma Creates uses the Submittable platform for applications, and subsequent follow-up and reporting. Funded organizations are required to submit periodic reports through Submittable, so it is important that you keep your login information handy. We encourage organizations to create a login password for Submittable that is shareable with others within your staff, in order to ensure access to your account.

When Tacoma Creates staff launches a new report form, that form will be linked to your original Tacoma Creates application in Submittable. The staff person at your organization who is the account holder in Submittable will receive a direct link to the report form via email.

If you need to update the Submittable account holder’s email, find the instructions on how to do that here.

If you need help finding a report form in Submittable, click here to learn how.

Receiving Your Funding ⇩

Payments will be made in several installments over the course of the contract period, as outlined in your contract. In general, there is often one payment at the start of the contract period, and then additional payments are made periodically after deliverables, reports, and invoices, as defined in the contract, have been submitted. For some contracts, there may be reports due and payments made every quarter (every three months); for other contracts there may be just one reporting and payment phase after the completion of the funded project.

Invoicing ⇩

In order to receive payment for the work your organization completes, you will need to submit invoices to Tacoma Creates. Most organizations will be asked to attach an invoice to their periodic report forms.

Need assistance in creating a basic invoice? Click here for an invoice example. If your organization is fully transactional in Ariba (most funded organizations are not), you will submit your invoices directly through Ariba.

Funding Acknowledgement ⇩

Funded organizations must acknowledge Tacoma Creates in all appropriate public announcements, programs, advertising, and other forms of notice relating to the funded programming. Organizations must recognize Tacoma Creates funding at all funded public programming, as appropriate for the event type such as website or social media post, printed program, curtain speech, or event signage. You can find the Tacoma Creates logo and logo guide under Resources for Funded Organizations.

Please include the logo on your website as appropriate, with a link to tacomacreates.org.

Spread the Word! ⇩

Tacoma Creates is proud to support your work in arts, culture, heritage, and science – and we want to help promote the good work you’re doing. Below, you can find different ways to get the word out about your funded programming. Help people see how the investment of their tax dollars makes Tacoma a more vibrant and engaging city!

Use the Events Calendar

Take advantage of the Tacoma Creates events calendar and upload your upcoming events to share with the public!

Learn how to upload your event by visiting the Resources for Funded Organizations page.

Social Media

We encourage your organization to share your Tacoma Creates programming on social media. Tag @TacomaCreates on Facebook or Instagram, and use the hashtag #tacomacreates.

Follow the Tacoma Creates social media accounts, and like and share posts where we mention Tacoma Creates funded organizations.

Don’t forget to keep us up to date on the funded programming that your organization is doing. There are opportunities for you to be highlighted on the Tacoma Creates website, and newsletter.

SUPPORT DOCUMENTS ⇩

Here, you will find the list of documents that will support your understanding of your Tacoma Creates contract, and will hopefully help you in navigating the various aspects tied to your contract.

Anatomy of Exhibit A

Communications Toolkit

HOW TO MANAGE YOUR CONTRACTS For Tacoma Creates-funded organizations, we encourage you to read through the following information to ensure a successful contracting relationship between your organization and the City of Tacoma. Click on the section titles below for more information. If you need any clarity on the following information, we encourage you to reach out to Tacoma Creates staff. Getting Started ⇩ If your organization is selected for funding, the City of Tacoma first requires your organization to sign a contract for services, which lays out the funding your organization will receive and the public benefit deliverables that your organization will provide. Contracts must be signed before programming can begin. What is a Contract for Services? A contract for services outlines specific deliverables that your organization will provide to people in Tacoma. Funding will be broken into multiple payment phases spread out over the term of the contract. Organizations will receive final payment after services have been provided. Your organization should be prepared to cover the costs of your programming in the meantime. Keeping Track of Your Information Tacoma Creates staff will regularly communicate important information to your organization’s primary contact via email. We encourage organizations to keep all of their Tacoma Creates funding information, including signed contracts, relevant emails, and deadline dates, in one place. This will allow you to easily reference these items over the life of your contract. Setting Up in Ariba The City of Tacoma contracts with organizations electronically through a system called Ariba. If your organization has not contracted with the City of Tacoma recently, you will be required to set up an account in Ariba before the City can issue a contract to you. View the instructions [here.][1] About Submittable Tacoma Creates uses the [Submittable][2] platform for applications, and subsequent follow-up and reporting. Funded organizations are required to submit periodic reports through Submittable, so it is important that you keep your login information handy. We encourage organizations to create a login password for Submittable that is shareable with others within your staff, in order to ensure access to your account. When Tacoma Creates staff launches a new report form, that form will be linked to your original Tacoma Creates application in Submittable. The staff person at your organization who is the account holder in Submittable will receive a direct link to the report form via email. If you need to update the Submittable account holder’s email, find the instructions on how to do that [here][3]. If you need help finding a report form in Submittable, click [here][4] to learn how. Required Insurance At the time of contracting, all funded organizations must have Commercial General Liability insurance. Organizations may also be required to carry other types of insurance such as:  Abuse & Molestation Commercial Automobile Liability Marine General Liability Employer’s Liability * Workers Compensation The exact insurance requirements will be determined based on the type of programming your organization offers and the audience you will be serving. Please read through the [City of Tacoma’s insurance requirements][5] to learn more. Receiving Your Funding Payments will be made in several installments over the course of the contract period, as outlined in your contract. In general, there is often one payment at the start of the contract period, and then additional payments are made periodically after deliverables, reports, and invoices, as defined in the contract, have been submitted. For some contracts, there may be reports due and payments made every quarter (every three months); for other contracts there may be just one reporting and payment phase after the completion of the funded project. Invoicing In order to receive payment for the work your organization completes, you will need to submit invoices to Tacoma Creates. Most organizations will be asked to attach an invoice to their periodic report forms. Need assistance in creating a basic invoice? Click [here][6] or an invoice example. If your organization is fully transactional in Ariba (most funded organizations are not), you will submit your invoices directly through Ariba. Funding Acknowledgement ⇩ Funded organizations must acknowledge Tacoma Creates in all appropriate public announcements, programs, advertising, and other forms of notice relating to the funded programming. Organizations must recognize Tacoma Creates funding at all funded public programming, as appropriate for the event type such as website or social media post, printed program, curtain speech, or event signage. You can find the Tacoma Creates logo and logo guide under [Resources for Funded Organizations.][7] Please include the logo on your website as appropriate, with a link to [tacomacreates.org][8]. Spread the Word! ⇩ Tacoma Creates is proud to support your work in arts, culture, heritage, and science – and we want to help promote the good work you’re doing. Below, you can find different ways to get the word out about your funded programming. Help people see how the investment of their tax dollars makes Tacoma a more vibrant and engaging city! Events page Coming Soon! Social Media** We encourage your organization to share your Tacoma Creates programming on social media. Tag @TacomaCreates on [Facebook][9] or [Instagram][10], and use the hashtag #tacomacreates. If you haven’t already, follow us on our platforms, like and share posts that we mention you and your fundees in. Don’t forget to keep us up to date on the funded programming that your organization is doing. There are opportunities for you to be highlighted on the Tacoma Creates website, and newsletter.