Yes. Online grant applications must be submitted electronically by the deadline date, and any support materials to be mailed to the Council must be postmarked on or before the deadline date.   You are also welcome to deliver your support materials to our office before 4:30 p.m. on the deadline date.  We cannot be responsible for applications with incorrect date stamps or applications lost in transit.

We regularly see a number of projects that could fit into many categories. Often it is just a matter of what focus your proposal should take in order to compete most successfully.

For example, a local arts organization wants to hire a poet to work with local community groups on the creation of poetry about the history of their town. The artist will be in residence in the community for two weeks culminating in a community poetry slam at the local high school. This project involves the creation of work, the presentation of work, and education.

In cases like this, we suggest contacting us for recommendations on which grant to apply for. We may suggest this project would compete most successfully in the Community Arts Grant category, and we would encourage the applicant to focus on the community engagement and interaction with the artists in their proposal.  

However, depending on the nature of the project, it may compete more favorably in the Arts Learning Grant category, where the panel would be looking at how closely the project links to school curriculum.  If you have any questions about which grant to apply for, it's best to call us for assistance.

All Council grants require a 1:1 cash match. Matching your grant with your own funds (applicant cash) is fine in any category. Although in-kind contributions can not be considered as part of the matching funds, panelists will often comment positively on applications which have nominal outside support that also list in-kind contributions to demonstrate strong community support for the project. When applying for a Creation Standard Project Grant it is generally fine to have applicant cash/matching time as your only matching source.

In-kind contributions are calculated as the fair market dollar value of non-cash contributions to the project/program, provided to the applicant by volunteers or outside parties at no cash cost to applicant. In-kind contributions must be well-documented. Examples might include a local printer who donates the paper and printing for your program, or a hotel that donates a room for an artist. In-kind contributions can not be considered as part of the matching funds unless you are applying as serving an Underserved Constitutent.

Volunteer time is calculated at minimum wage unless the volunteer is donating services that s/he provides as part of his/her profession, in which case time is calculated at that person’s professional rate.

Donated materials should be calculated at fair market value. Only donated items that are directly involved in the project/programs described in the application should be included. Items or services unrelated to the project or program, even though received by the applicant, are not eligible.

It’s okay if your project begins or ends after the end date. However, be very clear in your narrative and in your budget about the activities that will take place during the grant period. The Council grant can only support activities that happen during this period.

The Council needs to report on it’s activities to it’s funding sources within a specific time frame, just as you do. We have a finite period in which we must make grant awards and receive reports on the funded activities. Our grant period ends on the 31st of August in any grant year. Therefore, if you wait until a later deadline to apply, you will have a shorter amount of time to complete the activities.

Even if you have submitted all the paperwork and are just waiting to hear from official sources about your not-for-profit status, we recommend finding a fiscal agent. The process for receiving a not-for-profit designation and the official letter to go with it can take a very long time. If you receive your letter before the Council creates a grant contract for your project, you can send it to us and we’ll be happy to make the change.

Typically, fiscal agents are cultural institutions, such as presenters, community arts centers, arts councils, performing and visual arts organizations, government agencies, historical societies, museums, and not-for-profit galleries. The fiscal agent becomes the legal applicant of record, redistributes the funds to the intended recipient, and is entirely responsible for all published requirements of the grants program. You should contact an organization near you and ask if they are willing to function in this capacity. Each organization may have it’s own policies regarding their ability to provide this service to artists and arts organizations. Organizations and individuals seeking a fiscal agent may contact the Council for possible recommendations.

No. Due to our limited funding, you are only allowed to submit one application at any particular deadline. You may receive only one grant in a grant year.  Exceptions and further clarification is listed below:

ORGANIZATIONS:  If your organization wants to apply for a Community Arts grant as well as an Arts Learning Grant, you would have to pick one and submit your proposal in that category. However, you CAN ALSO apply for a Technical Assistance/Travel grant in the same grant year.

ARTISTS:  If you are an artist, you would have to decide between the Creation grant and the Artist Development grant - you cannot receive more than one grant in the same year.  Also, if you receive a Creation Grant, you will have to wait three years before applying again.  However, you can apply for Artist Development grant the following year.

Yes. You may reapply at the next available deadline. We take notes during our panel meetings and will share the panelist comments with you if you would like to hear them. Often they will have suggestions as to how you can improve your application. We have new panelists for each deadline so if your proposal was not successful with one group, another may have a completely different reaction to it. In particular comments about the artistic quality of an application will vary as this is the most subjective part of the review.

No.  Beginning in FY09, there is no fee to apply for an Arts Council grant.

Creation grant projects should have a discernable, defined beginning and end, and should define exactly what work is to be created during the grant period.  Projects where artists have requested funds to “create work”, but who are not specific about what they want to create, generally do not compete well in the panel process.

Projects descriptions should include a discussion of their value and impact upon completion.  It’s often helpful to put your proejct to the “so what?” test. Why is this work important to you, your career, or your community?   Thinking about your work in this context can help you make a compelling argument for your project in the application narrative.

For the purposes of the Creation grants, the Council defines “collaborators” or “artist groups” as artists who are considered co-owners of the project or the work. If the collaborators or artist groups will be co-owners of the project, we recommend that you find a fiscal agent for your project. If you are an artist who is submitting an application in which you have someone who is working with you on a “work for hire” basis and you will own the work when it is done, you may apply directly. Just remember that we will send a 1099 to the you if you receive a grant of more than $600 and you will need to report it on your income taxes.

There are many ways in which you can do this. You should begin by estimating the number of hours you expect to work on your project during the grant period. You can then multiply this by a “per hour” figure to come up with the dollar amount value on your time. The Council does not dictate what this amount should be.