The following are some helpful hints to aid you in preparing a grant application:
1. Start early and give yourself plenty of time!
2. Don't assume panelists are familiar with your organization, project, event, etc.
3. Make sure your project budget and narrative tell the same story.
4. Be detailed in your budget. It is strongly recommended to show the detailed breakdowns in your income and expenses in the budget note section.
5. Be as specific and clear as possible - utilize the page limit specifications for your narrative.
6. If technical assistance is offered (review of draft budgets and/or draft narratives), please take advantage of it as a new applicant and/or as a returning applicant!
7. Application form and/or grant guidelines can change or be updated for each grants cycle – please make sure to thoroughly review them each time before applying.
8. Only submit what is requested per the grant guidelines – if something is unclear or you have questions, contact the grants coordinator.
9. Make it clear who the participating or proposed artists are, including across all application materials such as in your narrative and budget.
10. Letters of support should be current and specific to your project. Whenever possible, seek letters of support from partners who can offer a unique different perspective about the value and benefit of your project.
11. When you’re designing and promoting your project, think about who’s in your community and how to reach them. Who can help you reach potential audiences beyond your usual channels and networks?
12. Be intentional and creative when considering opportunities to make your project more accessible. Identify the potential barriers to participation and determine your organization’s capacity to mitigate these barriers. Consider seeking partners to help you with this work.
13. Board of Directors cannot be paid by the grant as contracted artists.
14. Evaluating your project should not be an afterthought! Determine what you need to know to assess how well you’ve met your project goals. How will you gather that information?
15. Contact the grants coordinator if you have any questions during the application process.
16. After application submission, review panelist feedback on your application, whether or not you were awarded. This feedback can assist you in submitting stronger applications in the future. Please note that panelists change from cycle to cycle. If panelist feedback is unclear, reach out to the grants coordinator for a meeting to discuss further.
17. Consider volunteering to be a panelist for future grant panels!
Work Sample Hints
1. Follow discipline specific work sample instructions.
2. Choose work samples that support the project in your narrative and project budget.
3. If applicable, include recent work samples from participating artists and facilities.
4. For audio and/or video work samples, detail how much of each work sample you want the panel to review. Check the grant guidelines for work sample instructions or reach out to the grants coordinator for more information.
5. Contact the grants coordinator if you have any questions.
