strong grant writing workshop
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
Grantwriting for Artists How to Build a Strong
Grant Application
WELCOME
• Cell Phones
• Presentation Materials
• Questions
• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
This Workshop will cover:
• Overview of Artist Trust• Common Components
of an Application or Proposal
• Example Project Descriptions & Budgets
• Example Work Samples
• Overview of Grants for Artist Projects (GAP)
• Funding Resources
Artist Trust is a not-for-profit organization whose sole mission is to support and encourage individual artists working in all disciplines in order to enrich community life throughout Washington State.
Artist Trust is funded through an array of sources, including: members, donors, government, foundations, corporations and our annual art auction.
Overview of Artist Trust
Information Services
Possibilities
Art Source
Artists’ Assets
www.artisttrust.org
(re)Source
Artists’ Assets Area
Professional Staff
EDGE Program
Workshops
Artist Trust Grant Programs
Grants for Artist Projects (GAP) Program
GAP or Grants for Artist Projects provides support for INDIVIDUAL artist's projects
All artistic disciplines may apply each year
Maximum amount of support is $1,500
In 2008, 80 artists received GAP grants from a pool of 975 applicants
Applications available in December each year
Deadline: Last Friday of February each year
Artist Trust Grant Programs
Artist Trust/Washington State Arts Commission Fellowship Program
Merit Award, based on artistic excellence
21 - $7,500 Awards given each year
Applications available in April and due on June 12th. 400-500 applications per year.
Biennial, discipline specific: Odd numbered years (2009) - Craft, Music, Media, and Literature. Even numbered years (2008) – Emerging Fields & Cross-Disciplinary Arts, Performing Arts, Traditional & Folk Arts, and Visual Arts
Artist Trust Grant Programs
Twining Humber Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement
Lifetime achievement award for a Washington State female visual artist, age 60 or over, who has dedicated 25 or more years of her life to creating art
Nomination process One $10,000 award given each year
Nomination forms available in November each year
Deadline: January of each year
Additional Artist Trust Projects
EDGE Expansion into different disciplines
Residency Programs
WAHIP (Washington Artists Health Insurance Project)
Community Matching Grants
Workshops
Learn more at: www.artisttrust.org
Sign in please
How to Build a
Strong Grant Application
THE BASICS • Make sure you meet the eligibility requirements.
How to Build a
Strong Grant Application
GAP ELIGIBILITY – APPLICANTS MUST BE:
18 years of age or older
A Washington state resident at the time of application and when the award is granted
Cannot be a matriculating student enrolled in ANY kind of degree program
2009 applicants can’t be the recipient of a 2007 or 2008 GAP grant
NOTE: You can only submit one application per award each year
THE BASICS
Are you agood match?If not, don’twaste yourtime, ortheirs.
THE BASICS
• Read all guidelines and instructions carefully before you begin.
• Please follow all the directions on the application.• If you have any questions, call the funding organization.• Make a checklist of all required components requested
and give yourself plenty of time to put them together. • Proof read everything and ask a friend to proof read it too.
How to Build a
Strong Grant Application
GAP - SELECTION CRITERIA
The foremost criterion the selection panel uses to evaluate a GAP application is the artistic excellence of the work represented in the support materials.
You could say 75% of the decision is based on your work sample.
The second criterion is the Selection Panel's subjective response to your project in comparison to other projects submitted.
The third and final criterion is the reasonable likelihood that the project can be realized with GAP support, based on your budget and other sources of support.
THE BASICS
• Review and understand the selection criteria.
• Send ONLY what is asked for.
• Send everything that is asked for.
• Application vs. portfolio
How to Build a
Strong Grant Application
Common Components of an Application or Proposal
Application Form
Letter of Interest
Cover letter
Artist Statement
Resume
Bio
Common Components of an Application or Proposal
Project Proposal
Budget
Supplemental materials
SASE
Work sample
Work sample description
GAP - APPLICATION CHECKLIST
6 copies of application pages 1-2
1 copy of artist resume
1 copy of work sample description
Work Sample
SASE (optional)
Common Components of an Application or Proposal
WORK SAMPLE High quality documentation of your work. •Choose your strongest work.•The number of work samples you can submit depends on the organization.
WORK SAMPLE DESCRIPTIONThis list should be in numerical order and correspond to the numbers on the slides/CDs/etc. as you have ordered them, and would like them viewed. •Include brief annotations about each piece if necessary.•Usually one page.•Include your role if there were many contributors.
Visual ArtIncludes but is not limited to:Artist BooksCraftDrawingGraphic Design SculptureIllustrationInstallationPaintingPhotographyPrintmaking
WORK SAMPLENo more slides at ATJPGs on a CD or submitted online(GAP asks for 10 maximum)
WORK SAMPLE DESCRIPTIONSlide list or Image list
Note: Artist Trust asks artists to self identify themselves in regards to discipline. If you are unsure, call the funding organization.
Literary Arts
FictionCreative Non-FictionPoetryExperimental Works
WORK SAMPLE
Manuscript (GAP asks for 8 pages max.)
WORK SAMPLE DESCRIPTION
Synopsis
Media/Film
AnimationFilm ScreenplaysTeleplaysVideo
WORK SAMPLE
CD or DVD or VHS Manuscript
WORK SAMPLE DESCRIPTION
CD or DVD or VHS
1 page description
ManuscriptSynopsis
Performance
Dance MusicMusical TheatrePerformance ArtPlaywritingTheatreScene DesignSpoken Word
WORK SAMPLE
DVD CDManuscript
WORK SAMPLE DESCRIPTION
CD or DVD1 page description
ManuscriptSynopsis
PerformanceMusic
CD
PerformanceTheatre
JPGS
PerformanceDance
DVD
A PROJECT may be cross-disciplinary, but the applicant might not be - apply under the category which best describes YOUR work
Emerging FieldsCross-Disciplinary Arts
Graphic NovelsInteractive Installation & SculptureEnvironmental DesignImmersive Audio & Video WorksSound ArtDigital ArtsCross-Disciplinary - artists who use two or more artist disciplines in their art practice.
SELECTION PROCESS
The Artist Trust program staff selects the panelistsThe staff in choosing the Selection Panel is looking for diversity across the board. This includes stylistic diversity, and diversity in location and media
The Selection Panel is comprised of a group of artists and arts professionals
The Selection Panel evaluates the applications and selects which artists' projects will receive GAP support
The GAP Selection Panels are facilitated by Artist Trust program staff
Grants for Artist Projects (GAP) Program
Common Components of an Application or Proposal
PROJECT PROPOSAL
•Be clear and concise; concentrate on explaining the most important aspects of your project.
•Assume the person reading the application is unfamiliar with your work. What do you usually say to introduce your work to the individuals that you meet?
•Explain in a sentence or two what is unique and exciting about your project.
•Focus on answering the six basic questions in your project proposal: who, what, when, why, where, and how.
GAP - ARTIST PROJECTS
Development, completion or presentation of new work; publication; travel for artistic research or to present or complete work; documentation of work; advanced workshops for professional development; equipment, etc.
Your project does not have to take place in Washington, YOU just have to be a Washington state resident
We do not fund projects that are already finished at the time the application is due. But, if your project will be completed before the grants are awarded in June that is OK.
GAP - PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Be clear and concise in your project description.
Tell the selection panel specifically:
what you are going to use GAP funding for;
why this funding is important to your project; and
how this award will benefit your work & you as an artist.
Common Components of an Application or Proposal
Project Income and Expenses: THE BUDGET
•The financial description of your proposed project. •A complete and realistic budget demonstrates to the selection panel or jury that you have considered the financial as well as the creative aspects of your project.
•The purpose of the project budget is to determine the feasibility of completing your project.
•The projected income MUST EQUAL the projected expenses.
LETTER OF INTEREST
•Initial contact.
•Shorter than a full proposal, so not to waste your time and theirs, if the two of you are not a match.
•Usually 1-2 pages in length.
•Introduces yourself and your artwork, brief project description, brief budget overview.
•Concentrate on “OVERVIEW”.
Common Components of an Application or Proposal
COVER LETTER
•Should be brief and to the point.
•Don’t repeat much of the same information that the reader will learn in your resume, artist statement, work samples, or other things submitted in your packet.
•The cover letter is speaking for you the artist.
Common Components of an Application or Proposal
ARTIST STATEMENT
•Should be specific to the application or to the work samples submitted.
•Provides insight into your work by helping to clarify the focus or concept.
•There is no formula for an artist statement, but it might include information about how the work developed (its source and direction), the underlying idea and structure, the conceptual aspects, your philosophies, and/or possible influences.
•Usually 1 paragraph - 1 page in length.
•The artist statement is speaking for your artwork.
Common Components of an Application or Proposal
ARTIST RESUME
•An artist resume summarizes your professional art activities and accomplishments.
•Should include: your name and contact information; Exhibitions/Performances; Education; Honors and Awards/Grants; Collections; Bibliography; Professional affiliations; Residencies; related experience, etc.
Common Components of an Application or Proposal
ARTIST RESUME
Components of a resume:ContactExhibitionsAwardsEducationCollectionsBibliographyAffiliationsRelated work experience
Grants for Artist Projects (GAP) Program
BIO
•A narrative bio is useful if you are an emerging artist and don’t have a great deal to include on a resume, so you would send a bio instead of a resume. •It’s also useful if your work corresponds directly to your biography.
•You can use this as a vehicle for discussing this relationship instead of your artist statement.
Common Components of an Application or Proposal
Common Components of an Application or Proposal
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS
• Letters of reference, letters of support.
• Proof of residence. • Articles written about your work, from the newspaper, a magazine,
journal, or in an exhibition publication.
• Postcards, programs, catalogs from an exhibition/performance.
• Digital reproductions of your artwork.
• Etc.
Common Components of an Application or Proposal
SASE
Self Addressed Stamped Envelope
•Include only if you would like your work sample returned to you.
•Stamps only, no metered postage.
•Make sure you have correct postage.
•Include padding/cardboard to protect your slides, CDs, DVDs, VHS, etc.
SELECTION PROCESS
The Artist Trust program staff selects the panelistsThe staff in choosing the Selection Panel is looking for diversity across the board. This includes stylistic diversity, and diversity in location and media
The Selection Panel is comprised of artists and arts professionals
The Selection Panel evaluates the applications and selects which artists' projects will receive GAP support
The GAP Selection Panels are facilitated by Artist Trust program staff
Grants for Artist Projects (GAP) Program
That being said…
Artist Trust has recently decided to move towards an online application system for the next round of Grants for Artists Projects.
We will not accept paper applications:
All of the same suggestions as before but remember:- Be prepared - Call the granting organization in advance to answer any questions- Submit your application during the granting organization’s business hours
Online Applications
FUNDING RESOURCES
Questions?