strong grant writing workshop

Grantwriting for Artists How to Build a Strong

Grant Application

Monica Miller Director of Programs

206/467-8734 x10

monica@artisttrust.org

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?

Monica Miller Director of Programs

206/467-8734 x10

monica@artisttrust.org