Musicians & Grant Writing

[davidmanson]

Here is an article that I wrote on grant writing for musicians a while ago.

Hey - you probably pay thousands every year in taxes. Why not get a

small percentage of that back for the arts?

I do not enjoy writing grants, but several years ago I found that my

musical projects (and those of friends) were doomed without funding.

I wrote my first grant in 1986 and received $400 for a jazz festival

at my first teaching position. Since then I have written over

$90,000 in grants for music organizations and even a few for myself.

It seems to me that visual artists tend to fare much better when it

comes to writing and receiving grants than musicians. Art schools do

a much better job of educating artists in this area and visual

artists tend to naturally think along the lines of creating a

visually convincing project in their work which is often what a

grant requires. However, musicians are capable of writing convincing

grants as well.

Before writing a public arts grant, one has to understand how and

for whom grants are made available. While it is possible to receive

individual artist grants, these are few and far between. It is more

likely to find funding for a collaborative or organizational

project. At this point, a grant writer has to think of the "big

picture."

If your goal is to receive funding so that you can present solo

concerts in your community, you may have to think about working with

a larger "umbrella" organization. Approach them with a proposal to

find funding for a specific project or series that satisfies your

desire, for example, presenting solo concerts. Your project will

most likely have to compliment the mission of the organization and

you may have to broaden your goal to

include other soloists to help the proposal look more attractive. Of

course, you will have to convince the organization's executive

director that what you propose will benefit their organization, that

you will do the "grunt" work, and that they would have a certain

amount of control of the project.

If no organization exists for you to work with, you may consider

creating an non-profit corporation with a mission that agrees with

your goals. This will take some time to establish and will require

that you establish a board, have elections and incorporate with the

state that you reside in. Most funding organizations require that

the organization be in existence

at least one year before the grant application deadline. Some

require two years of history.

Where are the grants?

Funding for musicians may come from the state, county or even

cities. Funding from the federal government is becoming rare due to

the downsizing of the NEA. You are more likely to find funding on

the state or local level through a state, county or city arts

council. These agencies usually have yearly grants with deadlines

often in the winter. You can search the

internet or grant source books for foundation or corporation

funding, but you are then competing nationally with serious grant

writers and large organizations. Look for grants at the local level

and you are more likely to receive consideration due to visibility.

Be aware that some grant agencies make a distinction between a

performer and an artist. In the music field, this means that a

composer may be regarded as a creative artist while the performer is

considered to be a practitioner. If you are a performer and the

grant only funds composers, find a composer to work with or become a

composer!

Also be aware that many arts funders are limiting the amount of

grant funding that an organization can request. 10% of the gross

budget for general programming and 20% for specific projects seem to

be a common figure used lately. If your organization has a small

budget, this may limit the amount that you can request. The entire

grant process has

become more "corporate" during the past decade and the saying "big

dogs eat first" seems more true today in grant writing. If at all

possible, try to work with an established art organization with a

budget of at least $20,000.

What is considered important in the conception of the grant

application?

There are several factors that are weighed in the evaluation of a

grant. Some relate to artistic considerations while others consider

the effect upon the community and the management of the project. The

secret to a successful grant application lies in the balance of

artistic, community and accountability issues. Since public grant

funds come from the tax

base, the grant writer needs to carefully consider what

contributions are being made to the community in the proposed grant

project. Ask yourself, "How does my proposal help the community?" as

you prepare the grant proposal.

Common criteria for grant evaluations

follow:

Artistic Excellence

proposal summary - Is it convincing?

prior programming - Does the history of your organization indicate

high artistic standards?

project mission and organization mission - Are these compatible?

strength of program planning and evaluation - Does your organization

program well and has it conducted self-evaluation of its projects

and general programming?

resumes of artistic personnel - Are these the right people for this

project?

benefit to local and regional artists - Are you more than a

presenter? How will this project impact local artists?

Outreach and Public Impact

evidence of cooperative relationships with other organizations -

Rather than re-inventing the wheel, try to "piggyback" your project

on another arts organization. For example, rather than renting a

space for concerts, join with an art museum as part of their music

series and use their space. Use their mailing list to market your

project.

impact of program on constituents funding the grant - How will this

benefit the people who pay taxes?

impact on underserved audiences - How are you going to reach a broad

spectrum of people?

marketing and audience development efforts - What if they gave a

concert and nobody came? Can you show that serious effort will be

made to bring an audience to your event?

Diversity of board, staff and volunteer participation - Is your

organization multicultural?

Management

Use of public funding demands a high level of financial

responsibility. Arts agencies want to be reassured that the

application's organization is:

financially stable - Are you here today and here tomorrow?

has a broad base of financial support (does not depend solely on

grant funding) - Do other people think that you are worth funding?

accuracy and feasibility of grant proposal budget - Can you deliver

if given this funding?

accuracy, clarity and feasibility of budget detail - Have you done

your homework in terms of cost analysis?

Some Final Tips

Most grant applications are extremely competitive and application

forms can be very intimidating. Carefully read the application from

top to bottom. Make a copy of the application form and work with

pencil on the rough form. Be absolutely sure that your budget

figures balance. These figures will probably require some

adjustments. Finish the application by typewriter or by cutting and

pasting text from a word processor and

photocopying the final edit. Use a business-like font like New York

or Times at 12 points. Include neatly organized and labeled support

materials if requested. If tapes are requested, use a very high

quality tape and cue it to the correct passage. Send a CD if

allowed.

Letters of recommendation regarding your proposed project by key

individuals are very important to include. Have at least two people

proofread your grant before submitting it. Save your mission

statement, organizational history, artistic and administrative

resumes and other data on your computer. With a little tweaking, you

can use the same information

for future applications.

Although the process of writing grants is not the most pleasant

activity, there is no doubt that all great musical projects require

financial support. After writing public grant proposals, private

donors or business proposals may seem quite a bit easier. Good luck

with your grant proposal!