MORE FUN TOOLSFiscal Agents and the Arts Organization Grant
You keep sending out these little paper boats and hope that someday one will come back laden with gold.
—GLEN HANSARD, SINGER/SONGWRITER
Having covered the basic treatise on grant applications from the private and public sectors, we will now delve into the processes for grants under fiscal agency and sponsorship. These opportunities are much more generic and have greater leeway in their overall structures, requirements, and even in the implementation of programs.
You will find a respite in this chapter, especially after reading the previous chapters that dealt with the directions that individuals follow when grantseeking for fellowships. This chapter will pick up the remaining pieces of the puzzle and help you understand the process for applications that do not have prescribed guidelines for presentation. Through study and analysis, we will look at the necessary components for a competitive application submitted by an arts organization. For all you fans of writing exercises, I will increase the practice time with new sections that will give you greater exposure to grantwriting.
I will present a standard format for the nonprescribed grant application and a Common Grant Form, which provides the “how-to” in template form for developing an application. Both of these are used as a boilerplate, the first being an industry standard and the second one, used by fourteen states.
MORE FUN TOOLS
This chapter also provides you with samples of letters of inquiry, which are used by funders to screen applicants before the submission of full proposals. We will go back to the basics and revisit our networking strategies, and discover ways to make them work for art collaborations and special art projects.
This chapter is chock-full of samples of grant applications and the thinking, writing, rewriting, and presenting of vital pieces of information with them. You will be fully prepared to write the arts organization grant request after reading this chapter. It will only take your energy to fuel the fire with your project ideas.
SPARK INTO ACTION
All right! We have established that one of the more available resources for artists will be the grant given to arts organizations that work with individual artists. We have touched upon the fellowship programs and the programs that are regranted through arts organizations. Let’s focus on grant sources that are open-ended and whose giving has little prescription or limitations, other than that they fund small arts programs through arts organizations. Let’s spark into action with our networks and creative ideas.
MAKING USE OF OUR NETWORKS
Remember that in chapter 5, we discussed the importance of networking and establishing contacts with many entities, including arts organizations. Let’s review the scenario for conceptualizing those great art projects and finding the necessary partners and places to implement them.
This involves you mapping out your idea and identifying within your network those arts organizations that are conducive and like-minded to your project. In calling around and making appointments to meet, greet, share, and brainstorm, have the following “package” ready to present and discuss.
THE ARTIST COLLABORATION AND PITCH
Before pitching any idea or collaborative project, you have to identify those organizations with which you can partner. These will come in a couple of scenarios that I have included here: Those that use request for proposals publicize the need to find artists who will fit within an already-established project. For instance, an arts theater wants to hire ten artists to work on independent projects in a summer showcase. In this case, you submit a proposal to the theater for review and if selected, you are an artist for hire, or one who is commissioned to fit a specific artistic need.
Another scenario is that you know of an arts organization that you admire, and you want to partner with it. Perhaps you have seen its work, a seasonal installation, or community arts project that was inspiring and you want to align yourself with its creative energy. In one instance from my own experience, I was on the board of a small arts organization in St. Paul, and each summer it hosted many art projects engaging children and the community. This was an ongoing process, and the organization actively sought and successfully obtained grant support for these projects.
Coffee and Collaboration
In cases like these, it is a matter of having coffee with the director and pitching an idea for a project, using one of its already-established or past projects to compare and use as leverage. These coffee meetings seem informal but are about the “business of making art,” and it is a good idea to leave a short one-page concept paper that the director can review and consider. This paper will describe the art project, who it serves, what it does, and the materials needed. This should also be combined with a short biographical sketch of your experience. This “package” resembles something like the description of the two artists profiled for artist residencies in chapter 8 and is fairly simple to write up and put together.
Although you may have successfully established a great collaboration, the typical scenario you run across is that the funding to implement the project has not been obtained. Small- to middlesized arts organizations typically run and operate with minimal administrative staff. It can be a luxury to find a community arts organization that also has its own grantwriter. Usually the art director will be spinning seven plates at a time and may only be able to focus precious grantwriting time on the organization’s primary programs.
You can be a huge asset to any collaboration if you have grantwriting skills and can develop a proposal for the organization. With this rather common scenario in mind, let’s look at the various pieces needed to write the special program proposal for an arts organization.
PREP STEP
As is the case in philanthropy circles, the guideline and application formats for seeking program grants for arts organizations are quite varied. In this realm, many funders have the “Prep Step” in which they ask that you send a letter of inquiry first for consideration. This helps both you and them in saving the time and effort of a lengthy proposal. A letter of one to three pages quickly tells them whether what you have in mind fits with their giving interest.
Naturally, foundations may have specific requirements for these, but I have presented a general example of how you can approach this step. There are a few schools of thought in how to prepare a letter of inquiry. I am going to present three samples of these, demonstrating the most popular approaches. I have my own personal favorite, of course, which I will share as we go along.
Letter One: The Formal and Longer Version
This letter is an abbreviated proposal really, with particularities that get coached in any basic grantwriting class. It is usually coached that you write an introductory paragraph that relates to some recent contact you have made with the funder. This is a helpful starting point, and given your methods for networking with foundation staff it isn’t a bad idea to refer to a recent conversation you may have had. But the caveat here is that it isn’t necessary. You may not have had the luxury of a meeting and even if you have, it may not be that remarkable, so in that case, it may be pointless to reference it all. Use common sense here.
The main body of the letter carries three pieces of information: the short introduction of the organization, a very abbreviated needs statement, and a description of the program. A closing paragraph is made with a formal request, or what is sometimes called the “ask” among development professionals. Written formally it specifically states the amount of grant support needed, and the consideration to send in a full proposal.
This longer version can be about three pages. The sample here is not that long, and note that I prefer the more straightforward style and approach:
Dear Grantmaker:
Thank you for our recent chat at the Philanthropy Conference where you were kind enough to visit with me at the grantseekers roundtable session. Your comments and feedback about the Arts Lab Project were poignant and helpful. The Board of Directors of the Arts Lab is aware that the Foundation distributes a number of grants for peer learning and audience development.
The Arts Lab Project has enjoyed significant growth within the last three years. Last year, we launched two new programs and have attracted ten new arts organizations to collaborate with in various projects totaling $300,000. Our staff has doubled its efforts to nurture these new collaborators, and we are now well positioned for the next vital steps.
I am pleased to write to you about a project that I believe will be of interest to the Foundation. The Arts Lab Project is seeking $150,000 over three years to expand its very successful peerlearning lab, which builds organizational capacity for small arts organizations. Our efforts to date have assisted thirty-seven arts organizations in strategic planning, financial management, and fundraising, which has helped these organizations garner new grants totaling $250,000.
[Insert further Project description here, which could be as long as two pages of narrative.]
The Arts Lab Project has received a $100,000 challenge grant, and we would like to formally approach the Foundation for a $50,000 grant toward this challenging goal.
We look forward to your consideration of our request and the opportunity to submit a formal proposal for your review. We will be pleased to submit additional information at your request. Please do not hesitate to contact me at 333-555-3333.
Sincerely,
[Your Signature]
Letter Two: The Shorter, More Direct Approach
I prefer this version of the three because it is brief, concise, gives enough information, and avoids superficial remarks. As a grantmaker, I liked reading these letters the most because they asserted what they needed in an open fashion.
The introduction of this version differs primarily from the first in that it bypasses any remark about collegial association or meetings and gets directly to the point by stating the request or “ask” up front. I know some people are having protocol attacks because you have gone directly to the matter at hand and mentioned “money” up front. But this style and approach is still professional, and works well when you consider that program staff read hundreds of proposals and letters per year.
As a result, this version repeats the “ask” a second time in the closing paragraph, which may seem repetitive but ensures that the request is not missed and takes into consideration the quick scanning read by the busy program officer.
The main body of this letter also includes information about the applying organization, the need for the program, and the activity or program description, but everything is really abbreviated. Notice that in the first paragraph, I describe how the proposed project would support with the foundation’s goals. The information was gleaned from GTH Foundation information and guidelines but not parroted here.
The Africa Institute seeks support of $100,000 from the GTH Foundation for a special project entitled “Learning through Arts and Sports.” We are grateful for past support from the GTH Foundation, for the demonstration phase of this project, and hope that this new request for scale-up funds will be of similar interest. We believe this project is very much aligned with the Foundation’s goals to protect human rights through education, especially for those who have not had access to any form of study, literacy training, sports, or artistic expression.
Our organization, established in 2000, is serving the coastal area of Benin with the following services: health education, literacy programs, and special programs for girls. Recently, we were honored by the Women’s Foundation for modeling and piloting a program that reaches girls who are in nearly “invisible” rural areas. The scale-up project for which we request funds will serve an additional 600 girls in the community. The project will operate over a period of two years, and the $100,000 grant will establish ten new clusters of programming, train-the-trainer programs, and help to establish new attitudes toward girls’ learning, playing sports, and having artistic expression.
We would like to submit a full proposal with additional information for your further review.
Sincerely,
[Your Signature]
Letter Three: The Abbreviated Letter
This third version is the most abbreviated of the three types and basically is more of a letter of intent, which is used in some arenas. Here is an example of what I mean:
Dear Foundation Rep:
This letter is submitted by the Arts Lab to announce our intention to apply for a Technical Assistance Grant. The Arts Lab is a cadre of thirty-seven arts organizations that have collaborated for the purpose of peer learning, organizational development, and capacity building. Project plans to use a grant of $30,000 would assist in hiring a trainer for our new curriculum and practicum. We have the necessary application forms and requirements, and await your request for further information.
Sincerely,
[Your Signature]
REQUEST FOR A FULL PROPOSAL
OK, now you’ve sent out the letter of inquiry and the funder writes back saying it is interested in further consideration of this request. As mentioned earlier, some will have very specific requirements to follow. Others will not. The following information will help you understand the best ways to present your proposal, using an industry standard.
Many private foundations and corporations do not use any particular format for many of the proposals for arts organizations, and so you are on your own. Actually, it’s not that bad and I have always relied upon an industry favorite that is short (five to seven pages long) concise, and compelling. I call this the generic format and have used it 90 percent of the time. My “all-time favorite” boilerplate or proposal format includes the following sections:
* Summary
* Introduction
* Problem or needs statement
* Methods (goals, objectives, action plan, timeline, evaluation)
* Future funding
* Request
* Budget
Even though this is a general standard, which can be used endlessly, I know some of you more creative writers may want to use your own format, but I caution you about this. You may like to write and enjoy being creative, but remember to keep it simple. It goes without saying that you must read the instructions and guidelines to apply to a funder and determine whether using a generic proposal is appropriate. If funders have particular sections that they want addressed in a proposal, follow their directive and don’t use a generic approach. For instance, some will require that you give information about the history of your organization. Even though this is included in the introduction section of a generic narrative, label the section—as they require—”history and background.” This will help the reader feel comfortable with your proposal and find the necessary information that he has asked you to submit.
Here are the basic elements to my favorite proposal format, flushed out with key ideas to help you write each section with ease:
Summary
The summary is a brief synopsis of your proposal. It says in a nutshell who you are and what the need is; it introduces the solution and includes a dollar amount. It is sometimes called the “Executive Summary” or “Abstract.” In a generic format, it is between half a page and a full page in length. In grant application forms, you will have approximately two paragraphs worth of space to summarize your request.
This is the first piece of the proposal that is read and thus your first opportunity to interest the reader. In a board meeting, the summary or parts of it may be the only piece that is read, and oftentimes it stands alone.
Helpful Hint #1
To gain the reader’s attention, use language that is simple and free of jargon. If you attempt to align yourself with the funder’s interest, do so in a genuine way, without pulling statements from its guidelines.
Helpful Hint #2
Many writers of proposals are taught that the summary is the last piece written. Even though it appears first, many believe that you cannot write this part unless you have done all the other parts first. When I started writing proposals, I found it very helpful to write the summary first. This helped to focus the proposal and also helped program developers and myself fine-tune a project.
This tells the reader who is applying for funds. This is important and needs to be stated very distinctly when fiscal agents, partnerships, or collaborations are formed. An introduction can include the history of the organization, information about the services or programs you operate, information about your constituency (in numbers and description), your mission, goals, and objectives.
It brags. The introduction establishes the credibility of the organization through statements that are accountable and can be supported. It introduces the project or specific program that you are pitching.
It is brief. In a five- to seven-page proposal you don’t have the page length to go on and on about the organization. You want to be brief and get directly to the project you are focusing on in the request.
Mission Statement
The introduction includes your mission statement for the organization, which can be a nice segue for the next section. The introduction, with mission statement, is concise enough to fit on three-quarters of a page to one page. I have seen mission statements that were very long, but the best are said in one breath and written in one sentence with a limit of twenty-one words.
Statement of Need
The “Problem Statement” or “Statement of Need” documents the needs of the community, the situation that is presenting a challenge or opportunity to the community. It describes the problem in a larger sense and is not usually about the challenges facing the organization— that is, not enough program support.
This statement of need is a strong part of the proposal. It must be compelling but not overly dramatic or negative. Demographic information can come in handy here, and summarized statistics help validate a statement.
Sometimes showing the scope of a problem or need by using national statistics can be helpful to a reviewer in understanding the problem. If you talk about the problem on a large scale, make sure you bring it home by telling how the problem affects your local community.
Remember to focus the problem on the constituency that you serve and not your organization. It is appropriate to talk about some internal aspects of your organizational need in reference to that of your clients, but you have to be careful. For instance, if you need to expand a program, you focus on the underserved people in the community as they relate to the program. In doing this, you may mention that space, staff, schedules, or whatever are barriers to being able to properly serve your clients, but don’t focus on that as the problem.
This section can be up to two pages long. In federal proposals, it may be several pages long, but for private foundations, try to keep it short.
Helpful Hint #3
In the earlier days of grantmaking and grantseeking, writers and program developers were taught to really emphasize the problem or needs statement of the proposal. This section of the proposal would oftentimes win the grant. Nowadays, a balance between the needs statement and the methods or solution part of the proposal must be achieved.
Unfortunately, we are still dealing with some of the same societal issues and problems that we had thirty years ago (i.e., homelessness, drug abuse and addiction, illiteracy, and poverty), and so emphasizing these without sound strategies for improvement will not win the grant. In the final analysis, ask yourself—is this problem manageable?
Methods: Goals and Objectives
These get very confusing. Maybe this will help. A goal can be bigger than life. It can be very general and lofty, and sometimes it is stated in vague terms. For example:
The goal of the Children’s Music Program is to improve the self-esteem of children.
The goal of the City Band Program is to reduce gang and street fighting.
These are great goals, as they are stated in general enough terms, but because of that, they are not very good objectives. Objectives are measurable statements of action that help a funder determine the impact that can be made on a particular problem. Objectives begin to set up measures and structures in a proposal, which will ultimately evaluate the effectiveness of the project. Objectives are the accountabilities for the project. They tell the funder who will benefit, how, and when. Objectives also tell a funder how realistic your project is and whether or not you have done adequate planning.
Here is an example:
The City Band Program will serve forty-five teens at the Teen Center through a blend of music instruction, practice, and “jam sessions” held every night of the week and especially on the weekends.
Helpful Hint #4
Aggressive goals and objectives aren’t necessarily the key to winning a grant. Sometimes, depending on the problem, a little change or difference is a lot, so I caution you when proposing objectives that may seem ambitious but are, in fact, unrealistic.
Example of Goals, Objectives, and Methods
To clarify this section on goals, objectives, and methods, the following narrative gives a clear example of these and how they may appear in a proposal:
The long-term goals of the Youth Academy are to:
* Teach young people to fully utilize their skills
* Improve their study habits, and math and verbal skills
* Develop leadership and social responsibility;
* Improve school and scholastic test performance
* Motivate the students to excel in academic pursuits
These broadly described goals will be accomplished through the following objectives:
1. The Academy will serve a total of seventy-five children (grades 1-8) and youth (grades 9-12) from September 2007 through August 2008.
2. Each of the one hundred students will improve one grade level for every twenty hours of computer-assisted instruction.
3. The graduation rate of students attending the Youth Academy will be approximately 90 percent compared with the current rate of 40 percent in Washington DC schools.
4. Students will show an increase of one hundred points (over the national average) and three hundred points (over the average for minorities) in the Scholastic Aptitude Test.
METHODS
The goals and objectives of The Youth Academy are achieved by advising, counseling, and teaching youth to fully utilize their skills, abilities, and aptitudes.
Improved study habits and math and verbal skills also add to the success of the student.
State-of-the-art equipment and learning techniques, coupled with one-on-one instruction make this program truly unique.
Action Plan
The plan of action is a separate section that is sometimes written as part of the methods. In this standard format, the action plan is optional when the goals and objectives are clearly stated and the funder does not request a separate action plan. Action plans are very helpful program development tools and don’t always need to be shown as part of the proposal. Typically, these include a description of each step with a timeline. In some federal proposals for organizations, you may be required to chart your timeline as in a Pert or Gant Chart, but generally speaking, in proposals to private funders you can describe this briefly. The general scope of the program will determine how lengthy you need to be with this. For instance, if you are proposing a project that has national significance or is implemented in multiple phases, whether it is for a public funder or a private one, a more elaborate timeline and action plan are helpful.
Action plans are sometimes called methods, program strategies, or solutions. Label them in the narrative with the name that is listed in the guidelines for proposals from the funder. If there isn’t a particular name, action plan will suffice.
After you’ve planned and written, double-check to see that your methods will actually have a chance of bringing about the proposed results. I know of an organization that wanted to increase self-sufficiency for single mothers, and the proposed method was to teach the mothers how to balance a checkbook. The notion was that if they could manage their checkbooks better, they could be more self-sufficient and provide for themselves. The underlying problem was, of course, generational poverty and a lack of education—so I’m not really sure how balancing a checkbook was going to help.
Key Staff
Information about the people who run the program would be appropriate to describe at this point. Biographical sketches of about two paragraphs are sufficient for the concisely written proposal. A full résumé or CV can also be attached when allowed or requested.
Evaluation
Here is another area in which to excel. Try to make this section as strong as possible. The evaluation of a program helps to determine:
* whether you are effective
* whether you’ve achieved what you set out to achieve
* Strong points
* weak points
Some funders will hire a consultant to do an outside evaluation or will have their own staff work with you to do the evaluation. This is especially true for large grants or initiatives that are attempting to make breakthroughs. But since most grants are on a smaller scale, you and your organization are your own evaluators. The more specific your checks and balances (namely goals and objectives) are, the easier it will be to determine in a concrete way how the program was a success.
The evaluation section describes the tools and methods that will help you know the program was great—or not. This could be describing the use of consumer feedback that may be obtained from program participants. It can also include the following:
* Focus groups
* Surveys
* Reports
* Staff meetings and program debriefings
Staff meetings and program debriefings are some of the easiest tools that you can use to show a funder that you plan to monitor the activity of the program and grant. It is an often-overlooked item because it is so routine, and some organizations may not deem it to be an evaluative method, but it is when you think of the basic ways we need to track progress in organizations.
Policy of No Surprises
Planning for the evaluation is typically done with high expectations. This is good as a general standard, but be prepared for the possibility of a program going off course. (Nah, that couldn’t happen, could it?)
It’s important that you understand that funders want to know the good and the bad. So when you say you will provide them “with timely reports,” think about that carefully. And if your program does run off course, inform the funder as it is happening. Surprises at the end of the grant year put your credibility at risk, and any hopes of future or continued funding may be diminished.
The Budget
In this standard format of a proposal, the budget will be up to one page and may be even less depending on the number of line items presented. It will either be incorporated into the narrative if it is brief or presented in an attachment. Where you present it depends on the instruction of the funder and budget’s length. If no instruction is given and it is only a few line items, I usually integrate it into the narrative. If it is a full page or so, then attach it with the other necessary documentation.
Budgets are the tattletales of the proposals we write. Since they are projections, experience (or a lack thereof) can show up. “Guesstimates” for salary amounts on particular positions or equipment costs are not advised. Sometimes, this may seem necessary, especially when a deadline is approaching, but as a general rule you’ll need to be as precise as you can in determining budget costs.
The Three Bears
I mean budgets. For many grantseekers, budgets do seem like bears, big, tough, and scary. Three different budgets are commonly presented in a grant application for an organization. These are the organization’s projected budget for the year, the project or program budget, and an accounting or financial statement of expense and revenue. The first two often have similar line items, with project budgets having smaller totals.
Financial statements of expense and revenue are more like financial reports that show the organization’s actual account of its income and expenses. These financial statements are fairly routine, but in my experience they were always a sticking point for many grantwriters and staff. There is also a 990 form, which is a tax statement submitted by all nonprofits and foundations to the IRS. These give the statement of accounts and show the actual expenses and revenue as they were spent and accrued throughout the year. These are not projected budgets like those used for programs and organizations. There is no estimating with a 990; these are the actual expenses and revenues as they were accounted for in the year. The 990 is often used interchangeably with the financial statement, since it gives the funder a report of your accounts.
Once you get into drafting these, the bear of budgeting won’t come in estimating costs but in estimating the revenue sources to offset these. Budgets should be logical enough to allow anyone to understand how and why something costs what it costs. They also have to be realistic about how you are going to raise the monies to operate them. Budgeting is one of my favorite parts of grantwriting, but I know for many it can be a bit of a headache. Once you develop your first budget, the rest will seem easy, and this information will empower you to be as clear as possible.
The Program Budget
As an artist/grantwriter, you will probably focus most of your energy on developing the program budget. The organizational budget and financial statement should already be in place and would have been developed by the executive director, financial person, or committee of an organization. Let’s look at the following items and their descriptions to understand the line items that are often used in developing program budgets.
* Saìaries and benefits: These are the costs related to any staff members or employees who work on the project.
* Professional fees: These are secondary costs related to professional services that are charged to the projects, like accounting, bookkeeping, legal, etc. These could also be the costs for contracted services of an independent artist who is hired to do program activities. The difference between these and salaries is that these are not typically full-time permanent positions with the organization.
* Supplies: These are costs related to program supplies, any artist supplies, etc.
* Equipment: These are costs related to the bigger ticket items in an organization like computers, furniture, and office equipment. Because they tend to have an organizational use beyond a project, it can be difficult to make the case for charging them to one project budget. It will depend on the situation, and you will most likely discuss these needs with the foundation staff before you apply. For example, if you are a music school and need more instruments to make a program accessible, you may be able to include some of these costs in the budget. However, if you have a small $10,000 project it would be difficult to justify, say an additional $2,000—3,000 for a computer, copy machine, or in the case of the music school, a new piano.
Equipment needs are typically a separate category of support, and it is more appropriate to look for funders who want to cover these kinds of needs. Please avoid the temptation to “slip in” a large equipment need in a budget without first checking it out.
* Printing: These are costs related to the printing of materials for the project and can include photocopies.
* Occupancy: This is the cost for space, rentals, and even utilities, if these costs are not broken out specifically in other line items. To fairly charge a budget for space needs, you have to determine how much of your current space is used in the program, and with a few calculations determine the cost in relationship to your overall rent and occupancy costs. Project costs for occupancy will end up being a fraction of your total rent paid in the year.
* Phone: These are similar to occupancy costs, and to fairly charge the program budget you will need to figure the fraction of the total cost for the organization.
* Postage: These are usually direct costs to a project related to any mailings you send out, program notices, surveys, invitations, and so on.
* Travel: These are the direct costs of mileage for staff and contractors who are involved in the program.
* Administrative overhead: This item is one that provides a bit of a challenge. Many midsize to large organizations will charge a program a percentage of the overall costs to cover all of the indirect costs related to the program. It’s best to try to determine the exact costs of these as we did with occupancy, phone, and so on, instead of taking percentages. If you use a percentage across the board, the acceptable range is 5—30 percent; in recent years, I have seen the typical range to be 13—15 percent.
Funders and donors do not like to see these kinds of line items. Any budget item that cannot be explained is suspect. You may not intend to “pad” budgets, but because the budgeting process is generally disliked, you may not take the time and effort to be precise. Also, it is sometimes difficult to forecast a future need and cost, and so program staff will ensure that the budget covers the actual costs by adding line items that will cover the unknown. Being proactive is a good practice for budgeting, but guesstimating is frowned upon. I mean, think about it: if every applicant increased its budget with 20 percent administrative charges that can’t be validated, the available grant dollars would be diminished overall.
As a program officer, I was a bit of a “stickler” about budgets and in a coaching and informative way, I tried to help applicants understand the best practices for developing budgets. If you are not precise and cannot answer questions about how you arrived at a particular amount or what a line item means, you may be asked to revise the budget downward. Worse yet, you may be passed over for an applicant who estimates costs more precisely and conservatively.
* Other/miscellaneous: Another catchall area, which is allowed with limitation since most funders realize there will be some underestimating with budget items. A comfortable amount here is usually $500—$1,000, depending on the size of the budget.
The Budget Narrative
After you have completed the program budget, you will also submit a budget narrative that describes and clarifies each line item. Budget narratives explain each line item, or in simpler presentations, explain only those items that are large or items in a budget that may cause question or concern. The narrative tells the funder how you arrived at the amount listed in the line item.
Future Funding
In this section, you are asked to tell the foundation about your fundraising plan for the project. It is a good idea to mention that you have received other support if that is the case or which funders you intend to approach for support. This section can refer to your long-range plan if your plan includes some development strategy that pertains to the project. For instance, if in three years your organization decides to use a national direct mail appeal that anticipates an increase in contributions, you should mention it here.
Some foundations will ask for a three-year projected budget, including revenue projections. This, along with the budgets that we have already discussed, is included in the attachments and is not part of this section of the narrative.
Request
Aside from attachments to the proposal, you are almost finished. The request is a simple paragraph of two or three sentences that formally requests the dollar amount of the grant. It is sometimes referred to as the “ask,” and I repeat this three times in a proposal— once in the first paragraph of the cover letter, a second time in the Executive Summary, and a third time at the end of the proposal in the request section.
These are the necessary components used in a standard format for grant applications for art organizations. This will give you a great start to an application process that doesn’t have prescribed requirements.
THE COMMON GRANT FORM
Now let’s look at a format using a Common Grant Form, one of the great helpers to you in your grantwriting endeavors. As I have mentioned earlier, some foundations have adopted common grant applications and standardized practices for their grant application process. The following is a list of funders across the United States who use generic formats.
* Associated Grantmakers Inc.
* Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers
* Connecticut Council for Philanthropy
* Council of Michigan Foundations
* Delaware Valley Grantmakers
* Donors Forum of Chicago
* Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania
* Minnesota Common Grant Form
* National Network of Grantmakers
* New York/New Jersey Area Common Application Form
* Philanthropy Northwest
* Rochester Grantmaker Forum
* Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers
* Wisconsin Common Application Form
Let’s look at the Common Grant Form used in Minnesota and the requirements for the narrative section. I have provided specific coaching hints on each section and a few more writing exercises. Don’t get overwhelmed with the comprehensive nature of it, just go section by section and approach it incrementally. Remember, these are great opportunities because after you prepare these boilerplate formats, you only have to redraft certain sections to customize the proposal for other funders.
There are three main sections for this format, and in each section much detail is provided. This is very helpful because it gives you a great outline for how to write the proposal. For our practice purposes, the examples used will come from a variety of proposals and samples that I have written. For our general role-play, we will use the scenario of an art organization (a music school) that is requesting support for its summer youth program.
The first section of the Common Grant Form introduces the organization in all its finery. This section “presents” the organization to the funder and provides the basic facts of who you are. This section is one of those that, once written, will need little revising and customization to be used again. It is a standard section and helps alleviate the rewriting burden.
Organizational Information
A. Brief summary of organizational history, including the date your organization was established
B. Brief summary of the organization’s mission and goals
C. Brief description of the organization’s current programs or activities, including any service statistics and strengths or accomplishments. Please highlight new or different activities, if any, for your organization
D. Your organization’s relationship with other organizations working with similar missions (What is your organization’s role relative to these organizations?)
E. Number of board members, full-time paid staff, part-time paid staff, and volunteers
F. Additional information required by each individual funder
Example
The following example comes from a bona fide proposal that garnered much attention and grant support. It is too long to include in its entirety, since this particular proposal was not as brief as those I’ve preached for you to write. There are exceptions to any rule, but important to note here are the ways in which the Common Grant Form Requirement above are used to tell the story. Let’s look at a few examples for the requirements A, C, D, and F:
The following text relates to requirement A under “Organization Information” of the Common Grant Form:
WEST BANK SCHOOL OF MUSIC: HISTORY, PROGRAM, AND STRUCTURE
West Bank School of Music (WBSM) celebrates a thirty-one-year tradition (inc. 1970) that sets it apart as a unique music force in the Twin Cities community. Known for its high-quality, affordable, and customized approach to musical instruction, WBSM plans for the future with great accomplishment, new opportunities, and projects.
Celebrating our history is really about celebrating the community. Steve Antenucci, executive director of Theater in the Round, states it well in the following quote from our thirtieth year Anniversary Book, “At the time [1970], many people hoped that the presence of arts organizations would help turn the neighborhood around. In the years that followed, WBSM attracted more than 15,000 students, working under 300 faculty members. The School and Theater in the Round were joined by other theaters, music and performing groups—the neighborhood kept its character while developing one of the highest concentrations of arts groups in the country .... Now it has become commonplace to try to revitalize neighborhoods by introducing arts groups to an area. All the more reason to celebrate today in thanking the West Bank School of Music for its thirty years of service to the community—in helping make the West Bank and the Twin Cities a better place.”
When dealing with requirement C (brief description of activities), it is best to try to give information along with the idea that the organization is unique. Instead of just using lists of program names, I also put this heading in bold type and described the context of the programs. Also note in the example below that there is an emphasis on describing the population served. This is because the funder has a particular interest in this issue:
PROGRAM CONTEXT, UNIQUENESS, AND EVALUATION
WBSM provides a supportive, purposeful artistic environment for students whose needs don’t fit the kinds of instruction offered commercially or through schools focused in the classical tradition. Our uniqueness is demonstrated in the American styles of Folk, Blues, Bluegrass and Jazz music and learning that is focused on at the School. Our offerings are affordable (most competitive private instruction rate in town) and accessible to a wide range of people.
We have qualitative evaluation modes currently that provide feedback about students’ interaction with faculty for private instruction and class settings. The outreach and collaborative programs receive external evaluations, and these have been very positive and helpful in developing current programs. Feedback and observations in all settings demonstrate positive learning experiences, based on the mainstay of individualized attention and customization. Quarterly debriefings with faculty occur to process our current course. We plan to revamp our evaluation processes, to establish more metrics and broaden the scope to obtain more audience feedback.
UNIQUENESS THROUGH THE POPULATION SERVED, AND ART PARTNERS
Students are attracted to the creative environment that the diversity of music brings. They crave an environment that allows them to learn in an open setting that does not mandate learning style or rigueur. As a result, WBSM brings music to approximately 450 people annually from all walks of life, from children of eighteen months to retirees, from immigrant Americans and university students, to plumbers, secretaries, doctors, and lawyers. We feel that the contribution of personal contact and the diversity it produces makes WBSM a special place for musicians of all calibers.
WBSM serves the Twin Cities area and is centered in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. The neighborhoods that are most served are predominantly located in South Minneapolis, Seward, Longfellow, and Powderhorn, to name a few. Our teachers report that students do sing and play the blues in the suburbs, and we draw students from many outlying western suburbs, including Minnetonka and Plymouth. A smaller percentage of students and faculty come from St. Paul. Our constituency is diverse, non-traditional, and although we serve people from all socio-economic backgrounds, it is the product and focus on American styles of music that draws these diverse people together in community. Although we have drawn students from as far away as Moorhead and Hutchinson, our core group is the “urban musician.”
We pride ourselves in serving both artist (emerging artists included) and learner with 90 percent of faculty performing professionally. Currently, we have a 70/30 percent mix of adult learners to youth learners. The common thread with our constituency is that we attract students who need a non-conventional, less pressured learning environment. WBSM is uniquely positioned to serve the emerging musician and artist through its Ensemble Program, which trains and supports the creativity of new talent. In addition, we serve the emerging teacher and have a process that allows for artists to become mentors and new teachers.
Gender is well balanced, and we are pleased with the growing level of diverse students, faculty, and board members that we attract. Because of our diversity and our faculty’s talents, we are able to offer music instruction for some instruments in Spanish, Russian, Italian, and Norwegian. Through our performances, we serve an additional 500-600 people and community venues are also inclusive and include: Capitol City Pride in Mears Park, Hiawatha Park Neighborhood Barbeque, Pepitos Restaurant, First Universalist Church, the Federal Reserve Bank Public Concert, Lake Harriet Band Shell, Augsburg College Auditorium, and Cedarfest.
Requirement D asks you to describe your organization’s relationship with other organizations working with similar missions. Here’s an example:
PEERS AND OTHER ARTS ORGANIZATIONS
WBSM has longstanding relationships with many musical and arts institutions in the Twin Cities. We receive and make appropriate referrals to like organizations, as well as share expertise, through our Board of Directors and instructors, with other institutions. Some of these include MacPhail Center for the Arts, Augsburg Music Department, Art Start, Twin Tone Records, Homestead Pickin’ Parlor, the University of Minnesota, and the American Composers Forum. These partnerships are vital to the School, as its artistic vision is created within the community and guided through these peer relations.
And finally let’s look at an example of how to deal with requirement F, additional information required by the funder. This funder was concerned with access to the arts and arts programming.
ACCESS AND INCREASING PARTICIPATION
WBSM is a diverse organization with people of color, gay and lesbian, and people with disabilities represented on our board of directors, faculty, and student groups. The School is proud that it has achieved much toward diversity (60/40 percent white to non-white), as this was an intentional strategic goal established in 1996 when the current director came on board. As open as the School was, it did not represent in all of its levels of operations the diversity that is a core value. Because of this work and experience, WBSM has been invited to be a part of much collaboration serving communities of color.
The culture of the organization reflects diversity through the ways it operates and the freedom it allows for artists, teachers, and students to express their talents without pressure to “fit in a box.” WBSM is the only music organization that has placement in the Gay/Lesbian Yellow Pages and although we have worked hard to achieve our diversity, we are continuing to address this area, that is, attracting younger teachers and students and offering music instruction to non-English speakers. Our current mailing list reaches over 12,000 households with 25,000 names to draw from.
Our mainstay and purpose is to provide an affordable experience, and we are accessible to many people because we offer the most competitive private instruction rate in the Twin Cities and because we tailor instruction to their needs. Discounted tickets are offered at performances, and the School is on a major bus route. But more than that, WBSM accommodates people with disabilities with instructors who teach in their homes and or with techniques that accommodate the sight-impaired and learning-challenged student. Likewise, we accommodate faculty with disabilities by making referrals with students who are able to go to the instructor’s studio. As part of the strategic plan completed in 1999, we have addressed the issue of accessible space and parking at our facility and through renovating the building, we will make it wheelchair accessible.
WINNING POINTS TO GRANTWRITING
Looking back over this successful grant application, notice that in the very first paragraph, I establish the organization’s history and immediately begin to build credibility by the choice of words—that is, “unique music force,” and in the second sentence, “high quality, affordable” to describe WBSM’s program. This funder also is very keen about arts access and who is served, so these sections are bolded out with the subtitles of “Uniqueness Through Populations Served, and Arts Partners” and “Access and Increasing Participation.” Note that for the headings, I did not use a basic reiteration of the Common Grant Form requirement in the actual proposal (I only added them for you as a reminder of what had to be addressed.) The use of bolded headings will help focus the reader, but as in these examples it can also highlight some very good strengths about the organization.
The Use of Quotations
A couple things for you to note about the use of quotations: In general, they are great attention-getting tools in a proposal narrative. They break up the discourse, and when you use great quotes you enhance the narrative. In my earlier days in learning how to write proposals, I was always encouraged to use quotes. Yet I didn’t really see the need and most often didn’t want to use them unless they were really pertinent to the narrative. It wasn’t until later in my grantwriting career that I actually began to use them, and even then I did so sparingly.
The quote under “West Bank School of Music: History, Program, and Structure” is from a local stakeholder and not from a famous person, leader, or literary genius, which in my opinion makes it quite poignant. Using quotations sometimes seems superfluous to me, even though in most grantwriting classes you will be told to try and use them. When I use quotes I do so to pinpoint a theme or to set a tone, as I have done at the beginning of the chapters in this guidebook. Otherwise, I think quotes can be unnecessary.
Oftentimes when I was reading proposals, it seemed that the quote just sat there staring at me without relevance to the narrative. Quotes presented like this really do not function well and demonstrate a writing style that is poorly integrated.
But getting back to the quote in the example, it works beautifully because it talks about the history of this music school, and more importantly to a funder, it reflects well the relevance of this organization to the community.
And one last thing that may not seem apparent; because the quote talks about a place, and how the school has anchored a particular area, it gives the reader a lot of information. It says that the location of the school has been somehow improved and “revitalized”—a great word choice—and it really helps build credibility for the school.
Further Analysis of the First Section
Even though this Common Grant Form presents information using an A, B, C outline format, it may not always be necessary to set it up like this on the page. In preparing applications for funders who use common forms, it is a good idea to call and ask whether they adhere to the form exactly. Oftentimes, as long as you use the subheadings and address each item in your narrative, you will have covered all your bases. In this case, I give them more than enough of the information listed in the outline through headings and subheadings that are bolded out.
Also note that after the section describing program activities, the one entitled “Program Context” gives a much more enhanced description of the quality of the programs. It mentions evaluation and shows the funder that staff members pay attention and are forward-thinking in their program implementation. Notice that the example gives basic information, which is always couched in the message that “we have taken great care to know our community and serve it well.”
Places to Excel
In the introduction, as you describe history, mission, and program, you have a great opportunity to describe the community you serve. In the example given, much narrative is spent in helping the funder understand the people served. How you describe them is important, and tells the funder how broadly you think and the scope of your reach. As you see here, this section includes some demographic details that describe the range of people served and their backgrounds. The subheadings of constituency, volunteers, peers, and arts organizations are part of the narrative describing “Population Served.” This tells the funder that the consumer is more than a one dimensional entity.
A second place to “show off” in your narrative is in describing any thoughts, plans, and efforts to increase access to your programs. Increasing access to the arts is a fundamental priority for most funders supporting arts organizations. Any discussion or work around this is very good and bodes well for you.
Don’t Forget to Count Them
And finally in the section that discusses the governing body, staff, and key people who will operate the program, you can really excel and demonstrate strong capacity. You might want to go through this in ahierarchical way, starting with frontline staff and going up through the ranks to the Board. Since volunteerism is a central part of most nonprofits and is highly esteemed in America and with foundations, don’t forget to count your volunteers.
THE MIDDLE SECTION AND PURPOSE STATEMENT OF THE COMMON GRANT FORM
The middle section or second part of this Common Grant Form includes a choice of two modes for application, which are really helpful. They provide an outline for requests focusing on general operating support and those focusing on all other proposal types. The two most prevalent “other” types for organizations are project support and capital support.
General operating grants are the most-sought-after grants for organizations, because this support comes without any restriction. These grants can support and pay for all the indirect costs that may be difficult to calculate for a project request. These grants pay for the lights, phone, and administrative needs of an agency. They help offset midyear slumps and project deficits, and are the gravy of grants. Writing to request grants for these is like any other. The availability for these ebbs and flows, depending on the economy and a funder’s priority. In times where funders want to pinpoint their giving toward exact solutions and problems, they may not be apt to give out general operating support, so you may find limited prospects for this. Even though the mantra for grantseekers may be “gen-op support, gen-op support,” each foundation has its own set of priorities and interests. Gen-op support has certainly dwindled across the board, but some foundations still provide it.
The second category of grant request is also a highly used mode in fundraising, and this is where the individual artist can plug in with the organization. As mentioned earlier, you can either be part of an already-existing program or preplan with the art director to gain the funding necessary to hire you to launch a special project.
Using our scenario for the music school, the following components are required for the special project grant request. Review these and then get ready for a writing exercise.
II. Purpose of the Grant
* General operating proposals: Complete Section A below and move to Part III - Evaluation.
* All other proposals: Complete Section B below and move to Part III - Evaluation.
A. General Operating Proposals
1. The opportunity, challenges, issues or need currently facing your organization.
2. Overall goal(s) of the organization for the funding period.
3. Objectives or ways in which you will meet the goal(s).
4. Activities and who will carry out these activities.
5. Time frame in which this will take place.
6. Long-term funding strategies.
7. Additional information regarding general operating proposals required by each individual funder.
B. All Other Proposals
1. Situation
a. The opportunity, challenges, issue, or need and the community that your proposal addresses.
b. How that focus was determined and who was involved in that decision-making process.
2. Activities
a. Overall goal(s) regarding the situation described above.
b. Objectives or ways in which you will meet the goal(s).
c. Specific activities for which you are seeking funding.
d. Who will carry out those activities.
e. Time frame in which this will take place.
f. How the proposed activities will benefit the community in which they will occur, being as clear as you can about the impact you expect to have.
g. Long-term strategies (if applicable) for sustaining this effort.
Writing Exercise for the Statement of Need
You will need to tell a bit of “your story” in setting up this section of the Common Grant Form. You can take it from the perspective of describing the situation, the challenge or problem, or the opportunity. When faced with this “writing assignment” on a Common Grant Form, relax into it, because in most instances, they tell you exactly how to go about writing this piece. For instance, here it states, “The opportunity, challenges, issue, or need and the community that your proposal addresses.”
Using our scenario of a music school wanting to host a summer youth program, write a statement of need that helps the funder understand the purpose of the grant. Start by outlining ideas and let these questions trigger your writing concepts.
Trigger Questions and Answers to Help You Write
What are the priority needs for the community and music school, and how can I plug myself in?
* Teachers and students at the school would like a summer program but don’t have the program monies to offer it to an economically challenged community free of charge.
* The summer is a great time for kids to explore and try out new pursuits like making music and playing an instrument.
* The school serves kids through private lessons during the regular school year and could help them stay focused during the summer break.
* The school has always provided the most economical alternative in music instruction, and part of its mission is to increase access to musical arts to an underserved community.
As an artist, songwriter, and music teacher, how can I help the school implement a program?
* Design a summer music day camp that runs for only one week.
* Design a summer music program that runs through the summer.
* Find two other teachers to collaborate with me.
* Be available to the school director to develop the program and meet with potential funders and partners.
We are ready to write, given that we have identified the community’s needs and how we may plug ourselves in. Now, in the role-play of you as songwriter, teacher, and grantwriter, compose a short paragraph that tells the funder that you have partnered with the music school to implement a summer program, and you will be addressing the needs that you identified in the above list.
Even though this is a role-play situation, try to write something and even make up statistics and scenarios to support your premise to the funder. That premise is: Through planning and assessment, we have identified the need to provide musical programming through the summer to youth grades 7 to 9 who do not have access to musical instruction.
Remember, we are only addressing the “A” and “B” parts of the Common Grant Form’s middle section, “Purpose of the Grant.” Here is the replay in case you need another reminder: Describe the opportunity, challenges, issue or need, and the community that your proposal addresses. Describe how that focus was determined and who was involved in that decision-making process.
Here are a couple of examples written in different styles. This will help you see how you can customize one description into another and see the different approaches to writing this piece.
Statement of Need and Purpose of the Grant #1
WBSM requests $5,000 from the Great Foundation to implement a music enrichment program for forty-five underserved youth in three communities. Monies will be used for direct programming, planning, and curriculum development.
NEED FOR THE PROGRAM
Through the assessments, analysis, and focus groups that were part of the strategic plan, we have determined the need for an increase in youth programming. The following groups have been identified as groups who are underserved and/or who have contacted the School for collaboration:
* At-risk students in the Daytons Bluff neighborhood (they requested voice, violin, and music enrichment)
* Students who are home-schooled and whose parents or home teacher need community support to fulfill the arts and cultural aspects of their students’ learning
* Teens and youth in grades 7-12
Our hope is to implement this program and reach out to greater numbers of youth who otherwise would not have the opportunity to access music programs. The project will serve youth who wouldn’t normally be able to afford to study or “play” with music.
Statement of Need and Purpose of the Grant #2
NEED FOR THE PROGRAM: THE SITUATION/ OPPORTUNITY
WBSM has had a phenomenal year with many new developments. Through our strategic planning process, we have assessed a need to deepen our commitment to youth programming. In 1999, we obtained grant monies from the Minneapolis Arts Commission to pilot a new program serving at-risk youth at the Hennepin County Home School. In addition, we acquired scholarship monies for young adults and will be able for the first time in the School’s history, to bring music instruction to students who are not able to pay.
Programming in early musical development of children in grades K-6 and youth grades 7-9 are areas on which we have focused our new curriculum. Our hope is to implement this program and reach out to greater numbers of children who otherwise would not have the opportunity to access music programs. The project described below will serve youth who wouldn’t normally be able to afford to study or “play” with music.
Through the proposed program, WBSM will serve forty-five children and youth living in the Daytons Bluff neighborhood of St. Paul. Ninety percent of these participants are Hmong and are economically disadvantaged. The project was designed with youth input. All participants will be girls, and many may have challenges with English and academics. East Side youth and Asian youth are currently at risk of gang involvement, to which this program would be a preventive. At the very least, it would give these kids the opportunity to explore musical expression.
Comparing the Two Examples
These examples are similar in their main message, which tells the funder that indeed thought, assessment, and planning has been put into developing this program. The first example is very concise and through the use of bullets identifies the core group of people to be served. If there was a funder who specifically served any of these groups, youth, at-risk youth, home-schooled students, and so on, this could be a perfect fit.
These examples give pertinent information about the number of youth who will be served. It’s a very helpful piece of information to tell the funder that the request of $5,000 will serve forty-five students. Funders and program developers do the math, and they’ll know that this program costs the funder approximately $111 per student. Ask yourself, are the costs effective? In this case, the answer is yes. It is largely dependent upon the activities and what the outcomes are, and these must balance overall with the need of the program. You can make a judgment on the effectiveness of this grant and how far-reaching the impact on the community would be.
Each of the examples are compelling but in different ways. The first example demonstrates a compelling need by the listing of underserved youth. The second example is compelling and provides an added consideration. In the last paragraph, it mentions that this group is at risk of gang involvement, which compels the reader further by realizing that this program would be a helpful intervention.
A Great Set-Up
The problem statement is set up in such a way that it draws the reader in with a compelling rationale that isn’t too dramatic. When we talk about the needs and problems in society, it is one thing to paint a realistic picture and to catalyze a funder into action, but it is another thing to paint a picture that is so dire and negative that any solution would be hard pressed to work. The key is to find a balance in how you present these needs and to set up naturally the next section. It’s like you are saying here is this problem, and sound the horns, here is the solution to save the day.
As you may notice, we are still in the middle section of the Common Grant Form, describing the solutions and activities of the grant. Let’s look at a sample description for the activities for this request:
ACTIVITIES
To meet the identified need and request for youth programming, the West Bank School of Music will launch a special music program for youth in grades K-6 and 7-9. Through interactive songs, musical games, and hands-on experience, the program will focus on developing musical concepts and musician skills. For youth in grades K-6, we will introduce the families of musical instruments, make percussion instruments, and provide song creation in instrument/voice.
For youth in grades 7-9, we will host a four-day camping experience on Bay Lake in Northern Minnesota. Music theory, practice, and play will be integrated with the outdoor camping experience.
Goal 1: Reach out to underserved children and youth in grades K-6 and 7-9 in the Daytons Bluff neighborhood of St. Paul.
Goal 2: Create and implement a diversified marketing and outreach plan that embraces the organization’s values in reaching new audiences of underserved families, individuals, and students, and increase visibility in communities of color.
Goal 3: Write youth music curriculum that can be disseminated/ replicated with a variety of youth groups.
OBJECTIVES/TIMELINE: AUGUST 2007 THROUGH AUGUST 2008
Implement Pre-Project Planning with faculty experts in working with targeted age group. August-September 2007.
Create curriculum. January-March 2008
Recruit students by collaborating with Portage for Youth (they will provide access to the greatest number of Hmong youth in need) and/or advertise, market, and reach out to family communities through special notices in Parent magazine, and other family venues. March-June 2008
Host the summer program serving twenty to thirty students in grades K-6 and ten to fifteen students in grades 7-9. July 2008
Encourage adult and peer mentoring through the program assistants working with the music teachers. July 2008
Evaluate program activities and outcomes and write youth music curriculum. September-December 2008
KEY PEOPLE WHO WILL CARRY OUT THESE GOALS AND AVAILABLE RESOURCES
The Arts Director has an eclectic background that blends the skills of administration with her own creative expression in poetry and prose. She will work with the lead teacher and singer/songwriter, who has over twenty years experience creating youth music programs.
Most funders (and their grant applications) will require that you identify goals and objectives, about which we have talked in previous narratives. Some also require that you identify your outcomes and/or the impacts of these methods and activities. As you will see in this next section, which deals with evaluation, you will have a great opportunity to really dig down into the core of program development, showing the results and outcomes.
THE THIRD SECTION OF THE COMMON GRANT FORM
The third section of the Common Grant Form follows a thread from activities, goals, objectives, outcomes, and impacts to how you will measure and see these impacts. Here is what the form requirements state:
III. EVALUATION
A. Please describe your criteria for success. What do you want to happen as a result of your activities?
B. How will you measure these changes?
C. Who will be involved in evaluating this work (staff, board, constituents, community, consultants)?
D. What will you do with your evaluation results?
Responding to these four questions will take a bit of thinking. Standard answers for describing the evaluation process typically focus on the methods of evaluation and who will help evaluate the efficacy of a project—the “B” and “C” of this third section. These are the easier pieces to think about and write, but this format pushes us to think in a broader, deeper way about evaluating a program. Let’s look closely at the concepts of criteria, results, and result distribution or dissemination, which are presented in A and D of the “Evaluation” section.
The Evaluation and Outcomes Grantmakers Usually See
The following is an example of what grantmakers usually see in response to this section. Like the budgeting aspects of grantwriting, evaluation has people running into the hills mostly because they don’t understand it.
For our scenario of a summer music camp, here are some outcomes that may be relevant:
Increase the number of students who will pursue creative development in music study.
Increase the number of students who can express their talents comfortably singing or performing musically with their peers.
As you can see, the example is written in general terms. Sometimes this will be the case, as it may be difficult to quantify your activities. Yet you are striving to quantify your effects. As is requested through the questions in this section, you need to tell a funder more than this. You need to quantify your results. Some of you ask, but how? Let’s see if this helps and makes sense.
How to Quantify the Impact
In the example that we have been working with, where you are introducing music to a new group of youth, a way to quantify this would be to identify the number of people there are in any given client or consumer group that you are working with. Then identify a fair estimate of the number of people who will be affected by this. For instance, in this case approximately forty-five children will be introduced to music. So that is one quantified result. But it is only the first layer of program impact; try to think deeper and see where it leads.
You may ask, of the forty-five children, how many will choose to study music long term, since that would be an interesting outcome. Also, if you recall, this program was a diversion from teens getting into trouble, and thus it would provide an outlet for them. You could identify a reasonable estimate of how this could lead to a decrease in delinquent behavior, if you choose to identify the number of police calls made to this neighborhood, and/or the numbers of altercations and incidents of youth misbehavior.
Rethinking/Rewriting the Outcomes
Let’s use quantifiable methods to rethink our outcomes, to make the impacts as relevant as possible to the community. With the idea that this program will prevent teens from doing harm to themselves and the community, you could rewrite the following:
There will be a 25 percent decrease in the number of policeinvolved incidents related to youth for this neighborhood.
This youth group will report 100 percent of its participants to be free of any altercation, delinquency, or youth crisis during the project period.
These outcomes relate to the larger community and address some of the problems and needs related to youth at risk. Outcomes that focus on a societal problem blended with those that focus on the musical aspects of the youths’ learning would be more holistic. So the outcomes would look something like this:
All participants will report that the program has been fun, and the introduction to musical play has benefited their lives.
Additionally, of the youth participating, 10-25 percent will make goals to pursue ongoing music study and instruction.
There will be a 25-75 percent decrease in the number of police-involved incidents related to youth for this neighborhood.
This youth group will report 100 percent of its participants to be free of any altercation, delinquency, or youth crisis during the project period.
The Rest of Our Evaluation Assignment
So with the results and outcomes we have rewritten, you have the core of what the impacts could be. You have answered part of the “A” of this third section. We have not yet addressed the other questions but have done the very necessary work of quantifying our success. Given how we have thought about this project in our rewriting exercise, let’s address the rest of the assignment, then analyze it a bit. Here’s an example of how it may be presented.
PROGRAM CRITERIA
The criteria that we have selected for these programs are generally the criteria we work with to determine the success and relevance to our mission, which is to provide high-quality musical instruction, to allow people to develop their musical talents, and specifically for this special group of youth, to engage them in constructive pursuits.
EVALUATION METHODS AND DISSEMINATION
We will measure these outcomes throughout the program and gather statistics related to neighborhood delinquency, and so on, from the police at the beginning of the program, mid-program, and end of the program. We will also have a blind survey of our participants at similar program junctures to monitor ongoing progress. To disseminate our program results, we will provide the funder with a standard report, but we will work within the neighborhood association to publicize the projected successful outcomes as they relate to a secure neighborhood and secure youth. Finally, program effectiveness, as demonstrated through participants’ abilities, will be showcased at the end of the session through a youth-organized cabaret, which will culminate and celebrate students’ musical talents.
What These Outcomes Mean to an Artist
As an artist collaborating with an arts organization, you can see the impact of your work on the broader community. Facilitating arts learning, appreciation, and sharing provides opportunities to intervene in society in very helpful ways. As you can see in the examples, not only will you be able to create art, but also you will be able to create positive change in the lives of people. The impact of “your” art in collaboration with the larger community has a profound effect on that community, and more importantly, the human condition.
CONCLUDING THE COMMON GRANT FORM
Yes, indeed, this example of an evaluation process will get noticed. It may cause questions to come up from the funder—especially the aspects of delinquency, etc. In any program where behavior changes are made, unless you are doing psychological exams and intensive surveying, your best bet is to look outside for statistics and creative ways to measure your outcomes. Any real engagement with funders about program development, goals, objectives, and the outcomes that affect a community is the heart of grantmaking. It is more than seeking and giving grants, it really is about making positive changes in communities.
At this point, your narrative work is pretty complete. Give yourself a pat on the back, and take a short break. You can even reflect and think about how great this process really is, and that once you plug into a community, grants really can be just around the corner.
In the “finishing” of the proposal, you only need to gather a few attachments and send off your packet of information. Let’s move on to the next chapter for the finished product and get a few tips on how to present it in the best light.
THE GRANTS ZONE
Grant applications that have open formats still do best with brief and concise writing.
Organizational grantseeking holds great promise and provides many opportunities, so try to find alignment with peer art groups.
The outcomes, evaluation, and ways to determine your efficacy are important aspects in arts support.
BOARD PET PEEVES
Too many attachments included with the proposal.
The applicant doesn’t follow instructions for submission.
The applicant expects the Board to overlook a sloppy application.