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Valley Arts Initiative
> Music Education Fund
> Nonprofit Management
Assistance Grants
The following guidelines were posted for the last grant cycle. New grant guidelines will be available in August 2008.
General Applicant Eligibility Information
The Valley Arts Initiative is a granting program designed to increase public understanding of, and access to, an array of artistic activities sponsored by arts organizations in the St. Croix Valley.
Each year the foundation receives an award from the Wisconsin Arts Board and matches these funds with additional funds from family foundations or individual donors. This state-funded award stipulates that we re-grant the funds to deserving arts projects, that we match the award with an equal amount, and in turn, require all applicants to seek matching funds to further support their artistic endeavors.
The foundation is committed to quality arts organizations that aim to bring a wider audience to the arts. We support projects that:
- Bring a wider audience to understanding, experiencing or appreciating an artistic or cultural experience,
- Use art as a means to make connections, generate dialogue or stimulate action around a specific social issue.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE? To be eligible for a grant, the Wisconsin Arts Board requires that grantees be not-for-profit arts organizations that have been operating for at least two years prior to the application. Applicants must have a 501(c)(3) status, or must designate a fiscal agent with such a status, and have no outstanding final reports due to the St. Croix Valley Community Foundation for previous arts grants.
Ongoing programs are eligible, although projects that received previous support through this grant program are not guaranteed future support. Preference will be given to new programs or for new additions to an established program.
Grant funds must be used for artistic activity that occurs within or benefits the St. Croix Valley region. Preference will be given to organizations located in Washington & Chisago counties in Minnesota and Pierce, Polk and St. Croix counties in Wisconsin.
Applicants must show a 50 percent cash match. (For example, an applicant requesting $1,000 from the Foundation must show a match of $500.)
WHAT ARE THE FUNDIING CRITERIA?
General (5 pts)
- Is the project a new or ongoing program?
- Is the organization based in the St. Croix Valley?
Artistic Excellence and Leadership (10 pts)
- Artistic qualifications of the artist(s) and/or staff.
- Organization’s artistic leadership.
Community Benefit - The proposal demonstrates at least ONE of the following (10 pts)
- The work is approachable and accessible to a broad audience (consider access for disabled or other underserved populations).
- The project will encourage community understanding of and/or appreciation for the arts.
- The project will use art to build community relationships.
- The project will encourage dialogue and/or understanding of and/or action around a specific issue.
Management and Fiscal Responsibility (25 pts)
- The organization and staff have the qualifications and capacity to implement the project.
- The narrative includes clearly defined and achievable goals, activities and timelines.
- The narrative includes a marketing plan to reach its intended audience.
- The budget is realistic and the project is financially feasible.
- The narrative clearly defines a plan to measure whether the project meets its goals.
Project Overall (10 pts)
- Overall quality of the proposed project.
- Artistic impact on the community or the Valley as a whole
WHAT EXPENSES ARE ELIGIBLE? Grant funds must be used on projects completed between January and December 2008. Grants may not be used for uniforms and no part of the grant may be used to cover expenses incurred before the project’s start date or after its end date.
WHAT IS THE SIZE RANGE OF SCVCF VALLEY ARTS GRANTS? Grants can range from $250 up to $2,500. Proposals may be awarded partial funding.
CAN MORE THAN ONE PROPOSAL BE SUBMITTED? An organization is limited to one award in this granting cycle of January - December 2008.
HOW WILL PROPOSALS BE REVIEWED? The grant committee will review all proposals for completeness and eligibility. Then, using the criteria detailed above, they will use a ranking system to make a funding recommendation to the foundation's board of directors.
HOW SHOULD PROPOSALS BE SUBMITTED? Prepare your proposal considering the guidelines detailed on this page and on the application form and budget. Your application will consist of four parts and be no more than 5 pages in length.
- Cover sheet signed by your board chair and fiscal agent (when appropriate)
- 1-2 page proposal narrative following guidelines on the application form
- A project budget and summary of organizational finances
- The following attachments:
- A detailed organizational budget and financial statements
- 501(c)(3) tax determination letter (or 501(c)(3) letter from the organization acting as your fiscal agent
Submit a total of eight copies (including the original and seven copies) of the cover sheet, proposal narrative, project budget and attachments to:
St. Croix Valley Community Foundation
516 Second St., Suite 214
PO Box 39
Hudson, WI 54016-0039
Attn: Valley Arts Initiative
The foundation will not accept proposals sent by fax or email.
WHEN ARE PROPOSALS DUE AND WHEN WILL AWARDS BE MADE? New grant guidelines will be available in August 2008.
WHOM CAN I CONTACT FOR MORE INFORMATION? If you have further questions, contact Jill Shannon, Director of Community Partnerships at 715-386-9490 or jshannon@scvcf.org.
APPLICATION AND BUDGET FORM. The grant application and budget is available on-line in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format, Word, and Excel format. To view/download the application, click on the link below. If you need the Acrobat viewer, it is available as a free download from Adobe. Click on the icon to visit the Acrobat download page.
Application Form
Download Application Form (Adobe)
Download Application Form (Word Doc)
Budget Form
Download Budget Form (Word Doc)
Download Budget Form (Excel)
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