Professional Arts Development (PAD) grants provide funds to entrepreneurial artists to help address their business and professional development needs.  The goal of these grants is to enable artists to engage in specific professional and business development activities that will build their capacity and strengthen their ability to meet the goals of their arts business.  Professional development activities should enhance the applicant’s knowledge and skills; extend the reach of their products and services; and/or support strategic partnership projects that serve to expand audience or capacity for artists and their collaborators. 

• For a sample application to the PAD grant program, click here

Guidelines
All grant proposals should address specific goals in an individual’s professional or business plan, unless the applicant is seeking funds for the creation of such a plan.

Grant Amounts:
Grants requests may range from $250 - $750

Match:
All requests must be matched 1 to 1.  Applicant cash is an acceptable match.

Deadlines:
Applications will be accepted quarterly.  All grant-funded activities must take place AFTER the approval of the grant application.  Allow 30 days for notification of grant award.

Eligibility:

• Individual artists who are pursuing a livelihood through their artwork.  (Individuals must submit a business or professional development plan with their PAD grant application, with the exception of those artists who are applying for funds to create a business plan.)
• Applicants must be at least eighteen years of age.
• Students pursuing graduate or undergraduate degrees in an arts discipline or an arts-related subject area at the time of application may not apply.
• Applicants must be residents of the State of Rhode Island for at least twelve consecutive months prior to the date of application. Rhode Island State Law (§ 44-30-5) defines a "resident" as someone "who is domiciled in this state" or "who is not domiciled in this state, but maintains a permanent place of abode in this state and is in this state for an aggregate of more than one hundred eighty-three (183) days of the taxable year.
• Preference will be given to individuals who have not received a RISCA grant or RISCA Fellowship Award in the past.

Restrictions:
Funding for the PAD grant program is limited.  Until further notice, successful applicants may not reapply for a PAD grant.  Applicants who do not receive funding may reapply at subsequent deadlines. 

PAD grants do not support:
 -  The creation of new work, performances or exhibitions
 -  Costs associated with international travel
 -  Equipment costs including computers, cameras, paintbrushes, frames, etc

PAD grants DO support:

• Documentation of artwork or performance
• The creation of a professional or business plan
• Print and online marketing materials
• Professional conferences and workshops
• Registration and exhibition fees
• Certain travel expenses

RISCA funds may NOT be used for the following purposes:
Bricks and mortar activities and capital improvements, or for the purchase of permanent equipment.
Eliminating or reducing existing debt, or for contributions to an endowment fund.
Fundraising efforts, such as social events or benefits.
Prizes and awards.
Hospitality expenses, such as food and beverages for openings or receptions.  Under no circumstances will the purchase of alcoholic beverages be supported.
Applications where the purpose is to “regrant” or award funds using some or all of the RISCA grant funds.
Activities which are part of a graduate or undergraduate degree program, or for which academic credit is received.
Applications for projects that proselytize or promote religious activities, or which take place as part of a religious service.
Activities that are inaccessible to people with disabilities.

How to Apply:
Applicants are strongly encouraged to attend a PAD grant information session or contact Cristina DiChiera to discuss your application in detail. 

You must register by creating a name and password in the Culture Grants Online System at http://risca.cgweb.org/login.php.  You may then select and begin a Professional Arts Development (PAD) Grant application.  Incomplete applications will be eliminated from consideration.  Handwritten documents will not be accepted, nor will RISCA accept applications submitted via fax or email.  Artistic and professional support materials are a required part of the application process and must be submitted in accordance with the guidelines listed below. Because RISCA is currently in the transition phase of converting to an online application system, we will accept support materials in the form of discs, tapes and hard copy paperwork.  Our goal is to receive all grant materials online in the near future.  Therefore, we encourage applicants to submit support materials online.  Paper materials may be scanned and uploaded online or attached as word documents.  Jpegs and aiff, wav, and MP3 sound files can be uploaded online.  The system does not currently accept video uploads. 

Artistic Support Materials
Works samples are an extremely important part of the review process.  Please attempt to submit your support materials online.  It is also acceptable to submit support materials in the form of a disc containing up to 10 jpegs or a CD or DVD (see support materials guidelines below).  Please do not submit originals of important documents or artworks.
All samples should present work completed within the past three (3) years. 

• For performing artists: DVD or VHS video tape cued for a ten-minute screening; CD to a ten-minute selection for musicians. (Note: The online system cannot currently upload video and can only upload up to 4 MB of audio.) 
• For visual artists: 8-10 jpegs of recent work uploaded with your online application or on disc.  Images uploaded to the online system should be formatted to 1920 pixels x 1920 pixels and 72 dpi.  Images burned to disc should be no larger than one MB each. 

Optional: Self-addressed, stamped enveloped with sufficient postage for the return of discs and tapes or paper materials that you wish to be returned to you.

Professional support materials:
All written documents can be scanned and attached as pdfs or attached from your hard drive in the Work Samples section of the online application under Written Documents.  After uploading documents, be sure to check the box that says “Select for application” and save.

• Please submit a copy of your professional or business plan.  For information on creating a business or professional plan, go to: http://www.everycompanycounts.com/services/business-plan-consulting-support
• Please submit documentation representing the professional activities or services that the application seeks to fund.  For example: sample website pages, marketing materials by consultants whose services will be contracted, an outline of a potential business plan, etc.  Itineraries for workshops or resumes of consultants to be contracted for PAD grant activities are also acceptable. 
• Catalogues, publications, and/or reviews of exhibitions can be scanned and uploaded online or sent hard copy as additional support. You may also include reviews or feature articles from the current year.

Online applications must be submitted online by 5:00 PM on the deadline date.  Support materials must be postmarked or hand delivered by 4:30 pm EST on the deadline date to the address below:

Rhode Island State Council on the Arts
PAD Grant Program
One Capitol Hill
Third Floor
Providence, RI 02908

Application review:
All applications will be reviewed by a standing PAD Grant review committee.  Panel recommendations will be submitted to the RISCA Council, which makes all final funding decisions.

Applications will be assessed on the following criteria:

• 50% - Grant proposal is for an activity with clear strategic value and will be carried out with a high level of professionalism.  Project activities will enhance individual professional development and meet the goals of professional or business plan. 
• 50% - Support materials reveal a high level of Artistic Merit.  The artist is creating work that is formally advanced, highly creative and/or innovative or that is tied to their ethnic heritage and is rooted in a folk tradition.  The applicant’s artistic product is available and accessible to a broad audience.

Checklist:
If any part of the PAD grant application is incomplete upon the deadline, the applicant will have to defer to the next deadline. 

• Your application must be submitted online. 
• Professional Support Materials:
• Resume and/or CV of applicant (as well as partnering artists if applicable).
• Copy of professional or business plan.
• Documents representing at least one of the following: 1) Itinerary or invitation for workshops, forums, conferences, etc.  2) Contract or letter of agreement from consultant or professional advisor 3) Work samples of websites, marketing materials or relevant professional service products 4) Other examples of desired professional product or services.
• Artistic Support Materials in the form of jpegs, CD recording, or DVD of 10 minute excerpt of a fully produced film or performance. If you are unable to submit your artistic and professional support materials online, print a copy of your application and send it along with artistic and professional support materials to RISCA.