
Project Grant Guidelines
About the
The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) is a state agency,
established in 1967 to “stimulate public interest and participation in
the arts”. We see our agency,
in the words of our mission statement, as helping to promote the advancement
and appreciation of “excellence in the arts”, by encouraging
“leadership, participation, and education in the arts for all Rhode
Islanders”.
We support the arts in
RISCA exists to support artists, organizations, and educators who
provide opportunities for our state’s citizens to learn about,
participate in and value the arts as an integral part of life in
Why we support …
…Individual
Artists
Individual artists have
always been and continue to be an essential part of community life. We acknowledge the significant
contribution that artists make to the quality and vitality of local communities
throughout our state. Through
project grants we support highly creative and talented artists who seek to
produce, exhibit, perform, teach and share their work with the public. Grants enable
Individuals interested in educational residencies or
curriculum-based education projects, contact
our Education Program.
Individuals interested in folk or traditional arts
projects or projects involving culturally diverse artists, contact our Folk/Traditional Arts Program. For Folk/Traditional Arts
Apprenticeships only, see the Folk Arts Apprenticeship Program
guidelines and the application form on our website: www.arts.ri.gov
(select Folk Arts from the menu).
…Organizations
The arts have always
been, and continue to be, an essential part of community life. Non-profit arts and community
organizations, through their programs and services, are the source of much of
the artistic activity that happens in our state. These organizations provide
opportunities for citizens to experience and participate in the arts, and help
provide a way for
people to understand their world and express that understanding in creative and
meaningful ways. Through project grants
we provide support directly to arts and non-profit organizations involved in
arts programming in ways that ensure that the arts are an integral part of life
in
…Education
The arts are an
essential part of the education of our children and youth. We acknowledge that learning in and
through the arts plays a critical role in the growth and development of our
youngest citizens. Through project
grants in this category, we support artists and cultural organizations
collaborating with schools and other educational entities, in order to:
increase access to high quality curriculum-based
arts learning for all RI children and youth
foster the professional development of artists and
educators
engage the participation of families and other
community members in arts learning for children and youth
help to ensure that all RI youth are able to
demonstrate proficiency in one or more art forms at or before graduation from
high school*
* Please note that proficiency planning grants (RICAPP)
are also available for high schools to assist with implementing the arts
proficiency graduation requirement.
Contact the Education Director
for deadlines and application.
Deadlines
Applications in the
Project Grant category will be accepted twice a year, by no later than the
following dates:
April 1 (for activities taking place from
July 1 to June 30)
October 1 (for activities taking
place from January 1 to June 30)
Only one application per
project grant applicant at each deadline will be accepted. Faxed applications will NOT be accepted.
All completed original
applications, supplementary sheets, supporting materials and required 6 copies
must be in the Council’s office NO LATER THAN 4:30PM on the deadline
date, or on the following business day if the deadline falls on a weekend or
State holiday. Incomplete or late applications will not be reviewed by the
Council.
We strongly recommend
that first time applicants meet with Council staff at least six weeks prior to the
deadline to orient new applicants and review draft applications.
Eligibility: Who may
apply…
…Individual
Artists
RISCA’s mission is
to support the work of our state’s individual artists. You must be a
current, legal resident of the State of
Applicants must be at
least eighteen years of age and a resident of the State of
Students pursuing
graduate or undergraduate degrees in an arts discipline or an arts-related
subject area at the time of application may not apply.
Individuals who are paid
staff of a non-profit organization that receives General Operating Support from
RISCA cannot apply for funding for projects that are part of that
organization's programming.
Individuals who are paid staff or proprietors of a for-profit
organization cannot apply for funding for projects that are a product or
service of that organization.
Individuals and organizations cannot apply for funding for the same
project at the same deadline.
…Organizations
All nonprofit arts,
cultural and community-based organizations that demonstrate a strong commitment
to using the arts effectively and as an integral part of their programming may
apply for project grants.
Non-profit organizations
must be incorporated in and conduct business in the State of Rhode Island, with
501(c)(3) tax exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service, governed by a
revolving board of directors, trustees or advisory board drawn from the
community at large and shown to be actively involved in the governance of the
organization.
Units of local
government (cities and towns) may apply for support. State and quasi-public state government
agencies are ineligible to apply.
If you have not yet
received the appropriate IRS non-profit determination letter you may be
sponsored by an eligible nonprofit organization. If a grant is awarded to your
organization as the sponsor of another organization, it is understood that you
as the sponsoring organization are financially, administratively and
programmatically responsible for all conditions of the grant. The sponsor is
also responsible for signing all pertinent documents and report forms. If
organizations applying through this sponsorship process have operated for more
than two years without seeking nonprofit status they must submit a written
statement explaining why they continue to operate in this manner.
Individuals
who are paid staff of a non-profit organization that receives General Operating
Support from RISCA cannot apply for funding for projects that are part of that
organization's programming.
Individuals who are paid staff or proprietors of a for-profit
organization cannot apply for funding for projects that are a product or
service of that organization.
Individuals and organizations cannot apply for funding for the same
project at the same deadline.
…Education
For organizations
applying to Education, see organization section above for eligibility
requirements.
In addition, the
following are eligible to apply:
A public school, or a college or university with
tax-exempt status
A tax-exempt school (Catholic or independent)
State-run schools (RI School for the Deaf,
For individuals applying in education, see the
individual artists section above.
Additionally: individuals
must be experienced teaching artists, either on the RISCA Education/Folk Arts
roster or with a resume and supporting materials demonstrating significant
teaching experience with the population targeted in the application. If you are considering applying in the
education area please contact the
Education staff .
Individuals interested in folk or traditional arts
projects or apprenticeships or projects involving culturally diverse artists, contact our Folk/Traditional Arts Program. For Folk/Traditional Arts Apprenticeships
only, see the Folk Arts Apprenticeship Program guidelines and the application
form on our website: www.arts.ri.gov (select Folk Arts from
menu).
What we do and do not
fund
Council support may be used
for expenses related to a specific project, such as the production,
presentation or exhibition of art, or for reasonable administrative expenses
necessary for carrying out the project.
Council support may not
be used for:
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.
Expenses incurred prior to or after the grant
cycle in which the grant has been awarded (7/1-6/30 for April 1 deadline;
1/1-6/30 for October 1 deadline).
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.
Performances and exhibitions not available to the
general public, or which are inaccessible to people with disabilities.
Evaluation Criteria
Each project grant
application is reviewed and rated by one of the Arts Council's review panels
based on the following evaluation criteria. The criteria are weighted, with
artistic quality counting twice as much as the other review criteria.
Artistic Quality/Merit -- 50% of ranking
Programs and participating
artists are of high artistic quality.
The projects are designed to expand the public or students’
knowledge of and appreciation for an art form.
For education projects: Is the artist(s) on RISCA’s
Education/Folk Arts Roster? If not,
are support materials persuasive? Does the proposal empower students to do
their own work under the artist’s creative guidance? Does the project support the work of RI
artists & teachers in collaboration?
Is the project is at least ten days. Appropriate payment of fees and other
services are provided to artists and arts professionals, with preference given
to the involvement of highly qualified
Clarity and Achievability -- 25% of ranking
The application clearly states
what it intends to accomplish and adequately addresses one or more areas of
special Council interest (see above).
In addition, the applicant provides basic information on who is involved
in the project; what will be done; when and where things will take place; why
the project should be supported with public funds; and how the applicant will
go about organizing, managing and evaluating the project. Budgets are clear, detailed, and
accurate. There is evidence that
what is proposed is achievable by the applicant, on his/her own or in
partnership with others. In the
absence of past experience, information is provided that helps make a
convincing case that this project will succeed.
For
education projects: Are goals for the project clearly stated and
realistic? Does the proposal
address education project grant guidelines? Is the project duration of ten days or
more? Is planning time for
artist(s) built in on a daily basis?
Is a preliminary schedule included?
Public Value -- 25% of ranking
The Rhode Island State Council on
the Arts is a government agency, using state and federal tax dollars paid by
all
Employing, engaging or presenting
Producing or presenting new works of art or works that strive to make significant
contributions to the advancement of the art form.
Promoting heritage and cultural diversity and diversifying cultural
participation.
Implementing arts education as a core subject area, education reform
inclusive of the arts, and life long learning in and through the arts.
Encouraging access to and participation in the arts by persons in
underserved areas.
Promoting accessibility to the arts for people with disabilities.
Applicants must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and make their
programs as accessible as possible.
Expanding the number and breadth of partnerships that work to make the
arts a vital part of community life and extend the reach of arts projects.
Making the arts a vital part of economic development and cultural tourism.
Indications are provided that the
project is supported by the community, financially and in other ways.
And for education projects only:
Curriculum Connection
The application reflects a
collaboration between the artist(s) and others within the school community
(teachers, administrators, students, parents). There are clear indications of
integration of curriculum standards/frameworks, including arts graduation
standards, with the project. A process of assessment/evaluation is visible.
Grant ranges
The Project Grant
category requires a 1:1 cash match, meaning that grant requests in this
category may not exceed 50% of the project budget. Applicants may request up to a maximum
of $10,000, or up to half the cost of the project, whichever is less.
For education projects,
organizational applicants must make a 1:1 match, with no less than half that
match in cash. This means that
grant requests may not exceed 50% of the project budget.
Individuals applying for
individual project grants or education grants do not need a match, but cash and
in-kind contributions are encouraged to demonstrate support for the
project.
What you need to submit
In addition to a signed
copy of your application you must submit support materials as listed (click here). Support materials are a required part of
the application process. They must be submitted in accordance with the
directions in the Application and Support Material Checklist. Your materials
must be received in the RISCA offices by the deadline. Incomplete applications
will be eliminated from consideration.
Handwritten documents will not be accepted, nor will RISCA accept applications
submitted via fax.
How your application is
reviewed, from beginning to end
Your application process
actually begins before the
application deadline. Applicants
are strongly encouraged to submit a draft
application at least 30 days before the deadline date. The draft will be
reviewed by RISCA staff, and you will receive feedback on your proposal.
Following the
application deadline, RISCA staff will make every effort to review your
submission. However, applicants are
ultimately responsible for the completeness and accuracy of their application.
Panel meetings generally
are scheduled within two months after a deadline. Panels, which change from
deadline to deadline, consist of artists, arts administrators, educators, board
members and individuals closely associated with the arts. They meet to evaluate and rank
applications. RISCA staff members
manage the meeting, but do not take part in the decision-making process. Notes are taken of the discussion, and
these panel comments are provided to the Council along with the panel’s
funding recommendations, for the Council’s final funding decisions.
No formal announcement
regarding a funding decision and/or a grant amount will be sent to any
applicant until after the Council Board meeting (Council meeting dates are
listed on the RISCA web site). At
that time applicants will receive official notification of the Council’s
action, as well as the panel comments.
Whether or not a grant is awarded, these comments should help in the
development of future applications to RISCA.
Applicants should expect
to receive notification from RISCA by mid-July following the April 1
application deadline, and by the end of December following the October 1
application deadline. These
notifications are, of course, affected by the passage of a state budget or the
availability of funds.
RISCA grants are judged
singly, and in competition with other proposals received in that category. Full funding is seldom awarded. If an applicant has serious concerns
regarding the action taken on an application, they are encouraged to seek
additional information and resolution at the staff level. If, after staff discussion, further
action is warranted, a grievance procedure is in place. In order to file a grievance an
applicant must establish that the Council's procedures for awarding grants were
not followed. In that instance a
letter of grievance should be sent to the Chair and RISCA's Executive Director
no later than two weeks from the date of notification from the Council.
All applicants receiving
RISCA grants must complete a final report on forms provided by RISCA (these
forms are available on the RISCA web site, at http://www.arts.ri.gov/forms).
Grant reports must be submitted within thirty (30) days of the completion of
the grant period (usually no later than the end of July), or following
completion of the project. All grantees are subject to periodic audit or review
by RISCA or the State of
Program Access and Physical
Accessibility
Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act states, in part, that “no otherwise qualified person
with a disability … shall solely by reason of their disability be
excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to
discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial
assistance.” Go to http://www.arts.ri.gov/legal and review
all federal and state requirements.
Persons with
disabilities have the right to access all RISCA-funded programs. It is the
applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all programs and facilities
meet or exceed Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards, and are
accessible to all.
If your facilities do
not meet any one of the standards of the
RISCA encourages all
applicants to ensure that web and other communications are fully accessible in
accordance with WC3 standards. For
more information on this, visit our website at http://www.arts.ri.gov/access
General terms and
conditions
All applicants must go to http://www.arts.ri.gov/legal to review
the General Terms and Conditions and Assurances information prior to submitting
an application. By submitting your
application you are agreeing to abide by all of these federal and state terms
and conditions if you receive support from RISCA.
Grant applications are considered on a competitive
basis. No applicant is guaranteed
funding at any level, even if all basic criteria have been met. Prior funding does not guarantee support
in current or future years.
All RISCA grant award programs are contingent upon
the availability of funds from the General Assembly of the State of
The applicant certifies that the information
contained in the application, including all supporting documents and
attachments, is true and correct to the best of his or her knowledge. Any fraudulent statement made in the
application will be grounds for denying a grant award.
RISCA is accountable for the expenditure of public
funds. Therefore, grantees MUST
acknowledge the Council's support with the credit line "supported in part
by the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts", wherever appropriate, and
by the display of the Council’s logo. Information on grant acknowledgement is
available on the Council’s website.
Grant funds must be expended during the grant
cycle (July 1 to June 30 for April 1 deadline awards; January 1 to June 30 for
October 1 deadline awards).
Limits of Liability
The Rhode Island State
Council on the Arts is not responsible for damage or loss of materials submitted
to its office, whether or not such damage or loss is caused by negligence of
the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, its employees or agents. All supporting materials submitted must be duplications of works;
ownership and copyright of the actual work remain with the applicant. No
original or single editions of works will be accepted.
Supporting documents
will be mailed back to an applicant only if a self-addressed, stamped envelope
with sufficient postage is provided.
Supporting documents from applications without a self-addressed stamped
envelope will be held for sixty (60) days following the award decision and may
be picked up during normal business hours, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm, at the Council
offices.
Support materials include (but are not limited to) audio tape, CD, VHS video tape, DVD, manuscripts, and slides. All support materials submitted must be duplications of works. No original or single editions of works will be accepted. Support materials will be utilized for the duration of the review process; please plan accordingly. For each item please list on the Support Materials List the title, medium, dimensions, year of completion, duration length (where applicable), and a brief description of each work.
The applicant must submit examples of recent representative work, preliminary work toward the project, or a combination of both. The applicant must be the primary force behind the work.
The following support materials are required:
Choreography: Submit a maximum of two works on VHS videotape or DVD.
Crafts: Submit a maximum of 10 slides or images on PC compatible CD (see Note on Digital Submissions).
Design Arts: Submit a maximum of 10 slides or images on PC compatible CD (see Note on Digital Submissions).
Folk Arts: The folk arts are defined as those artistic practices that have a community or family base and express that community's aesthetic heritage and tradition. The learning process is informal and is passed on from generation to generation by word of mouth, apprenticeship, and imitation. If the applicant is applying under Folk Arts, please consult the RISCA Folk/Traditional & Community Arts staff prior to application.
The applicant should submit support materials in whatever form is most appropriate (slides, photographs, audio tape, CD, VHS video tape or DVD). The applicant should consult the RISCA Folk/Traditional & Community Arts staff prior to the deadline for assistance in identifying and/or obtaining the appropriate support materials.
Interdisciplinary: Interdisciplinary art works integrate more than one arts discipline to form a single work. Submit a maximum of two works in any one of the following formats (per work): audio tape, CD, VHS videotape, DVD, a maximum of 15 slides or images on PC compatible CD (see Note on Digital Submissions). The applicant should include a brief description of the documented work on the Support Materials List. The applicant should also include SEVEN copies of any accompanying text (maximum 20 pages).
Literature (Poetry, Fiction, Plays): Submit SEVEN copies of a manuscript in one of the following forms: Poetry: a maximum of 10 pages; Fiction – a maximum of 20 double-spaced pages; Plays: a maximum of one act of a complete play. Manuscripts should be presented in typewritten, manuscript form; photocopies from journals or books are strongly discouraged.
LITERATURE MANUSCRIPTS WILL NOT BE RETURNED; PLEASE KEEP YOUR ORIGINAL.
Media Arts: Submit a maximum of two works on VHS videotape, DVD, or CD. The applicant must submit a 2-5 page treatment of any accompanying screenplay. The applicant must be the primary force behind the work. On the Support Materials List the artist should indicate his/her role in the productions.
Music Composition: Submit a maximum of two works on audio tape or CD. One copy of an accompanying score may be included.
Photography: Submit a maximum of 10 slides or images on PC compatible CD (see Note on Digital Submissions).
Theater: Submit a maximum of two works on VHS video tape or DVD.
Visual Arts: Submit a maximum of 10 slides or images on PC compatible CD (see Note on Digital Submissions).
Note on Digital Submissions: Applicants may submit a PC compatible CD (or slides) with no fewer than 8 and no more than 10 images representing artwork completed within the past three (3) years. Image files must be titled with the name of the category you are submitting in, and numbers corresponding to the numbered Support Materials Reference Sheet (For example, poetry1.jpg, poetry2.jpg, poetry3.jpg, or painting1.jpg, painting2.jpg, painting3.jpg, etc.) The sheet should includes the title, medium, size and year of completion of each work (the artist's name should not appear on this sheet.) The artist's name CANNOT appear on or alongside digital images. Any digital images labeled with the artist's name or any other personal information will be disqualified. Images must be in standard JPEG (.jpg) format, and should be no more than 800 KB in size. Images should be roughly 600 x 900 pixels. (Make sure that one dimension of the image is at least 600 pixels, and that no dimension of the image is more than 1000 pixels.) Please do not imbed images into a Power Point presentation. JPEGs will be opened using Windows Picture & Fax Viewer. If they cannot be easily opened, they will not be considered. Emailed images will not be accepted. The artist/applicant's name should be written on the CD or CD case. CDs will not be returned.
*We have recently updated our digital submissions guidelines—if you
have any questions regarding your digital submission, please call us @ 222-3880