SPRING 2012 GRANT GUIDELINES

We are pleased that you are interested in applying to the Northampton Arts Council for funding, and hope these guidelines will help clarify the process for you.  Contact Sondra Peron at 587-1069 or email arts@northamptonma.gov if you need any help in preparing your application.  For your convenience, the application form may be downloaded as a pdf or word doc.

Grant Deadline

Completed applications with 14 copies and 1 set of supporting materials must be received by 4:30 pm on Wednesday, May 2, 2012, in the office of the Northampton Arts Council on the second floor of Memorial Hall, Room 5, 240 Main Street in Northampton. No late applications will be accepted.

You must include a self-addressed, stamped envelope for the return of materials submitted, or pick them up at the Arts Council office following the review process. 

Projects may start no earlier than July 1, 2012, and must be completed by June 30, 2013.

Grant Award Amounts

Grant awards are determined by the merit of the proposal and the funds available.  This spring the Arts Council will be awarding reimbursement grants in the following categories: dance, film/video, literature, mixed media, music, schools, theater, and visual arts. Last spring, the Council awarded $12,500 to 16 recipients with grants ranging from $500-$1,100.     

The Arts Council rarely awards a grant for the full cost of a project.  Organizations and individuals are strongly encouraged to support some expenses through their own budget, approach other sources for funding and seek donations of materials and labor, increasing the feasibility of the grant.

Who Can Apply? What are the Criteria?

The Northampton Arts Council Inc. funds:

• Northampton-based artists

• Artists may reside in another city; but projects must be held in Northampton, Florence or Leeds 

• Work demonstrating the highest artistic/cultural merit

• Projects that include a public component that clearly benefit the residents of Northampton such as an exhibition, literary reading or performance held in Northampton, Florence or Leeds

• Non-profit cultural and educational institutions that offer programs and events that bring arts and culture to a Northampton area audience

• Projects that are feasible

• Schools, not artists, should apply for projects that take place in schools

The Council does NOT fund:

• Grant recipients in consecutive rounds

• Projects or events completed prior to applying

• Fundraising or profit-making events that do not benefit the arts

• Continuation funding for projects already awarded a grant from the Arts Council

• More than one application by the same artist or cultural group

• General operating support

• Refreshments or food

• Money to replace municipal funding for the arts, humanities or interpretive sciences

How to Apply

Please note that the strongest applications provide clear, concise project descriptions and accurate budgets. Supporting materials are required.

• Read guidelines to determine your eligibility and note the deadline for submitting your application

• Complete the application form – it must be typed!

PLEASE DO NOT STAPLE YOUR APPLICATION!

• Deliver one signed original application form, along with 13 copies (for a total of 14 copies), and one set of supporting materials (please see below for an explanation of supporting materials) to the Northampton Arts Council offices on the second floor, Room 5, 240 Main Street no later than 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 2, 2012.

What are Supporting Materials?

The Council relies heavily on each applicant's supporting materials to assess the artistic merit of the application.  Applications submitted without supporting materials will not be considered. 

PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT A WEBSITE ADDRESS AS SUPPORTING MATERIALS.

Supporting materials may include CDs, DVDs, scripts, letters of support, resumes, promotional materials, etc. All digital media should be viewable on a Mac computer, and will be reviewed using a digital projector. 

Please remember that only one copy of supporting materials should be submitted with your application.

All supporting materials should be of the highest professional quality and need to be properly labeled with the artist's name, title, dimensions, medium and date of work. Please submit no more than ten images on a CD. Please specify section of performance or audio track you want the panel to review. The grant review committee will review a maximum of ten minutes.

Failure to follow these guidelines will jeopardize your application.

How Are Grants Reviewed?

The Council is interested in supporting work of the highest artistic/cultural merit, and relies heavily upon support materials to make this determination (see What are Support Material?).  A well-written grant that clearly articulates the benefit of the project to the Northampton community is favored by the Council.  A copy of your grant is reviewed by each board member (which is why we request so many copies!). Board members discuss each application and make funding determinations based on three main attributes, in order of importance:

• Artistic/Cultural Merit

• Relative Community Impact

• Project Feasibility (realistically achievable regarding cost)

The Northampton Arts Council reserves the right to accept or reject applications within the stated guidelines and is responsible for making its best judgment of an application's intrinsic value.

Grant Notification

Applicants will be officially notified by mail of the Council’s decision no later than June 30, 2012. 

What Happens if You Receive a Grant?

Funds are awarded on a reimbursement basis only.  Request for payment must be made within twelve months of notification of grant award. In addition, all successful applicants must properly credit the Northampton Arts Council, Inc for providing funds to the project in all press materials, posters, programs, announcements, paid advertising, etc.  Failure to do so will result in loss of funding! An example of proper credit would be: "This program is supported in part by a grant from the Northampton Arts Council, Inc."

Conflict of Interest Policy

To ensure that members of the Northampton Arts Council are free from conflicts of interests, board members are required to disclose any current or prospective affiliations they or their immediate family members have with an actual or potential applicant. “Affiliations” applies to employment, board memberships, independent contractual relationships, advisory or policy relationships, substantial contributor relationships, or other financial relationships. In addition, panelists are required to disclose any past or current adversarial relationships with actual or potential applicants. Arts Council board members and staff who apply for a grant recuse themselves entirely from participating in the review process and allocation determinations.

Need Help?

Applicants may call or email questions about the grant process, their project or application any time before the deadline: 

arts@northamptonma.gov

nacads@comcast.net

413-587-1069

Mail or drop off in person completed applications (14 copies) and supporting materials (only 1 set) to:

Northampton Arts Council

240 Main Street, Room 5 (second floor)

Northampton, MA  01060

About The Arts Council

The Northampton Arts Council is a department of the City of Northampton, as well as a non-profit organization. Volunteer Councils in every city and town in the Commonwealth review grant proposals every fall and determine how state-allocated funds are to be spent in their community. Northampton’s Arts Council is unique in that we offer a second round of grants every spring funded by money the Arts Council raises throughout the year. The Arts Council’s volunteer board is appointed by the Mayor and approved by the City Council. This board is supported in its efforts by part-time staff. In addition to its granting program, the Northampton Arts Council offers arts enrichment programs, initiates public art projects, and advocates for the arts. 

Mission

The Northampton Arts Council supports and nurtures arts activities in the community, allocates arts lottery funds, stimulates public awareness and support for the arts, and works to maintain the diverse cultural heritage of Northampton.