Tips: Writing a Grant Application for the Northampton Arts Council
1.Read the Northampton Arts Council LCC Grant Priorities and Guidelines carefully. Does your project meet our granting guidelines and priorities? If you are unsure, reach out to a Northampton Arts Council member by emailing arts@northamptonma.gov.
2.Check out these sample applications to get a feel for how to write a successful application.
3.Secure your project venue and date(s) before you submit.
4.Collect Supplemental Materials that illustrate and support your proposal. When NAC members read your proposal, they rely on supplemental materials to understand your project and get a sense of the quality of the work you want to share with our community. Each project (and medium) will demand different kinds of supplemental materials, but please emphasize the ART part of your project. We score all proposals on “Artistic Merit,” and supplemental materials are your chance to show off. Sometimes it is appropriate to include portfolio samples. If this is the case, choose your very best work! More info about supplemental materials is included in the Grant Guidelines.
a. PDF is the only way to submit your supplemental materials into a single document. Check out this instructional video.
b. If you submit video or audio, please specify which portion of the file you would like us to focus on. The vast number of applicants we get each round gives us limited time to review supplemental materials, and we want to see the most essential segment.
c. Do NOT submit an artist's website URL instead of supplemental materials. Use the accepted file formats to collect and submit all the information you want to share with us. You can share a publicly available Google Drive link, YouTube link, Vimeo link, Dropbox link, or other publicly available link to images, videos, or other supplemental materials you would like to include, including resumes, letters of support, newspaper articles, new media articles, etc.
d. Create a document using MS Word or Google Docs. Put all of your links into the document. Save the document as a PDF. Upload the PDF to the supplemental materials section of the application.
5.Include EVERYTHING in your proposed budget. We want to know about all the labor, space, and supplies that will go into making your project a reality. This often includes in-kind donations, which you should include in your budget. The Northampton Arts Council rarely awards the total cost of a project, so make sure you have plans for additional funding sources (including in-kind donations). Our application asks what you will do to make up for any shortfalls in funding. We recommend developing a plan for additional fundraising (as opposed to a cut to your program plans).
6.Have a friend, colleague, or NAC member review your proposal for clarity before you submit it. Starting your proposal in word-processing software and then copying & pasting into the application makes this easier. Here’s a practice application to get started.
7.If you don’t have access to a computer, use a computer at Forbes Library or Lilly Library. The librarians at Forbes even offer one-on-one and drop in Computer Help!
How to Write a Summary of the Proposed Project
Less is more; edit or get help with editing for brevity. Please provide the who, what, when, why, and how of the proposed project. See the example application above for guidance or get a friend or peer to read your application for clarity.
How to Get Help
If you have a technical issue or a question about the online application, please visit https://massculturalcouncil.org/communities/local-cultural-council-program/faqs/ or contact the MCC help desk at 617-858-2721 or email grants.team@mass.gov.
Check out the LCC YouTube channel for help: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0y5ieOo4y5BOmlKYNRtT68rMy83FFH-e&si=uqT8CtHTYONt0WDB
Need to contact the LCC Program officer? Sommers Smith, 617-858-2714, sommers.smith@mass.gov.
Need Guidance from a Northampton Arts Council Member?
Please send your questions to arts@northamptonma.gov.