Grants

2/11/2004

guidelines for grants

POINTS TO REMEMBER

Trying to make it in the music industry is tough enough without the added stresses of trying to pay for everything. Many a fine band or artist dissolves into oblivion due to financial burdens holding back the development of their careers. Luckily there are wonderful folk who are prepared to give varying degrees of financial support to musicians for any number of projects.

Often, the criteria are merely a proven track record at trying to make it. The next step is getting the funding over and above the 300 other artists who want that grant too!

Here in Adelaide, the most sought after financial support for many artists is Arts SA’s Recording Assistance Program. The details of which are laid out below.

But having said that we have also included links to other grants and funding websites which you will hopefully find useful.

BUT BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING, if you are not experienced at writing grant applications, please read the tips and suggestions from Anne Wiberg of Music Business Adelaide. Anne has written more applications than most of us would ever dream of and is more than happy to share her experiences. Who knows, it just may give you the edge that gets YOU that grant.

TIPS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR GRANT APPLICATIONS

Important points to remember:

Preparing grant applications is always stressful and difficult so give yourself plenty of time to write several drafts.
Each grant body has different eligibility criteria and guidelines – make sure you understand them and follow them very carefully.
There is never any guarantee as to who is funded in each grant round. It is always worth trying again and again.
Each round for grants, regardless of the grant body, is assessed independently from previous rounds. If you were successful once, it does not guarantee your success in the future, however, next time you might be!
Often, but not always, grant bodies have ‘assessment bodies/panels’ whose membership changes regularly, as do their priorities.
Grants are not available usually for projects that have already commenced or have already occurred

PREPERATION

Start preparing early!
Always know exactly for what category/board you are applying.

Know who the grant application is going to (which committee, who is on the committee, which department etc).

Be clear about the grant body’s objectives and goals as an organisation.

Be clear about your objectives and vision.

What are you wanting to do and how? Who are the key players? Dates? Timelines? What do you expect to achieve with the project?

Write a brief of your project before commencing to answer questions in the application form.

Read the entire grant application form and the guidelines first before commencing to write it up.

Always read the eligibility criteria very carefully before commencing to write up the application.

Check whether you can post-mark your application on the due date or whether the grant body has to receive it by the due date!

Contact the relevant ‘project officer’ to discuss your idea/application before you commence writing the application.

Check who else has been funded and for how much in previous rounds (information is available usually in annual reports, websites etc)

Be realistic about your budget – obtain quotes, check rates for artists/personnel, venue hire costs etc. (Assessment panels are often made up of people who have prepared many applications themselves and would know if your figures are not accurate). Try and keep the budget to a total figure that the grant body generally funds.

If you have other funding sources for the same project, make sure they are mentioned in your application. This may also include “in-kind” sponsors, contributors.

Understand the ‘jargon’ and terminology used by the grant body.

Get someone else to read your application for feedback. The application needs to make sense to people who do not know about the project.

Ensure that you answer each question – very specific responses to the actual question are required. Most forms have limited space for answers so the answers have to be succinct, but need to cover a lot of material.

Start chasing support letters/support material (eg. promotional material, CV’s, biographies, and audio/visual material) well in advance to avoid unnecessary pressure close to the deadline.

AVOID

Leaving the writing up until the day before it is due.

Missing the deadline – most funding bodies will not accept late submissions (no matter how much you beg). If you have support material that will not be ready by the due date, check to see if you can submit it at a later date as long as the application form is in on time.

Creating figures in the budget – try and base the figures on quotes or realistic ‘guesstimates’

IMPLEMENTATION

Check what requirements the grant body specifies regarding acknowledgments – i.e. do they wish to have their logo placed in promotional material?

Does the grant body wish to nominate someone to be invited to your event/project? (eg. Boards, members, assessment panels, etc)

What reporting is required during your project? Some grant bodies require interim reports as well as an evaluation report upon completion of the project.

Does the grant body wish to display signage at your project/event?

Always read the funding agreement carefully to ascertain your responsibilities as a recipient of a grant

EVALUATION

All grant bodies require evaluation and financial reports at the completion of the project.

Make sure you have thought about evaluation strategies prior to starting the project. This will make it much easier for your final report.

Some grant bodies have evaluation forms, so it is always useful to have a look at them before commencing any work on the project.

Make sure you always keep receipts for everything! Keep accurate records of all expenditure and check the budget regularly. It will make preparing the financial report much easier. Any unspent funds will usually have to be sent back to the grant body. If you have over-spent, the grant body will not make up the difference.