How to Prepare and Submit an Application

How to Apply/State Arts Agencies and Regional Arts Organizations

On- and Off-Year Applicants

The Arts Endowment uses staggered, multi-year review for Partnership awards. The SAAs and RAOs listed below (on-year applicants) are required to submit full-scale applications, including a plan and application narrative:

All other SAAs and RAOs (off-year applicants) have simplified requirements.

eGRANT

SAAs and RAOs are encouraged to submit their applications electronically through the Arts Endowment's eGRANT on-line application system. The eGRANT system has been specifically designed for our state and regional partners:

• SAAs and RAOs are pre-registered.
• Key fields will populate automatically based on the registration information.
• Forms are tailored for a SAA or RAO application.
• Information entered for the first application won't need to be re-entered in future years (e.g., the staffing and board membership lists). However, it can be updated.
• Questions can be e-mailed directly to the Arts Endowment's State & Regional staff.

You also can compose your narrative and submit attachments using your preferred word-processing program.

Log on to the Arts Endowment’s Web site and you will be guided through the application process by on-screen instructions and helpful hints. The result will be an application identical to one submitted in hard copy. Important: Applicants will still need to mail certain material to the Arts Endowment to complete their application.

The eGRANT system will accept applications until 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on October 1, 2004. If you submit your application through eGRANT, the required mailed material must be postmarked (or show other proof of mailing) no later than October 5, 2004.

If you are not submitting your application through eGRANT, instructions and forms are available upon request from the State & Regional staff.

Please read the "Application Requirements" below prior to proceeding to the eGRANT Online Application.

The eGRANT online application system was conceived and developed by the Carnegie Mellon Center for Arts Management and Technology (CAMT). The National Endowment for the Arts gratefully acknowledges CAMT and the H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University for the generous donation of expertise, time, and resources that has made this initiative possible.

Application Requirements

* Required every year.

1. * The Application Form Part I.

2. * The Staffing Form.

3. * The Board Membership Form.

4. * An Application Narrative.

• For off-year applicants, a narrative of up to one page describing any substantial changes in your organization, plans, or process.

• For on-year applicants (SAAs and RAOs that are required to submit full-scale applications), a narrative not to exceed 18 numbered pages. Narratives should address the points for state arts agencies or for regional arts organizations.

5. * For RAOs, the Revenue Sources Information Sheet.

6. The most current strategic plan (not to exceed 25 numbered pages) that conveys your agency’s mission, vision, goals, objectives, and major strategies. More detailed work plans or program implementation plans are not needed.

7. For SAAs, supplementary material that will enhance a reader’s understanding of your agency’s strategies and accomplishments in arts education. Each set of material must be submitted in an indexed binder no larger than 1 1/2".

8. Any other supplementary material specifically referenced in your Application Narrative.

NOTE: Supplementary material (items 7 and 8) will be reviewed by lead panelists. It may be reviewed by other panelists to the extent that time permits.

When the Arts Endowment’s appropriation for FY 2005 is determined, agencies in the fifty states and the two jurisdictions with populations of more than 200,000 will be informed of their Challenge America: Reaching Every Community allocation, of the date by which a Challenge America: Reaching Every Community addendum will be due, and of any special instructions for preparing the addendum.

Following panel review of applications, SAA applicants will be informed of the dollar amounts that are recommended for the Basic State Plan, and the Arts Education and Arts in Underserved Communities components. Regional arts organizations will be informed of the amounts that are recommended for the Basic Regional Plan and the NEA Regional Performing Arts Touring components. With these dollar recommendations, agencies will receive Application Form Part II with instructions for providing summary budget information for each component of the Partnership Agreement.

The eGRANT system will accept applications until 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on October 1, 2004. If you submit your application through eGRANT, the required mailed material must be postmarked (or show other proof of mailing) no later than October 5, 2004.

Items submitted through eGRANT:

• Both on- and off-year SAAs will submit items 1-4 on-line.
• Both on- and off-year RAOs will submit items 1-5 on-line.
• On-year SAAs and RAOs may submit item 6 on-line (preferred) or mail it separately with items 7 and 8, as applicable.

Items 4 and 6 (if submitted on-line) will be submitted as an attachment using your own word-processing program. Use a 12 point or larger font and leave a margin of at least one inch on the top, bottom, and sides of all pages.

Mailed material:

• On-year SAAs and RAOs will mail item 6 (if not submitted on-line) and items 7 and 8, as applicable.

Please submit your mailed application material in three collated sets.

If you are not submitting item 6 on-line, submit your plan on single-sided 8-1/2 inch by 11 inch white paper. Do not use colored paper. Type or wordprocess the plan using a 12 point or larger font and leave a margin of at least one inch on the top, bottom, and sides of all pages. Use only paper clips or rubber bands to fasten your plan; no staples, please.

If the plan is in the form of a bound or color printed document, please send 21 copies. Place one copy in each of the three collated sets. Submit the additional eighteen copies separate from the collated sets.

Send mailed material to:

State & Regional Office
Room 710
Partnership Agreements
National Endowment for the Arts
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20506-0001
Be sure to include a complete return address on your package.

The National Endowment for the Arts continues to experience lengthy delays in the delivery of First-Class mail. In addition, some or all of the First-Class and Priority mail we receive may be put through an irradiation process. Support material (e.g., CDs, videos, slides) put through this process has been severely damaged. Until normal mail service resumes, please consider using a commercial delivery service, particularly if you are sending time-sensitive material.

Narrative for State Arts Agencies

Please address the following points in an application narrative of up to 18 pages. With the exception of H. Budget Chart, which must be the only item on the last page of your narrative, you do not have to follow this order or format, as long as the requested information is communicated effectively.

A. Environment

1. Describe major developments or conditions that influenced your plan and the programs (including arts education) of your agency. They may be cultural, demographic, economic, geographic, natural, political, educational, or technological.

2. Identify those communities or groups that your agency considers to be underserved.

B. Planning

Describe your agency's most recent planning process. Be sure to:

1. * Describe provisions for public meetings on the state plan that are open to all interested parties and preceded by public notice.

2. * Summarize recommendations arising from the public meetings and your agency's response to them.

3. Describe how the public, underserved groups, local arts agencies, educators, education organizations, other potential partners, artists, and arts organizations are involved in the planning process. In addition to public hearings, describe other means of involvement such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, roundtable forums, or fieldwork.

4. Describe how the completed plan is communicated to the public.

* Information required by Section 5(g) of the Arts Endowment's legislation.

C. Leadership

Summarize the following from your most current strategic plan:

1. The goals for your agency’s arts education program. Identify or describe those objectives, strategies, and other elements of the plan that further the achievement of the three partnership goals for arts education. If any of the three are not addressed in your plan, please explain. Note how the program is connected to national, state, or local arts education standards.

2. Any strategies or elements that focus on underserved communities. Your response should include, but not be limited to, those strategies or elements that:

• Further local cultural development in partnership with local arts agencies, state-wide assemblies of local arts agencies, or other community-wide arts developers.
• Foster cultural diversity including your state’s folk & traditional cultural heritage.

3. Any additional information that would help to give a balanced picture of the leadership that your agency provides through its plan.

D. Evaluation

1. Describe up to five of your agency’s most significant accomplishments and their outcomes since your last full application. Put them in context by explaining their significance; the impact they have had on your agency, partners, and constituents, as appropriate; and how they contributed to the implementation of your agency plan.

2. Describe how your agency evaluates success in achieving its specific goals or objectives. Indicate how those served, including underserved groups, are involved in the evaluation process.

3. If objectives were not met or were met only partially, explain why.

4. Describe any changes your agency plans to make based on evaluation.

E. Communication

Describe your agency’s efforts to make the public more aware of the benefits of the arts including arts education.

F. Collaboration

1. Describe public or private partnerships that extend your agency’s resources and effectiveness. Discuss the strategic nature of the partnerships, how they relate to the goals identified in your planning process, and the outcomes and results of working in partnership.

2. Describe any efforts to extend your agency’s resources and effectiveness through multi-state regional, national, or international cooperation including those that involve regional arts organizations and national service organizations. Discuss the strategic nature of the partnerships, how they relate to the goals identified in your planning process, and the outcomes and results of working in partnership.

G. Access

Describe how your agency makes its programs accessible to individuals with disabilities.

H. Budget Chart

On the last page of your narrative, provide a one-sentence description of each of your agency’s program and activity categories for the first fiscal year of the proposed agreement, with projected dollar allocations (include Federal and non-Federal sources). To help panelists understand the relationship between the budget and the application narrative, identify clearly the categories that relate to arts education, underserved areas, or those for which allocations are determined by your legislature.

See the example below for a suggested budget chart format. Agencies may develop their own budget formats as long as the required information is included.

Narrative for Regional Arts Organizations

Please address the following points in an application narrative of up to 18 pages. With the exception of F. Budget Chart, which must be the only item on the last page of your narrative, you do not have to follow this order or format, as long as the requested information is communicated effectively. If you are applying for NEA Regional Performing Arts Touring Program support, be sure to address fully the "Review Criteria" that relate to this initiative.

A. Planning and Program Development

Describe how your plan and programs are developed including:

• The involvement of member state arts agencies as primary partners in planning.
• The steps taken to ensure that programs respond to the priorities identified by each member agency.
• The involvement of other supporters and constituents including underserved groups.
• The involvement of presenting organizations and touring artists and companies (for organizations that apply for NEA Regional Performing Arts Touring Program support).

B. Performing Arts Touring

1. Summarize those elements of your most current strategic plan that would be supported under the NEA Regional Performing Arts Touring Program.

2. Describe the steps that are taken to ensure that activity is well distributed among all member states.

C. Implementation

Describe provisions for funding decisions that take into account artistic excellence and merit. Organizations applying for the NEA Regional Performing Arts Touring Program should describe the process by which these funds will be distributed including the criteria and expertise involved, and provisions for ensuring that a high proportion of activity takes place in underserved communities.

D. Evaluation

1. Describe up to five of your organization’s most significant accomplishments and their outcomes since your last full application. Put them in context by explaining their significance; the impact they have had on your organization, partners, and constituents, as appropriate; and how they contributed to the implementation of your organization’s plan.

2. Describe how your organization evaluates success in achieving its specific goals or objectives. If objectives were not met or were met only partially, explain why. Describe any changes your organization plans to make based on evaluation. If applicable, be sure to describe how activities supported under the NEA Regional Performing Arts Touring Program are evaluated and attach a copy of your most recent evaluation of those activities.

3. Describe how you report back to your member state arts agencies on grants and services going to each state. Attach a copy of your most recent report to members on the benefits accruing to their states.

E. Resource Development and Management

1. Using the Revenue Sources Information Sheet, outline your organization’s revenue sources in the past and current fiscal years.

2. Describe the progress your organization has made in diversifying its revenue mix in the past three years and the steps it will take to further diversify its revenue mix during the period that is covered by this narrative.

3. Describe the steps that your organization has taken and is taking to control overhead costs and maximize the cost effectiveness of its operations.

4. Describe your organization’s efforts to extend its resources and effectiveness through partnerships and/or other means. Discuss the strategic nature of the partnerships, how they relate to the goals identified in your planning process, and the outcomes and results of working in partnership.

F. Budget Chart

On the last page of your narrative, provide a one-sentence description of each of your organization’s program and activity categories for the first fiscal year of the proposed agreement, with the projected Partnership Agreement and non-Partnership Agreement dollar allocations. Indicate those categories for which NEA Regional Performing Arts Touring Program funds would be used.

See the example below for a suggested budget chart format. Organizations may develop their own budget formats as long as the required information is included.

National Endowment for the Arts
webmgr@arts.endow.gov