IF SELECTED, you will have a week to get us this critical info:
Make sure you can answer these questions in our short timeframe.
Brainstorm these essentials:
- What is the project? Use concrete language so reviewers can visualize it.
- Who’s involved? Projects rarely happen solo. Identify partners and collaborators. We will need contact info, titles, and how they will contribute.
- What are the project activities and how they will be accessible by the public?
- Where and when? Funders expect public engagement.
- Who’s your audience? Avoid “everyone.” Define who the project serves, who benefits and why.
- Why does the project matter? Does it fill a gap, solve a need, spark a need conversation, or offer a fresh perspective? Explain.
- How will it happen? Outline the steps, create a timeline, and determine all the required resources such as supplies, space, people, and time.
- Write a concise 50-word summary that captures all these points. And it can serve as a good project pitch when people ask you what you are working on.
Budget Basics
Your budget tells the story of how the project comes to life. A clear, realistic budget builds trust and shows you’ve thought through the details.
- List everything: Materials, venue rental, marketing, installation help, shipping, signage, travel, and your time, etc.
- Be specific: Avoid vague estimates. Break down costs (e.g., $40/hr × 80 hours = $3,200).
- Research prices: Include taxes, shipping, and assembly and installation time.
- Mainframe has to provide a 50% match and will also add in our time to manage the project and final grant reporting. That means your request can be $2,500 - $12,500. Mainframe staff will help navigate this!
Supplemental Materials/Portfolio/Work Samples
- You will need to submit 5 high quality images or video clips that showcase your best work and prove you can deliver.
- Follow requirements: Titles, formats, and upload limits matter.
- You can also submit up to 2 additional pages of document support material for the proposed project. Support material may include an evaluation tool, sketch of a proposed artwork, letter of support, marketing material, press clipping, lesson plan or artist bios.
The Iowa Arts Council & a panel will review the final grant submission and evaluate it based on this criteria:
1. The Project description is clear. The value and appropriateness of the project
to the organization’s mission, artistic field, artists, audience, community, and/or constituency is clear. Project activities that engage the public are exemplary, clearly
defined, and accessible.
2. Confident project will successfully happen through a clear, detailed timeline of
tasks.
3. Target population for the project is well-defined. Exemplary plans are in place
to engage the public. Community members will clearly benefit from project activities.
4. Project partners and key individual responsibilities are well-defined, and majority are committed to the project. Their experience will clearly enhance the project.
5. Applicant has clearly identified a project goal that is specific, measurable and can be achieved by the proposed activities. Applicant has clear methods in place to collect
necessary data to analyze achievement of project goal. A goal must tie in with 1 Iowa Arts Council goal:
- Foster arts programming that seeks to advance individual and community health and well-being.
- Intentionally engage artists in community development initiatives.
- More Iowa K-12 students have access to meaningful arts learning opportunities and career and learning pathways in the arts.
- Nurture and support cross-sector partnerships that include the arts and artists as a core partner to address community needs
- Promote access to the arts by addressing barriers to promote accessibility and engage new arts participants.
- Reinforce and elevate the essential role artists as citizens serve in their communities.
- Bridge urban, rural and suburban parts of our state through shared resources and greater collaboration.
6. Budget and intended use of requested funds are clear, appropriate and will help the
applicant to achieve intended project goal. Numerous sources of matching support are identified. Evidence of direct compensation to artists, makers, art collectives, and/or art workers is clear.
7. Artistic work samples are of high quality, relevant to the proposed project, and clearly demonstrate exceptional capabilities in artistic concept and form.
8. Submit up to two pages of document support material for the proposed project. Support material may include an evaluation tool, sketch of a proposed artwork, letter of support, marketing material, press clipping, lesson plan or artist bios.
9. Overall Artistic Excellence: Project provides an exceptional arts service or experience.
10. Overall Artistic Merit: Value of the project to Iowans is clear. The project is relevant to the audience or communities the applicant aims to serve.
11. Case for support is exemplary and merits investment from the state of Iowa.