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Colorado Creates Grant Handbook

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Table of Contents About Colorado Creative Industries 3 About Colorado Creates 3 General Definitions 3 Financial Definitions 5 Frequently Asked Questions 6 Writing a Strong Application 8 Support Materials 10 Review Criteria 12 Panelist Review Rubric 13 Sample (Annotated) Three-Year Financial Statement 16 Sample (Annotated) GOS Grant Application 19

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About Colorado Creative Industries Colorado Creative Industries (CCI) is a division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. Established to capitalize on the immense potential for our creative sector to enhance economic growth in Colorado, the mission of Colorado Creative Industries is to promote, support and expand the creative industries to drive Colorado's economy, grow jobs and enhance our quality of life. www.coloradocreativeindustries.org

About Colorado Creates

The purpose of Colorado Creates, CCI’s largest annual competitive grant program, is to provide support that helps nonprofit arts organizations produce and present arts and cultural activities. All grants are for General Operating Support.

General Definitions

Collaboration: For the purpose of Colorado Creates, collaborations will be understood as organizations working together with a shared vision to achieve a shared goal. Collaborating organizations should also be able to show mutual investment of funds or other resources to the activity. This is different from cooperation, which typically refers to individual organizations providing resources to each other they would not otherwise have. Although commonly used interchangeably, the terms collaboration and cooperation represent fundamentally different ways of contributing to a project. For example, an organization that offers free rental space at their facility to another arts or service organization would be considered cooperation in that it helps the implementation of that organization’s project. A collaborative relationship would be characterized by the creation of something new through mutual investment. Creative Districts: The term “Creative Districts” used in these guidelines refers to the Colorado Certified Creative Districts currently accepted into the program managed by CCI. Diversity and Inclusivity are defined in varying ways by organizations. For guidance in answering the questions in this application related to CCI’s values around this topic, we offer these broad definitions:

• Diversity refers to a range of perspectives and voices being present in an organization and enriching its decision-making and effectiveness. This includes different life experiences based on race, ethnicity, nationality, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, income, religion, geography, disability, and a range of other factors.

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• Inclusivity refers to an environment in which any individual or group can be and feel welcomed, respected, supported, and valued to participate in the mission, life, and decision-making of an organization. An inclusive organization must be diverse, but a diverse organization may not necessarily be inclusive.

DUNS Number, or a Data Universal Number System number, is a unique nine-character number used to identify your organization. The federal government uses the DUNS number to track how federal money is allocated. Our National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) funding requires we collect this information. A good description of how to check to see if your organization has a DUNS number and how to obtain one can be found on the Grants.gov website here. Independent Component: A program of an organization, college/university or a unit of government that is both programmatically and administratively distinct from its parent organization. To qualify as an independent component, the following must be in place: • A community-based independent board or advisory committee that has substantial

responsibility for oversight and management; • A distinct and separate mission from its parent organization; • Dedicated staff and volunteers for the programs of the independent component; • A budget separate from the parent organization (the independent component MUST

produce a distinct set of financials as a part of the grant application); and • If affiliated with a university or college, the independent component must provide programs

or services open to the public and must document that the activities serve 50% or more non-student or faculty audiences

For example, a university academic program that primarily serves students, offers a major or minor, and have very little external funding would not be eligible for Colorado Creates funding. However, if the university seeks funding for its art museum, which serves the public, possesses organizational permanency, has programmatic autonomy, is managed by a dedicated staff, is fiscally independent of other academic units, and has its own advisory board, the art museum would qualify as an eligible applicant. Another example of an independent component is a department or division of a city or municipality that is overseen by an advisory board, develops its own arts or cultural heritage programming and has a line item for financial support in the city or county budget. These eligible applicants might include a cultural office or a performing arts center. The following DO NOT qualify as independent components: • Academic departments/schools of colleges and universities; • Programs or affiliates of organizations, e.g. “friends of” groups sponsored by the

organization but are actually programs or fundraising bodies, not independent components; or

• General city or county governments.

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Media Arts organizations include those that focus on film, television, radio, audio, video, online, interactive and mobile technologies. Competitive applications in this discipline should address the history of community involvement in the organization and the amount and quality of local or regionally developed or produced content in their work. An example of a strong application from a community radio or television station would be one that works with their community to develop and air local or regional programming as opposed to providing only national feed content.

Financial Definitions Fiscal Year: A term used to differentiate an organization's budget or financial year. A fiscal year usually starts at the beginning of a quarter, such as April 1, July 1 or October 1. However, some organizations' fiscal year also coincides with the calendar year, which starts January 1. Earned Revenue: Cash revenue including such items as ticket sales, fundraising revenue, fees for service, memberships, concessions or existing funds from the organizational budget. Public Support Revenue (Grants/Contracts): Cash contributed revenue from public agencies including federal, state, city, county, SCFD. Include grants or contract with public agencies. Private Support Revenue: Cash contributed revenue from individuals, foundations, corporations. In-Kind Contributions: Goods/services donated and value, e.g. free rental space, printing, supplies, equipment. Total should match In-Kind Expenses. Salaries and Wages: Cash expense for staff salaries, wages and benefits, full or part time. Do not include contractors in this line. Direct Artistic/Program Expenses: Cash expenses, including fees and travel for contracted artists, performers, technical support as well as program expenses such as exhibit or production expenses, supplies and materials, program fees, royalties, program space rental at outside facilities. Administrative Expenses: Cash expenses for office supplies, maintenance, insurance, legal or accounting fees, marketing, advertising, staff professional development, travel and lodging. Operations and Facilities: Cash expense for facilities rent (home base of operations, not special program expenses), operations, maintenance, insurance.

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Earned Revenue Expenses: Cash expense for special events/fundraising, merchandise, concessions expense. In-Kind Expenses: Value of goods/services donated that would need to be purchased if not provided by donation. The value should match Value of In Kind Contributions in the Revenue section. Signed copy of cash operating revenues, prior fiscal year: This document may be an Income or Revenue statement of your most recently completed fiscal year. You can submit a summary of 12-months of revenue from your online accounting system, a profit and loss statement (P&L), statement of operations, or statement of revenue signed by your treasurer or board president. DO NOT submit a balance sheet or a 990 form unless it includes a distinct statement of cash revenue (not net).

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How much money can my organization request for this grant?

Grant awards are flat amounts based on the size of the applicant’s cash operating revenue for the organization’s most recently completed fiscal year. Read Colorado Creates Guidelines to determine the amount for which you should apply.

2. How and when are applications reviewed? CCI reviews grants based on the NEA peer review process. Grants are reviewed by region. Three to five peer experts with diverse backgrounds are selected based on qualifications that include knowledge of a variety of art forms and expressions, as well as a diverse representation of the region. Applicants can listen to panel discussions via phone.

3. What criteria are used to review applications? Applications are reviewed using the following criteria: Artistic Excellence and Merit (40%), Community Involvement and Benefit (30%), and Implementation Capacity (30%). A review rubric used by grant panelists is included in this Grant Handbook.

4. What are the word limits in the narrative? Each narrative question in the online application allows for 350 words. We strongly recommend that you type your narrative in a word processing document to make sure it does not exceed the limit and then paste it into the application sections.

5. What attachments should be included with the application?

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For a complete list of items required in the grant application, please refer to the guidelines. For tips on selecting work samples, please review the “Support Materials” section in this Grant Handbook.

6. What is a DUNS number and how do I get one? A DUNS number is a unique nine-digit number used to identify your organization. This number is required by the NEA for CCI’s annual reporting. The following link will guide you through how to find or acquire your organization’s DUNS number Grants.gov.

7. On the three-year financial summary, is the current year financials column year-to-date?

Current year financials should be projections of the end of the current fiscal year. See a sample completed three-year financial summary in the Grant Handbook.

8. What is my fiscal year? Fiscal Year (FY) is a term that is used to differentiate an organization's budget or financial year. Your organization determines its own fiscal year. A fiscal year usually starts at the beginning of a quarter; however, some organizations' fiscal year also coincides with the calendar year. You will fill out the financial forms using your own fiscal year, be it starting in January, July, October, etc.

9. When will I be notified of the funding decisions?

Notifications are sent after the Creative Industries Council approves the panel recommendations, generally about three months after the application deadline. A grant cycle timeline is included in the grant guidelines for your reference. Notifications will be sent via email to the person listed as the main grant contact - please remember, it is up to the organization to keep the primary contact email up to date.

10. If my organization is funded, when will we receive our payment? If an organization is funded, you will receive an email grant award letter along with a request for your W-9 and paperwork to establish an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). No paper checks will be issued. Payments are generally complete within three weeks of your return of the required documents.

11. How can I write a competitive grant? All applicants should read the guidelines thoroughly and take care to follow all instructions outlined. We provide a number of resources to help organizations write a competitive grant, including an annotated sample grant, tips for selecting work samples and technical tips, all available in this Grantee Handbook. In addition, since the Colorado Creates narrative is based

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on a customized version of the Colorado Common Grant narrative, it is helpful to reference the Common Grant Application User Guide.

Writing a Strong Application* First steps:

• Read the Guidelines thoroughly. This will ensure you are eligible, qualified, and ready to begin writing. Note any directions or narrative questions for which you need clarification and contact staff with plenty of time before the deadline.

• Make sure to give yourself plenty of time. Make a calendar of grant-related dates that includes the “hard” submission deadline, any needed technical assistance, internal due dates, and any follow-up dates (such as panel meetings and reports due).

Writing a draft:

• Read the Narrative Questions carefully. Draft your responses in a word processing document to later paste into the online application. Check your word or character count limit for each question and make sure it is not over the limit.

• Answer the question that is asked (The #1 grant writing tip). Applicants often feel the need to justify their work and sound like an expert. However, a grant panelist is reading dozens of applications and may not take time to parse through roundabout language. Be concise and clear and answer the question that is asked.

• Give yourself plenty of time. Waiting until the last moment to create and submit a grant application can only lead to heartburn. You never know what could come up, so make sure you have enough time to handle whatever unexpected twist or turn may arise.

• Think beyond the narrative. Too often people spend all their time writing an amazing narrative and then throw some numbers on a budget form that do not support the story they’ve told. A budget can feel scary and unfamiliar, but seeing it as another opportunity to tell your story will help make it a cohesive part of a bigger picture.

• Take advantage of technical assistance. This handbook, sample grant applications and online resources are created to help you. However, don’t assume you can call at 3:00 p.m. on the deadline date and have someone read and respond to your questions. Be respectful of everyone’s time and make sure you get help early in the game.

• Know your audience. If you are writing a grant to your State Arts Agency, you don’t need to write paragraphs defending the value of the arts. Think about who will be reading your grant application and write through that lens.

• Use stories and statistics. In the arts, there is an impulse to avoid data and err on the side of feel-good storytelling. Consider how you can use data to support your request. Similarly, propose clear and concise assessment tools that indicate how you will

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measure your goals. A strong grant narrative utilizes both statistics and a compelling story to make a case for funding.

• Be specific. For example, if you are talking about the reach of your programs, don’t talk about “many” schools that you serve; specify how many schools in what communities reaching an estimated number of students. Avoid terms like “in the future”, “several”, and “about”.

• Be honest. Know what you can accomplish with the funding and then be honest in the application. Don’t promise a Broadway-quality production or 600% program growth if you know that is not realistic. Also, if your organization has experienced some bumps along the road, e.g. a deficit or a drop in audiences, be honest and talk about your strategies for overcoming the issue.

• Don’t overuse acronyms. It is fine to establish your name in the beginning of a grant application and then refer to it as an acronym. Too often panelists find themselves swimming in a sea of meaningless letters. Don’t assume the reader knows what you mean when you use internal shorthand.

• Proofread, proofread, and then get someone else to proofread. It is vitally important to present a clear, concise, and polished application. Did you abuse the use of exclamation points? Did you use proper grammar and spelling? Did autocorrect change “art education” to “rat education?” Have someone who is unfamiliar with your project read it to see what you miss.

• Use the checklist. You will find a checklist in the guidelines. But you might want to make your own, so you can ensure you have dotted every i and crossed every t.

Submitting your application:

• Again, give yourself plenty of time. Avoid causing yourself added anxiety by waiting to submit the online application within a day (or an hour) of the deadline. You can never tell if you will have a slow internet connection or whether you have forgotten a required attachment.

• One last look. Look at or print out the PDF of your application before you submit it. Make sure you did not go over the word limit so that the system cut off your narrative response, and check all your links and support materials to make sure everything is working.

The panel review:

• Listen to the grant review panel. You can call in to the panel reviewing your application. The panel dates, agendas and dial in codes will be posted on the website approximately one month prior to the review meeting. Much can be learned from listening to panel

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discussions, not only of your organization or program, but also of other applicants. Take notes about how you could adjust future applications based on the feedback.

• Give yourself time. It is always heartbreaking when an applicant tunes in 10 minutes after their grant was discussed. Grant panels often operate on a suggested timeline, but it is possible for them to get ahead of schedule. It is better to call in to the discussion for an hour before yours is reviewed than to show up after the fact. In addition, you can learn from the review of other applications.

• Don’t get defensive. This can be difficult because applicants care so much about their programs and projects. It is easy to interpret constructive feedback as a personal criticism, but you will be well served to learn by listening. Observing a panel with an open mind will make your future applications stronger.

Follow-Up

• Find out whether you can get feedback. Whether or not you receive funding, there is always room for improvement. This is one of the simplest ways to get feedback.

• Know future deadlines. Use your favorite reminder system or calendar to note deadlines for reports on the grant. These will be your responsibility and missing any deadlines may jeopardize future funding.

• Make a checklist of post-award responsibilities. The process does not end once you receive a grant. Make note of due dates, submit any follow-up documents requested, commit to what your responsibilities are to the granting organization. Be sure to credit the grantmaker and contact regional and national legislators and news outlets. Make sure to acknowledge the funder in your communications and on your website.

• Keep us up to date! Make sure you update us on any changes in grant contacts and organizational leadership.

*Many thanks to Ashley Kerns Brown, Arts Education Director, South Carolina Arts Commission for much of this content.

Support Materials Failure to include work samples as described below may disqualify your application. Requirements

• Performing arts organizations must provide at least one audio or video sample of up to 3 minutes of actual performance. Still images may be included to complement these samples, but are not a substitute for live performance.

• Visual arts or crafts organizations must provide up to 20 images of artists’ work (in a single document) Samples should be provided as one document in a .pdf or .ppt format.

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• Literary organizations must provide a sample cover/homepage, table of contents, and

short excerpts from up to 3 print or online publications.

• Film and media organizations must provide links to audio (radio broadcasts) or video/media samples of work up to 3 minutes in length.

• Multidisciplinary organizations should provide a balance of appropriate samples as described above. A variety of samples will be beneficial to your application.

• Service organizations must provide up to 5 examples of their services. These can be in multiple formats and could include agendas of workshops, instruction videos, bios of instructors, membership roster, or feedback from participants.

Selecting support materials • When you are choosing items, think about the review criteria, so that you provide

evidence of artistic excellence/merit, community benefit, and implementation capacity in your support materials.

• Support materials illustrate and expand upon what you have told us in your narrative. In fact, you should reference each support item in the narrative so the panel can understand why you have included it.

• Representative support materials: In addition to discipline-specific work samples described above, include such items as artists’ bios, donor lists, a strategic plan summary, promotional materials, press clippings, survey forms and findings, letters of support.

• Quality is more important than quantity. The lengthier the items you submit, the less likely that the reviewers will notice and remember key points.

• If education is an important part of your proposal, provide samples of instructor and student work, as well as sample curricula or lesson plans.

• All applicants must submit at least one item that demonstrates the quality of the artwork proposed, created within the past two years.

NOTE: Test your work samples prior to submission and make sure they are not password protected. If reviewers cannot access your work samples, it will negatively affect your score.

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Review Criteria The following criteria and weights are used by reviewers to evaluate and rank proposals:

• Artistic excellence and merit of proposed activities (40%); • Community involvement and benefit of your or your organization (30%); • Implementation capacity such as effective planning, management and budgeting of the

organization and its activities (30%).

On the following pages, please find a Panelist Review Rubric, which is provided to grant evaluators as a guide for application review, as well as a sample Financial Statement and Grant Narrative.

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Panelist Review Rubric Artistic

Excellence & Merit (40 %

total)

High Recommend highly

10 – 8

Medium Recommend with some reservations

7 - 6

Low Do not recommend

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Artistic samples submitted

Artistic samples clearly show evidence of high accomplishment and skill, high quality audience experience and/or qualified leadership. Samples directly support applicants proposed activities and mission. Samples are appropriate to discipline (e.g. performing arts has video/audio and/or critical reviews, visual arts has high quality images)

Artistic samples show evidence of accomplishment and skill, quality audience experience and/or qualified leadership. Samples support applicants proposed activities and mission. Samples are appropriate to discipline (e.g. performing arts has video/audio and/or critical reviews, visual arts has high quality images)

Artistic samples are not included, do not show evidence of artistic accomplishment and skill, or show poor audience experience. Samples do not support the applicant’s proposed activities and mission

Mission and goals

Programs are clearly aligned with organization’s mission; goals are clearly described and measurable. Programs are clearly described and includes detail (e.g. population, numbers served, expected results)

Programs are aligned with organization’s mission; goals are described and measurable. Programs have some detail and good description of expected outcomes

Programs are not aligned with the organization’s mission; goals are incomplete and/or not measurable. Program description is difficult to understand

Quality or leadership in general operating support request

Qualifications of artists and/or professionals involved are high. Samples demonstrate strong and meaningful involvement of artists & stakeholders in planning

Qualifications of artists and/or professionals involved is evident. Samples demonstrate involvement of artists & stakeholders in planning

Lacks evidence of qualified artists and/or professionals involved. Samples lack meaningful involvement of artists & stakeholders in planning

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Panelist Review Rubric Community

Involvement & Benefit (30 %

total)

High Recommend highly

10 – 8

Medium Recommend with some

reservations 7 - 6

Low Do not recommend

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Collaboration

Collaborations are highly diverse, nature of collaboration is specified and shows meaningful and demonstrate mutual benefit

Collaborations are varied, nature of collaboration is alluded to, and demonstrate some mutual benefit

Collaborations are limited, superficial and demonstrate little benefit for one or more parties

Inclusiveness

Organization demonstrates a high level of inclusiveness within multiple stakeholders, e.g. board, staff, programs and volunteers

Organization demonstrates some inclusiveness within one or more stakeholder group, e.g. board, staff, programs and volunteers

Organization demonstrates little or no inclusiveness within board, staff, programs and volunteers

Accessibility

Program is highly accessible due to location, appropriate costs, and/or ability to serve those with special needs

Program is accessible due to location, appropriate costs, and/or ability to serve those with special needs

Program is not accessible due to location, appropriate costs, and/or ability to serve those with special needs

Population served

Applicant clearly defines community served by the organization. Programs are planned with identified community, and program clearly reaches self- defined intended audience

Applicant defines community served by the organization. Programs involve some outreach to identified community, and program reaches self- defined intended audience

Applicant does not define community served by the organization. Program is not planning with targeted audiences, and program reach is not well defined and limited in scope

Community support

Clear evidence programs and services fulfill community needs and/or community interest. In-kind shows a strong connection to community through donated goods or services

Evidence programs and services fulfill community needs and/or community interest. In-kind shows a connection to community through some donated goods or services

Little or no evidence programs and services fulfill community needs and/or interest. Little or no evidence of connection to community. Lack of in kind support

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Panelist Review Rubric Implementation

Capacity (30 % total)

High Recommend highly

10 – 8

Medium Recommend with some

reservations 7 - 6

Low Do not recommend

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Financial information

Operating budget and/or proposed is clearly feasible and shows a diversity of non-CCI funding; if applicable, required cash match is easily met; organization is financially stable; major swings in income and expense or one year of deficit are explained clearly

Operating budget and/or proposed is feasible and shows some non-CCI funding; if applicable, required cash match is met; organization is financially stable or has plans for stability; major swings in income and expense or one to two years of deficit are explained

Operating budget and/or proposed is not feasible and lacks diversity of funding; if applicable, required cash match is barely or not met; organization is financially unstable and has no articulated plans for stability; major swings in income and expense or one or more years of deficit are not explained

Accuracy

Application is accurate throughout and includes all required information; clarity and specificity of writing, a carefully written application

The majority of the application is accurate and includes required information; writing is adequate for panel understanding

The application has numerous inaccuracies, directions have not been followed, writing lacks clarity or required information is incomplete

Planning and management

Planning and goals are clear and based on sound, measurable evaluation techniques; key personnel are highly qualified and experienced

Planning and goals are adequate and based on evaluation techniques; key personnel are qualified and experienced

Planning and goals are not adequate and do not address evaluation results; qualifications of key personnel are not included

Board or advisory committee and volunteers

Number of board members, terms/rotation and composition is appropriate for the size and mission of organization; board is diverse and representative of the community and 100% contribute financially to the organization. Volunteer numbers and hours are provided and appropriate to organization’s size

Number of board members, terms/rotation and composition of the board is adequate for the size and mission of organization; board is diverse and representative of the community and contributes financially to the organization. Strong evidence of volunteer participation is provided and adequate to organization’s size

Number of board members and composition of the board (professions, skills, experience) is not appropriate for the size and mission of organization; terms and rotation are not defined; board is not diverse and/or representative of the community and demonstrates low commitment to the organization

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Sample (Annotated) Three-Year Financial Statement

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Sample (Annotated) Three-Year Financial Statement

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Sample (Annotated) GOS Grant Application Please Note: this application is from a prior year, but use the notes as a guide to

a good application narrative.

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