"Grant Writing for Artists" by Ellen Lake from kala.org (ellen@kala.org) is a four hour workshop at presented at The Society for Photographic Education West Regional Conference at Humboldt State University, October 2013. Lake is an Oakland based media artist and Kala Art Institute's Grants Manager, combines lessons learned from her own art practice and experience in the arts administration to bring you the latest in funding trends. Ellen received her MFA from Mills College in 2002. She is the recipient of Bay Area Video Coalition's 2005/2006 Mediamaker Award, 2009 Sarah Jacobson Award, and 2012 Experimental Media Arts Lab residency award at Stanford University. She can be reached at ellen@kala.org.

1. Strategies for successful grant writing
Ellen Lake, Grant writing workshop, On the Brink, Photography as Witness, SPE West, Oct. 2013

2. Agenda
• Check-in, Introductions, and Goals
• 9:15 to 10: Grant writing strategies presentation
• 10 – 10:15: Break
• 10:15 – 11: Writer’s workshop
• 11 – 11:15: Break
• 11:15 – Noon: Case studies

3. Introductions
3

4. Seeking Funding? Where to start?
• Assessment - what exactly do you want funds
for and are you actually ready to proceed with
the project?
• Preparation - Have you done your research to
support your request?
• Funding sources - Who might fund your
request?

5. Grant Opportunities for Artists
Are often:
• Project focused
• Community-based
• Collaborative
• Have an educational component
• Are funded through a non-profit 501(c)(3)
organization or require a fiscal sponsor

6. Do your homework
Just researching
grants here…

7. Research
• Carefully review the grant website/info.
• Analyze the work of the artists who have
previously been awarded grants via the website.
• Is there a general “fit” with your work in regards
to media, content and general career level of
selected artists?

8. Before Writing the Proposal
Round One: LOI, RFP -
Some funders will first
request a Letter of Inquiry
or Letter of Intent (LOI) or a
Request for Proposal (RFP)
before accepting a full grant
proposal.

9. Letter of Inquiry
The LOI is one to three pages and is basically
an abstract of your proposal and includes:
• Acknowledgement of funder’s area of interest.
• Brief introduction to who you are and your artistic/professional qualifications.
• If you are collaborating with an organization the LOI will need to include a
brief description of the organization and its mission.
• A brief description of your project (if applicable:how you and the organization
are collaborating)
• Are you addressing a need? Summarize what the need is and how you your
project will affect that need.
• Your constituency or community to be served.
• Total project budget, and the exact amount of this budget you are requesting
and what the funds will be used for, and other sources of funding.
• Contact information.

10. Sample of LOI Request: Creative Work Fund
The Letter of Inquiry, no longer than three pages, should include:
• Project description including information about how you will collaborate
• Amount requested and summary budget (budget should be part of the three-page letter,
not an additional page)
• Description of the organization

11. Fiscal Sponsorship
Some foundations require that the funds for an artist go through a non-profit organization. In
this case the artist and their project must have a fiscal sponsor (a non-profit). The fiscal
sponsor usually charges an administrative fee of 5 to 10% of funds that pass through their
organization.
____________
The Purpose of Fiscal Sponsorship
Fiscal sponsorship has evolved as an effective and efficient mode of starting new
nonprofits, seeding social movements and delivering public services. Fiscal
sponsorship means a nonprofit organization – a fiscal sponsor – assumes legal and
financial responsibility for the activities of groups or individuals engaged in work that
furthers the fiscal sponsor’s mission and their own respective purposes.
--NNFS National Network of Fiscal Sponsors

12. Grant Proposals for Individual Artists
Each grant has its own specific criteria, and essentially includes:
• Project description for which funding is being sought
• The goals of the project
• The audience or community to be served
• The project objectives
• The expected outcomes
• The particular activities to achieve outcomes and who will implement
the activities
• Timeline
• Evaluation methods
• Budget that is directly linked to the described project
• An artist’s statement (when requested)
• Images and/or documentation of work

13. Sample Proposal Format
1.Introductory Project Summary: Introduces the name, goal, objective, activities,
participants and timeline in a concise and compelling paragraph. Is often in the form
of a request for funding naming the funder and the amount requested.
2. Goals and objectives: Goals - Broad statement(s) of your intention and desired outcome.
Objectives - The specific aims or measurable results of your project.
3. Statement of Need: The statement of need presents information and facts to support the
need for your project. It states why you are capable of addressing this need and how
this need is related to the goals and objectives of your project. It defines your
intended community/constituency who will benefit from your project and justifies why it
is important to address this need at this time.
4. Proposal Narrative: This is the core of the proposal – it reinforces the goals, objectives
and the desired outcomes of the project. It describes the activities of the project and
who will participate in and implement these activities. It includes a timeline and may
reference the method of evaluation.
5. Outcome of Project: What will change as a result of realizing your objectives? Focus on
the benefits of your project for your intended audience or community.

14. Sample Proposal Format
6. Evaluation Methodology: Your evaluation methodology needs to be described in your
proposal and should be appropriate to your desired outcomes.
Basic evaluation methods:
Qualitative - personal opinions, informational interviews, observational and
experiential.
Quantitative - defines a number or rating (such as improved tests scores for
children or increased audiences).
7. Budget Narrative
Brief description of the exact use of the requested grant funds. Funders will often
want to know what percent of the total project budget is being requested and who
and where else you are seeking funding to support your project.
8. Conclusion
Brief paragraph restating request amount, project and encouraging support from the
funder and thanking them for consideration of your request.

15. Budget
Income:
1. Earned revenue: ticket sales, product
2. Donated revenue: grants, individual donations, corporate sponsorships
With grants include committed, pending and include the amount being requested as part of
the budget
Expenses:
1. Artist salary (rate per hour)
2. Other personnel (rate per hour; percent of time)
3. Materials (itemize)
4. Documentation (describe)
5. Printed materials (describe)
6. Travel & Lodging (if applicable)
7. Insurance
8. Administrative (if collaborating with an organization)
@ 10 - 15% of total project expenses.

16. Additional Enclosures
• Artist Statement
• Work Samples: Images (PowerPoint, pdf, jpgs, DVD) or writing samples or video
• Resume/Vitae
• Publicity, reviews of work
• Letters of reference
• Application form (supplied by funder)
• Personal financial statement
In collaboration with a non-profit organization, possible enclosures:
• Federal ID 501(c ) (3) letter
• Annual budget/Audited Financial Statement
• Board of Directors list

17. To break it down in a different way
Stages of grant writing: Intrigue, Eagerness,
Excitement; then mind-numbing agony/compliance/
lost in spreadsheet weeds; then Competitiveness and
Obsession, revising until you can't possibly revise
anymore; then Resignation and Submittal as Life After
App becomes not just more desirable, but more
pertinent and much, much more likely. much, much more likely.
--Christine Wong Yap

18. What exactly is out there?
18

19. Artadia
• Regional applications come up about every third
year. Check www.artadia.org for schedule
• The Bay Area is one of the 6 partnering cities
• The Artadia Awards web-based application includes
profile, CV, artist statement, and 8 images.
Kota Ezawa Allison Smith

20. Artadia
• 2013 Awardees from San Francisco, CA
• The two recipients of the $15,000 awards are: D-L
Alvarez (James D. Phelan Awardee) and Lucy
Raven (Supported by the Wattis Foundation).
• The two recipients of the $3,000 awards are: Liam Everett
(San Francisco Council Awardee) and Alicia McCarthy.
Lucy Raven D-L Alvarez

21. Center for Cultural Innovation
• Supports knowledge sharing, networking, and
financial independence for artists
• Investing in Artists Grants Programs
• Check www.cciarts.org for deadlines.
• Grants rotate between performing and media arts
and visual arts, crafts, and literary arts
Taro Hattori, 2010 awardee, Investing in Artists -
Equipment and Tools | Visual, Crafts & Literary
Arts

22. For photographers
• Alexia Foundation, http://alexiafoundation.org
• The Center for Documentary Studies,
http://documentarystudies.duke.edu/awards
• One Life, http://www.onelifephotos.com
• Blue Earth, photography that makes a difference,
http://blueearth.org/projects/submit.cfm
• Aaron Siskind Foundation, http://www.aaronsiskind.org/
• Houston Center for Photography,
http://hcponline.org/pages/
2014_juried_fellowship_call_for_entries_123.asp

23. For photographers
• Photocrati Fund Grant,
http://www.photocrati.com/photocrati-fund-grant-
competition-deadline-extended-until-april-4/
• International Center for Photography,
http://www.icp.org/index.php?q=school/alumni/grants-
competitions
• Dickerman Prints,
http://www.dickermanprints.com/blog/category/art-
opportunities/
• Light Work, http://www.lightwork.org/

24. To crowd source or not to crowd source?
24

25. HatchFund
At Hatchfund, http://www.hatchfund.org/projects - you can
discover the best artists in America and, by supporting their
projects, help them transform their creative visions into
reality. Find and fund the next amazing work of art—and the
next.
Hatchfund Community makes use of the latest social
networking tools and micro-funding technologies to help
transform artists' creative ideas into reality.

26. Kick Starter
Kick Starter is the world's largest funding platform for creative
projects: http://www.kickstarter.com/
Project creators set a funding goal and deadline. If people like
a project, they can pledge money to make it happen. Funding
on Kickstarter is all-or-nothing — projects must reach their
funding goals to receive any money.
44% of projects have been successfully funded to date
You create incentives and rewards for backers at different
levels

27. Kick Starter
Staff pick: Leaving Home: an Alternative View of the Outer Hebrides by
John Maher & Ian Paterson, http://leavinghome.co.uk/

28. Kick Starter
The Photographers: John Maher and Ian Paterson have at least two major things in
common: they're both self taught photographers, and both share the same passion
for the people of the Outer Hebrides and the homes they lived in.

29. Indiegogo
No Matter What Country You Are From You Can Raise Money
On Indiegogo! http://www.indiegogo.com/
Indiegogo is free to join. There is a fee on any money that is
raised, which is 4% of the money you raise if you meet your
goal or 9% if you do not meet your goal.
No application process. Anyone can join + create a campaign.
Most contributions are not tax-deductible. Campaigns may
offer tax deductions on contributions only if they are marked
with a “Verified Nonprofit Campaign” badge.

30. Indiegogo
Photography projects: Switcheroo by Hana Pesut, Vancouver
Raised $8,640 USD 66% of goal to create a photobook.

31. A few important tips whether you are
crowdsourcing, grant writing, or applying
to a residency program
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32. 3 C’s of Pitching your Project
• Clear
• Concise
• Compelling

33. Images are really worth more than a
thousand words – it’s true!
• Never forget - the artwork is ultimately the most
important aspect.
• Highest quality images are essential.
• Strong visuals create a lasting impression with
review panels.
• Know how to size your digital images to the
required format.
• Be sure your digital images open properly and are
submitted in the requested format.

34. Work sample tips
Showing two views of an artwork can help to clarify
dimensionality and scale for the jurors
Images by 2008 Kala Fellow Chris Turbuck

35. Work sample tips
The presentation becomes clear and effective
with the help of a good detail image
Images by 2008 Kala Fellow Nichole Maury

36. Work sample tips
Multiple views make video insert clear to panel
Images by 2010 Kala Fellow Elisheva Biernoff

37. Work sample tips
Installation views can establish relationship between
various images that have been submitted for review
Images by 2009 Kala Fellow Chris Duncan

38. Some not so good strategies
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39. Not recommended
• Uninformed?
“I plan to come to Kala to work on my exciting new glass-blowing
project!”(Kala focuses on printmaking and digital media)
• Look at my amazing array of technical skills!
Presenting ten inconsistent images created with ten completely
unrelated processes.
• Who cares?
Putting more effort into the application packaging than the actual
artwork doesn’t get you anywhere.

40. Still yet, more mistakes to avoid
Don’t leave your application preparation until the last
minute. Allow enough time to strategize, write, review
and even rethink.

41. Still yet, more mistakes to avoid
Proof is in the pudding? Proof-read your application.
Better yet, have a friend serve as a sounding board for
your grant application and proof your materials.

42. Still yet, more mistakes to avoid
Want to alienate professional contacts? Ask for a
written reference the day before the application
deadline or forget to tell them you’ve added their
name as a reference at all.

43. Nobody likes a stalker
• Don’t call the organization to check in on the jurying
process.
• After the selections have been announced, don’t
necessarily call the organization for feed-back on
your application. Most likely you were one of three-
hundred applicants. Some funders are OK with
giving feedback. Email funder for policy.
• Worse yet, if you find out who the juror was - please
don’t attempt to contact that person for feed-back.

44. If you don’t get the award
Everyone gets discouraged, but don’t give up.

45. Type: JPG
Date: Jul 20, 2006
Camera: Nikon E3700
Settings: 1/250s, f/2.8, ISO 50
Focal length: 5mm (35mm for 35mm film)
Flash usage: No flash
Exposure bias: 0 EV
• Search by image
• Image details:
• More image info
ess image info
Images may be subject to copyright.
You will never catch a fish without going fishing.

46. Keep on keepin’ on
You might not know who was on the review panel. Maybe you weren’t
selected this time, but a curator or arts administrator might remember
you next time.

47. Keep on keepin’ on
I know folks who recently received the coveted Pollock-Krasner award
after applying TEN times and the Guggenheim after applying for decades!

48. Lessons Learned
Keep good records. Retain files of your grant
applications for future reference.

49. Lessons Learned
Applications - its an endless process.
Make a committed effort to improve with
each application you make.

50. Lessons Learned
Find a balance - do your best, but you can’t
control the outcome. Don’t set yourself up for
emotionally debilitating disappointments that will
paralyze your future efforts.

51. Have Fun + Good Luck

52. Break time