Individual Artists

Artist Entrepreneurial Grants
Quarterly Deadlines:

• April 1, 2009 for projects beginning on or after July 1, 2009
• July 1, 2009 for projects beginning on or after October 1, 2009
• October 1, 2009 for projects beginning on or after January 1, 2010
• January 4, 2010 for projects beginning on or after April 1, 2010

Due to resource reduction, this quarterly deadline is suspended for FY2010.

Grant Coordinator: Jane Eklund, Programs Information Officer, jane.eklund@dcr.nh.gov, (603) 271-0791

Recognizing that artist entrepreneurs contribute significantly to New Hampshire’s economy, this grant category supports professional development opportunities that will increase their capacity to develop the business skills they need to support their artmaking, advance the level their artmaking and bring their art to the widest possible markets. It supports a wide variety of projects, such as: structured mentoring sessions between master-level and emerging professional artists; attending workshops, conferences or non-degree granting classes to increase artistic and business skills (e.g., marketing, developing a business plan, pricing visual artworks, legal issues, financial management, evaluating and working with literary agents, and master classes for performers or craftspeople); attending showcases to introduce arts presenters to their work; and the development of marketing materials, including websites, digital portfolios and printed materials.

Maximum Grant Request
Requests may be made for $250 - $750.

Important Note: All grant categories and amounts are subject to change, depending on availability of state and federal funds for any fiscal year.

Required Match
At a minimum grants must be matched on a one-to-one cash basis. State Arts Council funds may not be matched by other State Arts Council or National Endowment for the Arts funds.

Who May Apply?
Professional New Hampshire artists defined as: “people who devote a majority of their time to practicing, performing and/or teaching an arts discipline and who received payment for their work in that discipline” who also:

• are at least 18 years old;
• have been legal residents of New Hampshire for a minimum of two years and still residents at the time the grant is awarded. Exception: previously juried NH Roster Artists who live within 10 miles of border and can demonstrate that over 50% of their work is for NH audiences are also eligible.

Who May NOT Apply
The following is a list of ineligible applicants:

• Current undergraduate or graduate students;
• Amateur artists (see definition of professional artist above);
• Artist Fellowship recipients for the fiscal year their fellowship was awarded;
• Artists who already have received one of these grants in the current fiscal year (July 1 – June 30);
• Artists who have received three successive grants (must take one fiscal year off).

Restrictions
This grant does not support:

• The creation of new work;
• The purchase of equipment;
• Costs associated with producing a CD or DVD or publication of a book;
• Costs for framing artwork;
• Direct financial aid to individuals to pursue degree-granting opportunities;
• Previously incurred debts or deficits;
• Hospitality costs;
• Travel costs that exceed current state per diems and transportation restrictions;
• The presentation or distribution of new artwork that is not made available to the general public in a not-for profit venue;
• Costs associated with international travel.

Sample Projects

• Registration fees, tuition costs, travel and per diem for attendance at conferences, workshops or artist showcases that will increase their business skills or market their work.
• A craftsperson participates in a master class to advance her work to a higher professional level.
• A performing artist showcases his work at a national or regional conference for performing arts presenters.
• An artist contracts with a consultant to develop a business plan.
• A master professional artist mentors an "emerging" (early career) professional artist and is reimbursed for related expenses (i.e. supplies, travel, stipend, use of studio).
• An artist contracts with a website or graphic designer to improve their marketing efforts.

Application Review Process
Applications are reviewed quarterly by State Arts Council staff and Director along with consulting panelists, as needed. The panel's funding recommendations are forwarded to the State Arts Councilors for review and approval. If the applicant's cumulative total of grants received from the State Arts Council for that fiscal year (July 1 - June 30) is $2,500 or more, the grant recommendation must also be submitted to the Governor and Executive Council for approval.

Funding Criteria
The following criteria, as relevant to the project, are used by reviewers to rate applications:

• Clarity of proposal;
• Realistic project budget;
• Quality of the professional development activity;
• Potential for increasing artist's business or artistic skills;
• Quality of contracted consultants, if applicable;
• Potential for advancing artist’s career (either applicant artist or artist being mentored);
• For mentorships: Realistic timeline and work plan.

How to Apply
Before submission: Applicants are strongly encouraged to attend one of the Council's grant information sessions and to discuss their proposals with the appropriate grant coordinator noted above responsible for administering the grant before writing their applications. Applicants should also review the legal and reporting requirements relevant to State Arts Council grants.

Draft applications may be reviewed if submitted at least two weeks in advance of the application deadline. First time applicants are especially encouraged to submit draft copies.

When sending in a draft, please clearly indicate DRAFT FOR REVIEW in BOLD letters on your submission.

Submitting the application:

• Fill out the Application/Budget Form: MSWord / PDF
• For mentorships only: Mentorship Planning Sheet: MSWord / PDF
• Answer the Narrative Questions
• Submit Support Materials
  Note: Resumes and work samples must be included unless participating artists are listed in the Artist Roster or Traditional Arts & Folklife listing, are NH Fellowship or Governors Arts Awards recipients, or have served as NH Artist or Poet Laureate
• Follow the directions in How to Prepare the Application Package

Errors and omissions may affect a panel’s evaluation of your application, so please prepare your application carefully and follow instructions.

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Narrative Questions
1. Briefly describe the project for which you are seeking funds (maximum ½ page).
2. How will this project advance your work, or if a mentorship, the work of the artist you are mentoring?
Attach planning sheet – see link in “How to Apply” section above.
3. How will you raise the required $1 to $1 matching funds for this project?
4. What percentage of your income for the previous calendar year came directly from your artwork? Are you employed either part-time or full-time in a position that is NOT related to your work as an artist?

For Mentorship Projects Only:
5. Describe the planning process and time frame for working with the other artist(s).
6. Describe how you will make the accomplishments of the mentoring sessions available to the public.

Required Support Materials
4 copies of the following:

• Resumes or other informative written materials for project consultants and/or artists who are not juried by the State Arts Council;
• Descriptive material on the conference, workshop or other professional development opportunity requested;
• For marketing materials, including website development: price quote from graphic/web designer on their letterhead plus background info/biography of designer/company;
• Evidence of legal status as a resident of NH (copy of voter registration, driver’s license, etc.);
• For mentorships only: A copy of your planning sheet (link in “How to Apply” section above).

One copy of:

• Work samples (i.e., CDs, DVDs, manuscript pages) for artists who are not already juried by the State Arts Council. See Preparation of Work Samples for instructions on preparing work samples/support materials.

How to Prepare the Application Package

1. Fill out and sign the original application & budget form and make 3 copies.
2. Complete and make 3 copies of the answers to the narrative questions.
3. Collate the signed application form and copies to result in 4 sets. Each set should contain the following items arranged in the order in which they are listed:

1) the signed application form (the original application should be with the first set)
2) narrative questions
3) written materials about artists (if not juried by the Council)

4.Include with the first set the work samples of artists, if not juried by the Council.
5.Include a self-addressed stamped envelope for any materials that need to be returned.
6. Please do not use binders, folders or protector sheets for the 4 separate sets of materials. Staples or clips are acceptable.  It is helpful if you use post-it notes or label the application cover sheets to indicate original, set 1, 2, and 3. Four separate, large envelopes may be used to contain the collated supporting materials, if applicable.
7. Make 1 copy of everything for your files!
8. Put everything together in one package, putting the set with the application form with original signature on top. Mail or hand-deliver to NH State Council on the Arts, 2 ½ Beacon Street, Suite 225, Concord, NH 03301.

Why all these copies?
The original is for the State Arts Council files. Additional copies are for the panelists who will review your application prior to discussion at the panel meeting.

Deadline
Applications must be postmarked or hand delivered to the NH State Council on the Arts office at 2 ½ Beacon Street, Suite 225, Concord, NH by 4:15 p.m. on the applicable deadline date:

• April 1, 2009 for projects beginning on or after July 1, 2009
• July 1, 2009 for projects beginning on or after October 1, 2009
• October 1, 2009 for projects beginning on or after January 1, 2010
• January 4, 2010 for projects beginning on or after April 1, 2010

Office hours are Monday – Friday 8:15 am-4:15pm. The office is closed all state and most federal holidays. Late applications will not be accepted. The Council cannot accept applications transmitted by facsimile (FAX) or email. It is not responsible for applications lost in transit. Errors and omissions may affect a panel’s evaluation of your application; so please prepare your application carefully and follow instructions.

Notification
Applicants will be notified within approximately ten weeks of the application deadline.

Payment
The NHSCA disburses funds appropriated from public sources, both federal and state. Checks are issued by Administrative Services of the State of NH, not the Department of Cultural Resources or the State Arts Council. Upon receipt of properly executed grant forms, the State of New Hampshire generally pays grants under $2,500 to grantees within 4 to 6 weeks. If an individual is awarded a cumulative total of $2,500 or more from the State Arts Council during a fiscal year, the grant recommendation must also be submitted for approval by the Governor and Executive Council; consequently payment can take up to ten weeks. All awards are subject to availability of state and federal funds. Therefore, we ask grantees to plan cash flow accordingly.

Grant recipients are responsible for all applicable federal taxes. We urge that you keep all receipts and other appropriate records for tax filing purposes.

IMPORTANT: All grant agreements for quarterly grants must be completed and returned within 30 days of award notification. Failure to return the grant agreement within that timeframe could result in cancellation of the grant and reallocation of funds.

Payment of a grant will be withheld if the final reports for previous grants are not in compliance with policy below.

Grant Period & Reporting Requirements
The grant period for fiscal year 2009 is July 1, 2009 - June 30, 2010. A final report must be submitted by July 31, 2010. An extension of up to three months may be requested.  Requests for extension must be made in writing, before the deadline for filing has passed to the grant coordinator responsible for administering the grant and should briefly note why the extension is necessary and the date the report will be submitted.

Failure to submit the final report by the required date will result in the applicant becoming ineligible to apply for NHSCA funding for two years. Additionally, failure to submit the final report may result in a withholding of funds from any currently awarded NHSCA grant.

 Click here for the Final Report Download Center.

Last updated: January 6, 2010