The following questions apply to all of our grant programs unless otherwise specified. We are continuing to update, so please check back each grant round for more information.
- Eligibility Questions
- Budget Questions
- Restrictions
- Getting Help
- Evaluation Criteria
- Typing/Formatting Applications
- What If I Don't Get Funded?
Be sure to read the specific information on the grant application on who may apply for that grant. Following are answers to other eligibility-related questions:
Do I have to be a 501(c)(3) to receive funding?
No.
If I didn't receive funding, can I reapply next grant round?
YES! However, as an organization, you can only receive one type of BCAA Endowment support per Fall/Spring grant cycle. For example, if you received Project Support in the fall, you can not apply for Operating or Equipment support in the spring.
I received funding last grant round, can I apply for the same grant program again next round?
If you received Individual Project Support from the BCAA Endowment in the fall, you may apply for Fellowship support in the spring as well.
As an Organization, you may only apply for one type of support per Fall/Spring cycle. For example, if you received Project Support in the fall, you may not apply for Organization Operating or Equipment Support in the spring.
Can I apply for more than one BCAA grant during the same year - for example the Pathways to Jazz grant and the BCAA Endowment grant?
Yes!
Can I apply for BCAA funding if I have lived in Boulder for less than one year?
No.
I live in Denver but I am doing a project in Boulder County, can I apply for funding through BCAA?
If you have a studio or business in Boulder County and the project you are requesting funds for will take place in Boulder County, you can use your studio/business address on your application. Or, if you are doing the project in collaboration or partnership with an individual or organization in Boulder County, you can write the grant but have the person or organization in Boulder County be the grant applicant.
We receive a LOT of questions about writing budgets. We highly recommend that you purchase our Grant Writing Workbook for excellent sample budgets and lists of things to include on a budget. Essentially, the budget is the numerical reflection of the project.
Following are answers to frequently asked questions about budgets. If you are still unsure about how to write your budget or are new at writing budgets for grant proposals, please feel free to make an appointment to get one-on-one assistance or attend one of our grantwriting workshops.
Should I list what I plan to pay myself for the project on the budget?
Yes. Be sure to list this under Personnel Expense and describe your role on the project, such as Director, Choreographer, Presenter, Costumer, Dancer, Musician, or Project Manager. Include the number of hours and fee you will be charging. This amount should be a reasonable fee for that service and may include the value of your "donated" or "in-kind" contribution to the project. For example, if you are directing a play, your regular fee may be $2,250. However, you have decided to contribute $1,250 of your time to this particular project. On the budget, you will describe the expense for the Director as follows:
| EXPENSES |
CASH
|
IN-KIND
|
| Personnel Director/Choreographer, 1000+1250 (in-kind) |
$1,000
|
$1,250
|
The $1,000 represents the cash amount you will be paid for your work. The $1,250 represents the amount of labor you are donating to the project.
If you have difficulty describing your role on the project or figuring out how much you should be paid for that role, call the BCAA office for assistance.
How do I list donated labor, volunteer hours, or other non-monetary contributions to my project?
All non-monetary contributions to your project are considered "in-kind" contributions. This includes, donated labor, equipment, supplies, and services. Often, someone will donate a portion of a good/service and be paid the rest. In the budget, you will want to list the amount you will have to pay them in "cash" and the amount they are "donating" to the project in the "In-Kind" column of both the Expense and Revenue worksheets. For example, in-kind expenses are listed on the Expense worksheet as follows:
| EXPENSES |
CASH
|
IN-KIND
|
| Director, 1000+1250 (in-kind) |
$1,000
|
$1,250
|
| Costumer, 100+300 (in-kind) |
$100
|
$300
|
| Performance Space Rental, 750+250 (in-kind) |
$750
|
$250
|
| Printing Programs, 100+250(in-kind) |
$100
|
$250
|
In the example above your total Cash Expense is $1950 and your total In-Kind contribution is $2050.
On the revenue worksheet, you would list the in-kind contributions under "Other Support" as follows:
|
REVENUE |
CASH |
IN-KIND |
|
Earned Income |
$900 |
|
|
BAC Grant (secured) |
$400 |
|
|
BCAA Grant Requested |
$450 |
|
|
Other Support |
$200 |
$2,050 |
Please note that Cash Expense = Cash Revenue and In-Kind Expense = In-Kind Revenue. It is very important that the Expenses and Revenue sheet totals match!
Showing in-kind contributions and their sources is important in showing the panelists that you have support for your project from the community, so be sure to list it whenever someone gives you a discount on their good or service.
What if I only need a $2,500 grant from the BCAA Endowment to fund my project?
It is expected that applicants will seek funding from additional sources, and, therefore, the BCAA Endowment funds will not be the sole source of support. If your total project expense is only $2,500, we suggest that you request less money from the BCAA Endowment and seek other grants as well as in-kind contributions.
Activities not funded by the BCAA Endowment are:
- Fundraising activities
- Money for prizes or scholarships
- Membership and ticket selling campaigns
- Travel expenses (except fellowships)
- Deficit reduction
- Multi-year projects (for project applications only)
- Receptions
Can I get a grant to host the reception for my visual art exhibit?
No. But, you can apply for a grant to develop a printed catalog of your art that would be given away during the exhibit.
What if the planning portion of my project occurs one year and the implementation portion occurs the next year, can I still get funding from the BCAA Endowment?
Endowment funds cannot be used for multi-year projects. However, you could apply for funding for the implementation portion of your project in the year that occurs. This would be a Project Support grant. In your budget, you would only list the expenses/revenue associated with the implementation of the project. Or you could apply for Organization Operating Support for your organization which would cover some portion of the operating expenses of your organization and would not be tied to a particular project.
At first, the task of writing a grant can seem daunting, and the rewards unknown. However, grants do get easier and easier to write once you've done them a few times. Consider your first few grants "practice grants." Purchase our Grant Writing Workbook and check out online resources.
BCAA offers two grant writing workshops each year, usually in February and September. Keep an eye out for announcements for the next date. This workshop is extraordinarily helpful. The Community Foundation and other organizations also offer grant writing workshops. Check out our online resources for more information.
Our staff is available for one-on-one technical consulting. Please call the BCAA office at least three weeks before the grant deadline to make an appointment.
The following criteria is used to evaluate BCAA/Addison Mini-Grant Project Support applications:
- Artistic excellence
- Ability to complete the project
- Impact on the community
- Impact of funds on the project
The following criteria are used to evaluate BCAA/Addison Mini-Grant Equipment Support applications:
- Documented need
- Impact on the organization and/or artist's work
- Demonstrated willingness to share equipment
- Impact on the arts community
The following criteria are used to evaluate BCAA Endowment Individual or Organization Project Support applications:
- Artistic excellence of the proposed project
- Demonstrated ability to carry out project
- Impact on the community
- Impact on the artist's career or on the organization's ability to realize its mission
- Evidence of need
- Project takes place during time frame specified on guidelines.
The following criteria are used to evaluate BCAA Endowment Arts Education Support applications:
- Impact beyond the immediate project of the existing program for which support is being requested
- Impact of BCAA/Neodata Endowment funds on the program and its audience
- Evidence of need
- Accreditation and training of the program personnel
- Evidence of collaboration between accredited educator(s) and artist(s)
- Refer to the Grant Guidelines for current grant round project dates
The following criteria are used to evaluate BCAA Endowment Fellowship applications:
- Artistic excellence of accumulated work
- Evidence of artistic achievement
- Impact of the fellowship on the artist's career
BE SURE TO INCLUDE HIGH-QUALITY AUDIO/VISUAL MATERIAL WHEN SUBMITTING A GRANT. The a/v material is the primary method by which the panelists are able to evaluate the artistic excellence of your work. If the images in your slides are fuzzy or your video is poorly filmed or does not contain a one sequential segment to view, your project may not get as a high a score as it deserves for its artistic excellence. The a/v material should do the best job it can to SHOW the type of work you do and its artistic merit.
Typing/Formatting Applications
Do I have to type the information in the application form?
Yes.
Are there electronic versions of the application?
Yes. Click the link below to the appropriate grant page for current applications.
If you don't get funded, be sure to contact us and make an appointment to receive feedback about your grant. We will review the panelists' comments and notes and help you figure out how to write a better proposal next time. Sometimes your proposal is just right, but there may have been limited funds or other projects that were more compelling to the panelists, but we will have other suggestions that may be helpful to you.
If you have a great project, we encourage you to apply again. Your grant writing will improve over time, and panelists change every year.