Director: Mara Greenberg | 212.278.8111 x301

For artists and companies already enrolled in one of Pentacle’s fiscal services, we offer a grant preparation service for proposals to government funding agencies. These services include the preparation, submission and administration of applications to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and the New York Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA). Depending on the guidelines and requirements of the grants, artists may or may not be eligible to apply to all three.

 

 

H O W    I T    W O R K S

 

N E A    G R A N T    P R E P A R A T I O N

 

The NEA’s Access to Artistic Excellence grant deadline is generally the second Monday in March.

 

The Access to Artistic Excellence category provides support for projects that include but are not limited to:

 

  • Regional and national tours.
  • Home-based performances.
  • Commissioning and development of dance works and the restaging of repertory.
  • Residencies and choreography workshops for artists.
  • The presentation of touring dance companies.
  • Dance festivals.
  • Services to dancers, choreographers, and companies. This may include activities such as convening, data collection, information sharing, and technical assistance.

 

Grant Program Description and GuidelinesThe Period of Support is for one calendar year from Jan 1- Dec 31.

 

FIA artists and companies receiving full Fiscal Administration services are eligible to use Pentacle’s grant preparation services for this grant. (Artists sponsored by Unique Projects are not eligible for this grant.)

 

 

 

F O R    F I A    A R T I S T S

 

Technically the NEA does not give grants to individual artists through fiscal sponsors, but due to the unique structure of FIA we are allowed to submit ONE application each year for funding for all our member artists. To do this we consolidate all of the artists projects onto one form, and any subsequent funding is split evenly among them.

 

For FIA and Fiscal Admin applicants:
All applicants must provide Pentacle with the following information
at least two weeks before the deadline:

 

  • Details of your project
  • Project Budget
  • Biographies of Key Project Personnel
  • Programmatic Activities List for three years
  • Work Sample Index
  • Work Sample materials
  • Supplemental materials (depending on program focus)In addition to the all the items above, applicants who are not FIA artists must also provide:
    • Organizational Background Statement
    • Financial Information on the Organization for the last completed fiscal year, current fiscal year and next fiscal year.

 

If a grant is awarded, Pentacle will help artists complete their cash requests for payment of the grant. To make a cash request, artists must report the total amount of outlays for the project to date, and provide a short report of completed project activities if the request exceeds two thirds of the grant award.

 

The NEA requires a final report to be submitted 90 days after the end of the
grant period (usually due March 31st). To complete this report, artists must submit:

 

  • Financial Status Report (FSR)
  • Final Descriptive Report (FDR)
  • Supplemental materials from your projects such as: programs, reviews, relevant news clippings, playbills, or other evidence of your accomplishments, including evidence of your acknowledgement of Arts Endowment support.

 

We will compile all your information and put it into the NEA forms and keep track of the various deadlines during the grant application and award period.

 

 

 

N Y S C A    G R A N T    P R E P A R A T I O N

 

The grant process of the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) has three parts: Registration, Application, and Final Report. Before you begin, please check their program guidelines carefully for details on eligibility in your artistic discipline. Work samples are not submitted. Generally, dance applicants must have audits conducted by NYSCA on two recent performance seasons before the application deadline to be eligible for funding. For more information on how to obtain a NYSCA audit of your season click here.

 

NYSCA’s annual registration deadline for all New York State artists is generally March 1st or thereabouts. All applicants must provide Pentacle with the following information at least two weeks before the deadline:

 

  • Short Project description
  • Total Project Cash Expenses
  • NYSCA Grant Request Amount
  • Arts Discipline/ Activity Type
  • Audience Information/Demographics
  • Organization Information/Contact Info
  • Goals and Activities

 

After registering, the Council assigns each applicant one of three possible application deadlines on May 1st, July 1st, or September 1st. Application questions vary depending on the arts program and activity type. Generally for dance performances the following information is needed to complete the application:

 

  • Project description
  • Achievements During the Last Home Season
  • Overview of Touring Activity and Artistic Programs in the Last Year.
  • Artistic Interpretation Methods for the Public
  • Marketing Activities
  • Artistic Director’s Background and Company History
  • Project Budget/Budget Notes
  • Organizational Budget for 3 yrs (Prior Completed Fiscal Year/L.A.st FY/Current FY)
  • Activity Schedule for 3 yrs (Last Fiscal Year/Current FY/Next FY)

 

If a NYSCA grant is awarded, a Final Report is due three months after the end of the grant period (generally 9/30). Pentacle will assist you in completing the online final report form.

 

 

 

D C A    G R A N T    P R E P A R A T I O N

 

The Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) awards grants to nonprofit New York City arts and cultural organizations. Grant preparation services are only open to NYC-based incorporated nonprofit organizations already enrolled in our Fiscal Administration services. Artists using fiscal sponsors, including FIA and Unique Projects artists are not eligible to apply.

 

From DCA’s FY09 Guidelines:
Through the Cultural Development Fund (CDF), DCA supports public services provided by the city’s arts and cultural organizations. Funds are awarded based on a competitive review by a panel of peers in the field as well as representatives of elected officials. DCA will consider proposals in every cultural discipline and from every area of the city. The fundamental requirement for all proposals is that they represent a cultural activity of recognized quality accessible to the public. The funded services can be as different as the organizations providing them, but they will all have a common commitment to the theme of public service.

 

All proposed services should attempt to promote public participation in a manner appropriate to the project. The services must occur within the City’s Fiscal Year (July 1-June 30).

 

The deadline for DCA grant applications is generally in early February, but is subject to change. Please check their website for up-dates well in advance of your plans to submit a proposal.

 

The DCA applications are reviewed in two tracks depending on an organizations budget-size:
Organizations with prior year budgets over $250,000 are eligible for multi-year funding and their applications will go through an discipline-specific panel review.

 

Organizations with prior year budgets of less than $250,000 must submit applications annually and are reviewed by borough-specific panels.

 

Pentacle will compile all your information and put it into the DCA application form and keep track of the various deadlines during the grant application and award period.