Business 101 -
A publication for artists, writers,
performers and presenters is still available
free of charge for residents of the Canadian
Columbia Basin. The 60-page booklet is a
basic training manual in marketing (yourself
or your event); how to write a media
release; applying for funding; contracts;
copyright and a list of resources. The
publication was made possible with funding
from the Columbia Basin Trust and HRDC.
NEW
We have recently added a
listing of performance and exhibition venues
in the Canadian Columbia Basin to assist
those touring performances or art
exhibitions.
To obtain a digital copy, please e-mail
admin@wkartscouncil.com
If you are from outside our region, or are
an organization that would like to order
multiple copies there is a charge of $10.00
per booklet to cover costs of
printing/binding. Non-profit organizations
ordering multiple copies may be eligible for
a discount - please contact us for details.
Business 101 - A
publication for artists, writers, performers
and presenters
Written and Compiled
by Rod Taylor
Business 101
Excerpt: Researching and applying for
funding
For many artists and craftspeople, the
process of looking and applying for arts
funding can seem mysterious and even a
little intimidating. The purpose of this
unit is to shed some light on that subject
and give you some sense of where to begin.
This unit does not cover sources of funding
for full time or basic training in a
particular discipline (e.g. college or
university scholarships). That funding is
more academic in nature and is beyond the
scope of this publication. As mentioned
earlier, this booklet is intended for
individual artists and craftspeople that
already have experience and/or completed
basic training in their chosen discipline.
The amount of experience required will vary
depending on the funding agency and the type
of funding being sought.
Artist's groups, collectives or
organizations will also find that while much
of the information here is relevant for
them, specific details may differ somewhat
(e.g. types of funding available).
Regardless, attention to detail when
researching programs of funding and
eligibility is key.
Also note that this unit is only concerned
with sources of arts funding, or funding
whose primary purpose is to support and
promote the arts in some way. Other sources
of funding that are not specifically arts
related do exist (e.g. those primarily
intended to promote business or economic
growth), but will not be discussed in this
publication. If you are interested in other
types of funding, agencies such as Human
Resources and Development Canada and
Community Futures would be good places to
start looking.
There are three
basic steps in applying for funding:
1) Determining your needs: what are you
seeking funding for?
2) Doing your homework: researching sources of funding
3) Putting together the necessary information:
proposals, applications &
budgets
This unit describes each step and provides a
sample budget form. See the end of the
booklet for a list of resources and places
where you can find additional information.
1) Determining your
needs: what are you seeking funding for?
There is a wide range of financial awards
available, so the first step in the search
is figuring out what you need money for.
This is not as complicated as it may seem.
For example, you may be looking for money to
undertake a specific project, or to seek
additional training in your field.
Awards are generally intended to help offset
reasonable costs that you may incur during a
project or endeavor (e.g. writing a novel,
creating a piece of sculpture) in order to
help further your creative development in a
way that would not have been otherwise
possible (more on eligibility in Step 2).
The list of available funding is definitely
shorter than those seeking it, but knowing
what you want is the first step in finding
out how to get it.
As an individual, here's what you will not
find arts funding for:
● buying a piece of equipment (capital
expenditures)
● servicing existing debts
● work that is already completed
● work that is clearly commercial or market driven
(i.e. commissions,
dinnerware sets)
● developing a commercial market
You will find arts funding opportunities for
reasonable expenses that are related to
creative research and/or production
including :
● travel (if a necessary part of your
project)
● cost of living while undertaking the project
● cost of production (e.g. materials, other people you
may have to hire)
● education (usually for short term periods of
additional study or training
for professional artists)
Applying for more than one award is
advisable if you are eligible, and is
sometimes necessary depending on the scope
of the project. This isn't a problem as long
as you are up front about it, and it's
permitted under the terms of the grant or
award you're applying for (you can apply for
as many as you like, but some awards
stipulate that the recipient cannot receive
awards in addition to theirs, or multiple
awards from the same organization, either at
once or within a certain period of time).
That being said, properly preparing a grant
application or project proposal can be a
fairly labour intensive process. So, even if
you qualify for more than one, you'll need
to determine your priorities and start with
those that are best suited to your needs.
It's better to do a really good job on one
application than a mediocre job on several!
2) Doing your
homework: researching sources of funding
that match your needs and for which you are
eligible
There are a number of places that you can
look for information on funding programs and
sources. The internet is a very good
resource. Your local library can also be a
useful place to look. Arts councils at all
levels (local, regional, provincial and
federal) often have websites where you can
find information on any funding that they
offer (see Resources at the end of this
booklet). As well, they often have articles
and links to other information on funding,
both on and off the internet. In addition to
the internet, visiting or phoning the office
of arts councils in your area can be very
worthwhile. There are numerous publications
that list funding sources and program
details, and many arts councils have at
least a modest collection of these and other
arts related material, which they may either
loan out (in some cases) or make available
for reference. Another benefit is that is
that you may get to talk to an actual person
who may be willing to offer feedback or
advice on what you're trying to do.
Generally speaking, there is more funding
available for non-profit arts groups and
organizations than for individuals.
Occasionally, these groups may be willing
and/or able to apply for funding on your
behalf if your project is appropriate.
You can also approach businesses or other
interested individuals. Although this may
seem a bit intimidating, it doesn't hurt to
ask, especially if you are looking for
donations in kind (non-cash donations such
as materials or use of space) and can give
them some sort of recognition in return.
Where does arts
funding come from?
The vast majority of it comes from
-
Federal (Government of Canada) sources -
arms length governmental bodies such as
the Canada Council and Telefilm Canada
administer programs which are primarily
publicly funded by the Federal
Government.
Provincial (Government of BC) sources -
arms length governmental bodies such as
the BC Arts Council administer programs
funded by the provincial government.
-
Local and Regional sources - local (e.g.
Nelson and District Arts Council) and
regional (e.g. the Columbia Kootenay
Cultural Alliance) governmental agencies
and/or arts councils administer programs
funded through public and private
sources.
-
Other sources - foundations (e.g. the
Pollack Krasner - - Foundation) and
other non-profit organizations (e.g. the
Crafts Association of BC) administer
programs funded from either public or
private sources, or a combination of the
two.
Who's eligible?
Eligibility varies depending on the award,
and the terms are usually quite specific.
Look at the criteria closely and thoroughly.
It should be one of the first things you do
look at, because if you're not eligible,
there's no sense spending much more of your
time reading further (unless you're just
generally interested). Determining your
eligibility early on will also greatly speed
up the process of going through long lists
of funding sources.
It's also important to make sure you clearly
understand the terms funders use to define
eligibility (e.g. emerging artist,
established artist). Most arts awards for
individuals aren't targeted at a particular
age group, but rather at artists that are at
a certain point in their career or training
(e.g. the term "senior artist" isn't
necessarily referring to an artist over the
age of 65). These terms are usually quite
well defined, but sometimes it can be easy
to overlook these kinds of details if you're
not careful.
When researching awards, here are some key
points to look for:
-
level of experience and/or training
required
-
application deadlines (do you have
enough time to assemble and submit
the required information?)
-
any other limitations ( e.g.
citizenship, residency, age).
3) Putting
together the necessary information:
proposals, applications & budgets
Depending on the award, you will typically
be asked to submit one or more of the
following:
-
a
completed application form
-
a
proposal clearly describing what
you want to do
-
a
budget for the proposed project
-
other supporting materials (e.g.
slides, cv) (see Unit 1 of this
booklet)
-
letters of reference.
The following
excerpt is from the Canada Council, but much
of the information applies equally to other
funding agencies:
When you have decided to
apply to a particular
program and have obtained a
current copy of the
appropriate application
form, read the application
guidelines and application
form carefully before you
complete the form. If you
are a first-time applicant,
you should contact the
Program Officer in charge of
the program in which you are
interested.
Proofread and review all the
information you are
providing before you submit
it. Peer assessment
committees must review many
applications in a limited
period. The committee
members will be better able
to evaluate your application
if you have followed the
application guidelines
carefully, prepared your
proposal in a clear manner
and attached only the
support material that has
been requested. Support
material is crucial to the
peer assessment committee's
consideration of your
application - make sure that
it adequately reflects the
quality of your work.
Most sections at the Canada
Council for the Arts require
you to submit all support
material (audio, visual and
written) with your
application form. Do not
include original works
unless specifically
requested to do so (i.e. do
not send us your only copy
of your work). The Canada
Council is not responsible
for the loss or damage,
whatever the cause, of
materials submitted in
support of your application.
Excerpt from
the Canada Council website, section
entitled: "Applying to the Canada Council
for the Arts
Particular requirements will
vary depending on the award.
Generally speaking you will
greatly improve your chances
of success if all of your
application material is
neatly and clearly presented
in exactly the way in which
they request it. Good
organization at this stage
can suggest general
competence as well as a
methodical and professional
attitude.
There is often stiff
competition for any grant or
award and the people who
review the applications must
often go over a great number
of them in a short period of
time. If they have to spend
extra time with your
application because you've
labeled your slides
improperly (for example), it
may not dispose them
favourably when looking at
the rest of your
application. By paying
attention to the details,
you make it easier for them
to look directly at the
merits of your project,
instead of worrying about
your ability to organize the
details that surround it.
This doesn't mean, however,
that your application should
be too showy. Fancy covers,
bindings or gimmicky use of
coloured ink can suggest
needless extravagance and
obscure the nature of your
work in the same way that a
sloppy application can.
Remember, they don't know
you, all they have to go on
is the material you give
them, so be sure you make
the right impression.
Writing a
proposal
Proposal formats will vary slightly
depending on the funding agency and the type
of funding you're asking for. Again, it's a
good idea to talk with the appropriate
contact person for your discipline at the
funding agency. They can give you helpful
advice on what they're looking for.
Unless stated otherwise, a proposal should
contain:
-
What you want to do
-
How you plan to do it
(where, with what materials)
-
Who else will be involved,
including their
qualifications
-
Why you want to do it
-
When it will happen and the
duration of it (timeline)
-
What results and impacts do
you expect from it (to your
career, to the public, to a
cause)
-
What
factors give you a
reasonable chance of success
(your skills, previous
experience).
from the BC Touring Council,
based on a presentation
prepared by Bitsy Bidwell
Proposals
should be typed and easy to read. Try to
avoid the use of needlessly complex language
or jargon. Keep the language as simple and
concise as possible. If a document length or
number of words is specified, use it up, but
don't exceed it. Once you have completed the
proposal, get your friends or other people
who have some knowledge of writing to read
it. They can look at it with a fresh eye and
tell you if there are any areas that seem
unclear or poorly organized. Once again, it
pays to look closely at what you're being
asked for and ensure that you answer any
specific questions they may have.
While writing a proposal will require some
hard work, it doesn't have to be an
intimidating process. The following excerpt
from the Canada Council breaks it down
pretty simply:
Describe what you want to do. Present your
plan in such a way that someone who has
never heard of you can understand your
vision. Write about how you intend to
organize your time to carry out the project.
Present your plan clearly and succinctly,
allowing the peer assessment committee to
grasp the nature, intention and relevance of
your project in relation to your artistic
approach. State what you will accomplish
with the grant. Remember, you are writing
for artists who work in your artistic
discipline.
Excerpt from the Canada Council website,
section entitled: "Applying to the Canada
Council for the Arts"
Developing a budget
Funding sources require
varying degrees of
detail in the budget
portion of the proposal.
Funding agencies (e.g.
the Columbia Kootenay
Cultural Alliance) will
often have forms for you
to use, along with
instructions for their
completion. Make sure
that you are clear on
the level of detail they
are requesting before
you begin and that you
follow their format if
one is provided.
If a budget sheet is
provided, don't feel
that you must enter a
figure in every
category. They are only
there as a guide, so
fill in the ones that
are relevant to you and
either leave the rest
blank, or mark them
"N/A."
Also, even when a budget
sheet is provided, you
still may be able to use
one that you've created
yourself (e.g. on your
computer). Check with
the funding agency.
Be as specific as
possible in your cost
estimations and avoid
vague references (e.g.
expense categories such
as "miscellaneous", or
"contingency") and
unsupported, "ballpark"
type figures. If your
project requires a
moving van, for example,
phone around and get
some prices on what that
will cost.
Unless it's requested,
be cautious in rounding
off all your figures to
hundreds or thousands of
dollars, as this doesn't
tend to suggest a great
deal of work has gone
into their calculation.
Again, avoid making
assumptions and check
with the funding agency
if you're unclear on
what they're asking for.
This way, you will be
sure that you're
providing them with the
level of detail they
require in a format that
they find acceptable.
Remember, this is as
much for your benefit as
it is for theirs and
thorough planning at
this stage can save you
a lot of stress further
into the project.
You will, however, not
be held accountable for
every penny being spent
as you lay it out in
your budget. While
significant changes to
the project may require
permission in writing
from the funding source,
you do have some leeway
in how the money is
actually spent, provided
you don't exceed the
total amount of the
award.
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