A singer friend once said to me, “You know you have to have a sugar daddy to be in this business, right?”
He couldn’t have been more right.
Some singers indeed make ends meet by having a personal sponsor, someone who pays their rent or covers their lesson expenses, but for many, that is not the reality. For them, finding funding through philanthropic foundations may be the way to go.
Grant writing can seem an overwhelming task, even for those who have written grants before, but it doesn’t have to be. I hope the information in this article will demystify the grant-writing process, shed some light on the techniques of putting together a successful grant proposal, and provide resources for more in-depth reference.
Grants are financial support provided by private foundations, local and federal government agencies, and corporations to support work in a particular field. Typically, grants are given to non-profit organizations and the like, but some foundations and other private sponsors will invest in individuals.
Writing a grant proposal is much like an audition. The stack of papers the foundation receives from you is like walking out onto an empty stage—the auditors see how you’re dressed, how you walk, how you interact with the accompanist, and finally, as you start to sing, whether you’ve got “the goods.” The same goes for a grant proposal. Your simple, classy stack of papers will convince them you are organized and financially wise. The fact that you didn’t spiral-bind everything together tells them you don’t waste money, and the time you took to proofread shows you are careful. Remembering to include all required supporting documents shows you are thorough. When they begin to read, they’ll be ready to see that you have “the goods.”
So, where do you begin? How do you find foundations? And how do you go about letting them know you exist and that you’re worthy of their support?
Before you can write your proposal, you have to know exactly what it is you’re proposing. For example, if you’re looking for funds to support yourself, are you looking for someone to pay your monthly bills (which is very general), to cover lesson and coaching fees (which is more specific), or to cover the cost of paying your accompanist and hiring a recording engineer for your next demo CD?
Once you have decided on your funding need—let’s say you want to start a concert series in your community with a few friends but are overwhelmed by the overhead costs of producing these concerts—you can begin looking for funding sources. The ones that follow are just a sampling of the resources available.
First, use the special reports Classical Singer has put together over the years, such as “How to Put On a Benefit Concert.”
Second, go online and access the several online databases you can use to search for grantors. The Foundation Center (www.foundationcenter.org) is one of the most powerful search tools available, as well as one of the most in-depth resources on how to put together a successful proposal. Through The Foundation Center, you can also research a foundation’s past granting history by downloading its tax returns, which tells you who they funded, for how much, and when. Most importantly, The Foundation Center site includes “Foundation Funding for Individuals.” Since it is difficult to find foundations who are willing to invest their money in groups and individuals who are not 501(c)3 tax-exempt, non-profit organizations, this resource is invaluable and worth the small monthly fee. For those looking for study grants, say to cover university expenses, attend a summer program, or fly to a pay-to-sing in Italy, this is the place to start.
The Grantsmanship Center (www.tgci.com) doesn’t offer much online without paying a hefty subscription fee, but through its website you can order invaluable paper resources. “Program Planning and Proposal Writing: Expanded Version,” for example, is available for $4 and is widely accepted as a standard in the industry.
Check out online singer resources you already access. The new YAPTracker.com reportedly lists study grants and other funding options. Log on to singer forums (www.classicalsinger.com or www.nfcs.net) and search for past discussions on funding or grants.
Online you can also find dozens of sites to assist you in putting your proposal together. In addition to the ones already listed, check out www.grantproposal.com.
Third, hit the streets. Visit your local library. Reference librarians often know where to look for local grantors, such as local chapters of the Rotary Club, the Junior League, the Sons of Norway, or foundations that exist only in your locale. If you’re a student, the library at your school should have listings of local foundations and field-specific funders. You can see an example of this at the Indiana University School of Music’s website: http://library.music.indiana.edu/music_resources/centers.html. If you’re in New York City, San Francisco, Atlanta, Cleveland, or Washington, D.C., visit one of the Foundation Center’s libraries for even more in-depth searches than you can do online.
Keep these things in mind as you search for foundations. First, pay careful attention to what kinds of projects a foundation funds. Do they tend to fund projects that exist because the foundation funds it, or do they like to fund projects that are already self-sufficient? Second, are they a “bricks and mortar” kind of foundation that wants to fund something specific, such as paying for new costumes for your caroling group’s holiday gigs, or are they a “conceptual” foundation that wants to support good ideas, such as keeping the arts from dying? Knowing these distinctions allows you to avoid applying to foundations that wouldn’t be interested in your proposal even if you are the best thing since sliced bread, and helps you craft your proposal to make it as appealing as possible. Make sure you know the foundation’s funding guidelines and that you meet their eligibility criteria.
Another key element to keep in mind as you research is whether a foundation funds individuals and groups that are not incorporated. Many foundations only fund 501(c)3 non-profits, and even the foundations that don’t include that as a requirement may still want to see some sort of affiliation with a larger entity. For example, let’s say you want to produce a recording with an orchestra. A grantor may prefer to see that you are working under the auspices of a specific orchestra, in which case the grantor would probably send the check directly to the orchestra—which would then pass the appropriate amount to you—rather than send the check to you and trust you to pay the orchestra the full amount as outlined in your proposal. You should keep in mind as you search for study grants or other grants awarded to individuals that they are sometimes difficult to come by and that other funding sources, such as putting on a benefit concert for yourself or applying for scholarships, may be a more viable option.
That said, grant options are available for individuals. In Canada, the Canada Council for the Arts offers a myriad of grant options for the individual. Check out their website at www.canadacouncil.ca for good examples of grant topics and what to include in a successful proposal. Likewise, the American Music Center (www.amc.net) provides incentive grants to singers and other musicians. And, as listed above, the best source of information for the individual is at the Foundation Center’s “Foundation Funding for Individuals” website at gtionline.fdncenter.org.
Once you’ve found a foundation, you can begin shaping your proposal to meet its guidelines.
You can lay out your grant proposal in various ways, but no matter how you do it, you must include seven items: a cover letter, a summary or overview, an introduction, a needs assessment, a project description, a budget, and a conclusion. Sometimes a foundation will provide an application with specific questions that allow you to include each of these components within the structure they provide, but other foundations merely supply an RFP (request for proposals), in which case it is up to you to provide the structure for your proposal. In either case, you must include all seven components in some form.
The cover letter is straightforward. In one page, greet the granting committee and in one or two brief paragraphs give them the entire summary of the grant: an introduction to who you are, what your proposed project is, and the amount you’re requesting. Be friendly and courteous.
The summary/overview hits all the major points of the proposal. As one of my university professors was fond of saying, “If you can’t say it in one simple sentence, you don’t know what you mean.” It should be the tightest, most captivating part of the entire proposal, as it may be the only part that gets read, especially if you’re applying to a large foundation. After reading your summary, the grantor will know if he or she wants to know more.
When it comes to introducing yourself, however, you can take as much time and space as you need. A foundation may be philanthropic in nature, but they still want to know that they’re not squandering their money and that they’ll get a good return on their “investment.” You are introducing yourself or your ensemble and your qualifications, rather than the project itself. This is where you get to list your performance history, describe your involvement in the community (especially if you’re applying to a local foundation), show how long you’ve been in the business, and tell about anything else that proves investing in you and your art would be worthwhile.
The introduction describes who you are, but the need assessment describes why you are pursuing your project. Are you performing for a specific target audience? Are the arts dying in your area and you want to help them flourish? Do you want to support new composers by performing their work? Be specific about why your project is necessary. Even if it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what that need might be, help the reader catch the vision for your work and get excited about it.
Next comes the project description, the meat and potatoes of your proposal. Describe your project—a concert series, a recording, or a program you’ve conceived to teach kids about music, for example—and describe it in detail. Describe your goals, objectives, and desired outcomes. Describe how you plan to meet your objectives and how you will evaluate whether you have met them. Include a timeline for your project, if applicable. Be sure to list any other funders, to show you have already earned the trust of other funders. Describe whether this is an ongoing project, such as a concert series, or a one-time deal, such as traveling to attend a masterclass. Take two or three pages to describe your project fully.
Next comes the budget. This is the section where the reader of your proposal will be able to tell how much thought you’ve given to your project. Give reasonable estimates for expenses throughout the entire project and be specific, even if you are applying for a grant that will only partially cover expenses.
For example, if you are applying for a grant to cover publicity costs for an upcoming concert, list amounts for poster printing, program printing, and ad space you plan to purchase in the local newspaper, all within the larger concert budget that includes performance space rental and performer stipends. Tell the foundation this budget is for the project only; if you are writing a proposal under the auspices of another organization, you should include a copy of their organizational budget as well, but that is separate from the budget you outline for the project itself.
Also, don’t forget to include any extra materials the foundation requires, and any other supporting evidence. If you are submitting a proposal for your chamber choir’s concert series, the foundation may want a recording of your latest concert. If you are collaborating with an established organization, especially if that organization is tax-exempt, include a copy of that organization’s annual report. If you are applying for a grant based on your merit or performance background, send your entire press kit: résumé, bio, headshot, recording, reviews and all.
Lastly, be prepared to write a follow-up report several months later, especially if your project is an ongoing one. Foundations like to know they made a good decision in funding you and want to see the results of your work.
Though it takes much creativity and energy to execute a successful grant proposal, it is an effective way to bring your art to life without going broke in the process. In the absence of your own sugar daddy, happy proposal
writing!
