Arts and Culture Frequently Asked Questions
Overarching Creative Communities Questions
A: Yes, organizations can apply for grants under more than one strategy if the project or program strongly aligns with the guidelines of the relevant strategy.
A: Request amounts vary based on strategy and duration of the grant. Strategy-specific guidance can be found under the respective FAQ section. In general, it is Foundation policy not to fund more than 25% of an organization’s operating budget.
A: No, you do not. To see the specific requirements of our application process, please visit the How to Apply to Creative Communities webpage. If you have any other questions after reviewing that information, please feel free to reach out to Jasmine Wallack at jwallack@williampennfoundation.org.
A: “Racial equity is a process of eliminating racial disparities and improving outcomes for everyone. It is the intentional and continuing process of changing policies, systems, and structures by prioritizing measurable change in the lives of people of color.” (Creating Cultures and Practices for Racial Equity, by Nayantara Sen & Terry Keleher, Race Forward)
A: Economic inclusion means increased economic opportunity and more shared prosperity in ways that can be sustained for individuals who historically have experienced the most barriers to economic prosperity, such as people of color.
Arts and Culture Hubs Questions
A: The annual amount of an Arts and Culture Hubs grant is based on the organization’s operating expenses of its most recently completed fiscal year, with ranges associated with Small, Medium, Large, and Very Large organization size. These ranges were scaled based on our experience with historic Creative Communities general operating support funding amounts. Grant seekers may reference the table for guidance around how to develop their request amounts.
A: Typically, an Arts and Culture Hubs grant is awarded for three years (36 months). The grant term will be tied to the organization’s fiscal year.
A: We define high quality from a people-centered perspective. High-quality programming and activities leverage or apply artistic knowledge to create positive interactions and impacts. The needs, desires, and perspectives of the community or intended audiences will help determine the programming developed, practices and materials used, artists included, and program/work locations. Recognizing the number of ways artistic expertise is developed and considered, this definition seeks to emphasize the role of artistic skill rather than when or how it was acquired.
A: As grants progress, we seek to understand the change grantees are experiencing, what they are learning, and how they are adapting. An Arts and Culture Hubs grantee will be required to submit annual interim reports detailing its progress toward the anticipated results of its grant term as well as a final report at the end of the grant term. Additionally, these grantee reports will provide information/data that will help us measure our progress toward our goals for the Arts and Culture Hubs strategy as well as the overarching goal of the Creative Communities program. We determine grant success on a case-by-case basis, based on grantees’ ability to achieve original intended aims and/or ability to shift appropriately given changes in operating environments.
Finally, we greatly value the opportunities to learn from our grantees because ongoing learning is essential to our work as Foundation staff. Projects that do not go as planned often result in the greatest critical learning opportunities. We appreciate and greatly value grantees’ honesty regarding these issues, as it is what enables us to adjust the Foundation’s expectations, effectively advise our grantees, and learn from each grant cycle.
Arts Education Questions
A: The Arts Education strategy will consider covering any aspect of a program’s budget. It is preferred that a grant not focus solely on single activities such as student travel or a final/culminating performance, although the strategy may consider these types of focused requests on a case-by-case basis.
A: In-school work for younger age ranges (K-6) is linked to research that shows these programs stimulate development of social-emotional learning skills such as growth mindset and self-regulation. The middle and high school years (grades 7-12) are well suited for studio-based training that builds skills related to problem solving/cognition, identity formation, creativity, and independence. Funding outside of these grade levels will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
A: An Arts Education grantee will be required to submit annual interim reports, for a grant longer than 12-months, detailing its progress toward the anticipated results of its grant term as well as a final report at the end of the grant term. Additionally, these grantee reports will provide information/data that will help us measure our progress toward our goals for the Arts Education strategy as well as the overarching goal of the Creative Communities program.
Arts Presentation and Art Making Questions
A: The strategy does not provide capital support for permanent art installations that do not have plans for ongoing maintenance.
A: The Arts Presentation and Art Making strategy categorizes artistic disciplines similarly to the National Endowment for the Arts (e.g., Literary Arts, Dance, Design, Folk and Traditional Arts, Media Arts, Music, Musical Theater, Opera, Multidisciplinary Arts, Theater, and Visual Arts) and seeks to fund a broad range of projects representing different artistic disciplines.
A: Grantees that are not eligible for general operating support through the Arts and Culture Hubs strategy may be awarded up to an additional 10% to cover overhead costs, not to exceed $100,000. This recommendation for additional support must be discussed with a Creative Communities program officer once an application is determined eligible.
A: Yes, as part of the Arts Presentation and Art Making strategy, we will consider funding for a project that is already underway. However, with this strategy, we will only review requests for funding that are for individual, time-limited components of an existing project and is not a request for ongoing funding.
A: The Foundation would be very unlikely to renew an Arts Presentation and Art Making grant but would consider grant proposals with program content that distinctly differs from prior awarded grants and have a clear set of benefits associated with the newly proposed approach.
A: We define high quality from a people-centered perspective. High-quality programming and activities leverage or apply artistic knowledge to create positive interactions and impacts. The needs, desires, and perspectives of the community or intended audiences will help determine the programming developed, practices and materials used, artists included, and program/work locations. Recognizing the number of ways artistic expertise is developed and considered, this definition seeks to emphasize the role of artistic skill rather than when or how it was acquired.
A: Creative Communities does not require projects and programs funded through the Arts Presentation and Art Making strategy to be offered free of charge. However, any perceived or real barriers to participation, such as cost, should be acknowledged and addressed in order to generate positive impacts and benefits in an equitably and inclusive way.
A: As grants progress, we seek to understand the change grantees are experiencing, what they are learning, and how they are adapting. An Arts Presentation and Art Making grantee will be required to submit annual interim reports detailing its progress toward the anticipated results of its grant term as well as a final report at the end of the grant term. Additionally, these grantee reports will provide information/data that will help us measure our progress toward our goals for the Arts Presentation and Art Making strategy as well as the overarching goal of the Creative Communities program. We determine grant success on a case-by-case basis, based on grantees’ ability to achieve original intended aims and/or ability to shift appropriately given changes in operating environments.
Finally, we greatly value the opportunities to learn from our grantees because ongoing learning is essential to our work as Foundation staff. Projects that do not go as planned often result in the greatest critical learning opportunities. We appreciate and greatly value grantees’ honesty regarding these issues, as it is what enables us to adjust the Foundation’s expectations, effectively advise our grantees, and learn from each grant cycle.