ann baillie - manager of training & professional development, m&gsq

Museum & Gallery Services Queensland

Securing Funding Workshop Toowoomba 29 & 30 April 2010

Museum and Gallery Services Queensland Limited is funded by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland and is supported by the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy, an initiative of the Australian, state and territory governments. Museum and Gallery Services Queensland is assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body..

M&GSQ Securing Funding Workshop 2010

Introduce yourselves

• Name• Group or Organisation you represent• Any recent success with funding

applications• What you’d like to get from the workshop


Agenda & FoldersDay one:• Introduction to grant writing & a range of funding bodies• NLA Community Heritage Grants• M&GSQ Standards Program Grant• Arts Queensland Sector Grants• RADF• Interviews Day two: • The Budget • Case studies• Philanthropy & fundraising• Creative Regions• Interviews

THE FOLDERS- Resource for the workshop and Beyond!


Acknowledgement

• Acknowledgement to QCAN & Chris Stannard whose extensive experience as a grant applicant and a peer assessor is reflected in this presentation.

• M&GSQ thanks Chris Stannard for permission to use and adapt his presentation.


Handy Hints

• About funding bodies, their structures and decision making processes

• Designing a project

• Project Planning

• Application writing

• Choosing a funding body


Handy Hints

• Design the project first. • Then design the funding strategy.



Handy Hints

• The project should be part of your strategic plan not an add on because you’ve seen the funding advertised.



Handy Hints

• Only work on projects which are genuinely important.



Handy Hints

• Work with other people on the design of a project, polishing it all the time, until it shines.



Handy Hints

• Find the right funding bodies and sponsors.



Handy Hints

• Remember, funding applications are read and assessed by human beings. Write well.Be creative.

• If writing is not your thing, find someone to be your grant writer.



How do funding bodies make decisions?



How do they make decisions?

Applications are assessed against criteria based on the program’s aims



How do they make decisions?

• Arms length funding

• Peer assessment

• Internal assessment



Arts QueenslandState Government

Grants for career development (up to $5,000) are assessed internally by staff and are approved by the delegate of the Minister of the Arts.

Development and Presentation Grants (up to $50,000) are assessed in five steps- a mix of internal, peer and political assessment.



Arts QueenslandSector Project Grants

Step 1: Applications within each artform are short-listed by Arts Queensland staff against the assessment criteria.

Step 2: Industry experts provide written referee reports for short-listed applications using the assessment criteria.

Step 3: The relevant Arts Queensland Director considers the industry expert assessment reports and prepares a list of recommendations within their budget allocation.



Arts QueenslandSector Project Grants

Step 4: Recommendations are moderated internally by Arts Queensland before being submitted through the Deputy Director-General, Arts Queensland to the Minister.

Step 5: The Minister determines the funding outcomes.



Arts Queensland major sector grantsArts Qld Staff

Industry expert Industry expert Industry expert

Arts Qld Director

Moderation by Arts Qld

Minister for the Arts

Check eligibility do short list against the assessment criteria

Write referee reports for short-listed applications using the assessment criteria

Each Director considers the assessment reports and prepares a list of recommendations within their budget allocation.

The relevant Arts Queensland Director considers the industry expert assessment reports and prepares a list of recommendations within their budget allocation. Recommendations are moderated internally by Arts Queensland before being submitted through the Deputy Director-General, Arts Queensland to the Minister.


Australia Council

Staff check eligibility butGrant applications are assessed by peers, defined by the Australia Council as people who, by virtue of their knowledge and experience, are equipped to make a fair and informedassessment of artistic work and grant applications

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Australia Council: Arm’s Length

Before the meeting:

• Staff check eligibility and register applications on the Council’s computer database.

• Staff prepare applications and support material for the Committee assessment meeting. Applications are made into booklets and sent to Committee members.

• Peers are invited to participate as advisers to the Committee at the meeting bringing additional expertise and perspectives to the assessment process.

• Staff also check and manage any conflicts of interest that Committee members and peers have with applications.


Australia Council: Arm’s LengthAt the meeting:

• Committee members assess your application against the published selection criteria.

• Committee members may examine support material at the meeting or by prior arrangement. Committee members may also take into account information from other sources such as:

- their attendance at performances and other events;- reports from members of the Register of Peers who may be asked to

provide formal assessments of designated works;- reviews, videos and recordings, referee reports and other material;- any previous Australia Council grant acquittal reports and performance

agreements you may have had; and- communication with State and Territory agencies.

See Example of Assessment Report in Resource Folder


Gambling Community Benefit Fund

Assessed for Eligibility

The Gambling Community Benefit Fund Committee

Queensland Treasurer, Deputy Premier & Minister for Infrastructure

Applications


Regional Arts Development FundLocal & State Government partnership

Contributes $

Council reps(appointed)

RADFCommittee

Community reps(elected)

Local Council Arts Queensland

Applications

Both Councils & Arts Qld contribute $


The funding cycle

check eligibility, statistics

by the funding deadline

may or may not fully fund

conditions of funding: may needto do something extra;must acknowledge funding body,

any changes to the projectmust be negotiated

Artistic Report & Financial Reportcannot apply again until this is done

Grant acquitted

Project completed

Project commences

Grant awarded

Funding agreement

Assessment process

Administration

Application lodged


Application lodged By the funding deadline

Administration Eligibility checked; statistics recorded

Assessment Process

May or may not fully fund

Funding Agreement Conditions of funding; may need to do something extra; must acknowledge funding body

Grant Awarded

Project Commences Any Changes to the project must be negotiated

Project Completed

Grant Acquitted Outcome Report & Financial report; Cannot apply again until this is done


Designing a project

• Think of your funding application as a project planning tool.



Designing a project

• Think of your funding application as a project planning tool.

• Think of your funding application as a business proposal.



Workshop Exercise: Designing a project

1. Name of applicant (group/organisation or individual):

2. Think about what you want to do and write it clearly in a short paragraph

3. Think about why you want to do this project:For you, the applicant:

For your community

For the wider population

4. Give your project a name



Workshop Exercise

• 3 Peers on assessment panel

• Volunteer applicants to read their project outline provided by Q1-4.

• “Assessors” listen to project outline read by ‘applicants’.

• Assessors ask questions to find out what else they’d like to know to help them assess the application.



Help the assessment panel!

• Develop your project ideas.

• Write your ideas for people who don’t know the nature and value of your project.

• Do a project plan.

• Talk to others- seek their support.



Post Workshop Exercise: Designing a project

5. Write up your thoughts; not just about your project, but about the background to it; What’s been going on? For your group or your community. What are the issues? What is the need the project will address?

This is a thinking exercise to help you formulate your thoughts and find the right words to communicate your project ideas.

6. What will this project achieve? (Project aims)



Homework Exercise: Designing a project

7. Plan your project in stages:

What needs doing?

When Who will do it?

What will they need?

Where will they get it?

How much will it cost?



8. Think about who else would support this project (community organisations, other individuals, businesses, etc). Make a list…

Write a letter, based on your thoughts and project description, asking for a letter of support. Ask them:

• Do you think this is a good project? Why?• How would this project benefit you and your community?• How might you be involved in the project?• How could you support this project?




9. Think about what sort of funding body has aims that would match your aims.

Search for suitable funding bodies. Find out:• When their deadlines are• Who is eligible• What they fund and don’t fund• Their criteria for funding• What information they want (including budget

details)

TALK to the contact officer/s to see if they think your project is a good match to their fund.




10.Fill out the funding application form

Answer the questions. Don’t send them an essay.



Post Workshop Exercise: Designing a project10. Fill out the funding application form

Answer the questions. Don’t send them an essay.

Think always about the person reading it.Be clear, don’t waffle and don’t repeat.If writing is not your thing, find someone to be your grant

writer.Get other people to read it for sense & to proof read.



Post Workshop Exercise: Designing a project10. Fill out the funding application formAnswer the questions. Don’t send them an essay.

Think always about the person reading it.Be clear, don’t waffle and don’t repeat.If writing is not your thing, find someone to be your grant writer.Get other people to read it for sense & to proof read.

Be selective about the support material you send.Make sure it’s good.Send them only as much as they ask for.



Post Workshop Exercise: Designing a project10. Fill out the funding application formAnswer the questions. Don’t send them an essay.



Ask for what you need. No more, no less.Budget accurately. Include the value of in-kind support.If you don’t think the grant is enough, go elsewhere as

well.M&GSQ Securing Funding Workshop 2010



10. Fill out the funding application formAnswer the questions. Don’t send them an essay.



Ask for what you need. No more, no less.Budget accurately. Include the value of in-kind support.If you don’t think the grant is enough, go elsewhere as well.

Do not rip off artists and other professional workers. INCLUDING YOURSELF!

(NAVA Fees schedule- Chapter 5)




10. Fill out the funding application formAnswer the questions. Don’t send them an essay.



Ask for what you need. No more, no less.Budget accurately. Include the value of in-kind support.If you don’t think the grant is enough, go elsewhere as well.

Do not rip off artists and other professional workers. INCLUDING YOURSELF! (NAVA Fees schedule- Chapter 5)

Get advice. Who else can help you? Funding body staff can seldom help you design your project.



Workshop Exercise: Finding THE grant for your project

• M&GSQ Grant Handouts in Workshop Folder

• These and the application forms and guidelines in the workshop folders are your resources for the Who funds what Quiz.



RECAP: Who Funds What Quiz

1. Gambling Community Benefit Fund/ Jupiters Casino Community Benefit Fund

2a. Eligibility?2b. Like most funds NO retrospective funding.2c. On line registration- once done can be reused for

future applications.

2d. Yes- have to phone and request one.

2e. 3



RECAP: Who Funds What QuizQ3. DEWAR NATIONAL HISTORIC SITES- for nationally significant

historic sites

Q4. National Library of Australia- Community Heritage Grants & Regional Arts Development Fund 5. Contemporary collections/stories

Q5. DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT, WATER, HERITAGE AND THE ARTS – VISIONS OF AUSTRALIA

Purpose: Provides funding to organisations to develop and tour exhibitions of Australian cultural material across Australia.

Eligible projects: Exhibitions must tour to venues across Australia,

one of which must be in different state or territory than the one the tour originated from.



SUM UP• Design the project first. Then design the funding strategy.

• The project should be part of your strategic plan not an add on because you’ve seen the funding advertised.

• Only work on projects that are genuinely important.

• Work with other people on the design of a project, polishing it all the time, until it shines.

• Do a project plan that answers the questions: What, Why, Who, Where, When, How.

• Talk to others- seek their support.



SUM UP• Find the right funding bodies whose aims match your aims;

whose funding criteria match your projects outcomes.• Talk to the contact officer/s to see if they think your project is a

good match to their fund.

• Write your ideas for people who don’t know the nature and value of your project.

• Tell them how your project addresses the key words and phrases in the fund’s criteria.

• Remember, funding applications are read and assessed by human beings. Write well. Be creative.

• If writing is not your thing, find someone to be your grant writer.• Get others to read for sense not just to proof read.


ann baillie - manager of training & professional development, m&gsq

Documents

arts funding

funding applications

arts queensland staff

funding body

funding strategy

funding outcomes

arts qldminister

arts staff check