1. Funding Your Projects

2. Kinds of Funders Public Funders Private Funders Federal State Local
Foundations
Private Funders
Corporations
Individuals
Funding

3. What is a Foundation?
A private nonprofit organization with funds and a program managed by its own trustees and directors, established to further social, educational, religious or other charitable activities by making grants
Funding

4. Foundations
Foundation Center: Collects and compiles information about Foundations from the IRS
Foundation Center Headquarters:
79 Fifth Avenue
(at 16th St., 2nd Floor)
NY, NY
Funding

5. Corporate Funding
Approximately 90 percent of all corporate support is spent on the local level where the company has its headquarters or major branch of operation -- sometimes a good source of art funding
Funding

6. Corporate Funding
Corporations tend to be secretive about giving. They don’t tend to publish brochures about how they give money, they rarely even include gift information information in their annual reports
Standards & Poor’s a possible source of corporate information (but expect it to be vague)
Funding

7. Public Funding
Although not as healthy as it once was, governments fund some art organizations and projects
At the Federal level: The Sad Story of the National Endowment for the Art
Funding

8. Funding

9. Robert Mapplethorpe ignited a fierce culture war in 1989 when his exhibit "The Perfect Moment" was scheduled to go up at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The exhibit, which featured classic portraits, floral studies and a section of extremely graphic homoerotic S&M photos, had already been featured at museums in Philadelphia and Chicago without any protest. (The explicit photos were kept in a separate, age-restricted area during each exhibit.)

10. But when Republican Senator Jesse Helms of North Carolina learned that the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) had given the Philly museum $30,000 for Mapplethorpe's show, he cobbled together a group of 100 Congressmen who wrote an angry letter to the NEA. Not wanting to incite controversy, the Corcoran Gallery backed out of the show. Later, Mapplethorpe's work traveled to Cincinnati's Contemporary Arts Center (CAC), where it caused even more trouble. Mapplethorpe's photographs were used as evidence against CAC director Dennis Barrie, who was charged with obscenity but luckily, acquitted.
Funding

11. Andres Serrano
Piss Christ, 1987
Cibachrome 60”x40”
This piece caused a political scandal when it was exhibited in 1989, with detractors, including US Senator Al D’Amato (D NY), and Jesse Helms (R NC), outraged that Serrano received $15,000 for the piece and in 1986 had received a $5,000 Individual Artist Grant from the NEA (taxpayer’s money, they said).

12. Public Funding
Most states have arts councils. Good source of information:
NEA is usually in partnership with state agencies so you are getting some NEA money when you get state money
Funding

13. Public Funding Pennsylvania Council on the Arts
216 Finance Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
It’s easier to get state money once it trickles down to local level
Funding

14. Public Funding
Berks Arts Council makes grants to organizations and individuals
States may also fund arts through State Department of Education, Tourism, etc.
Funding

15. Public Funding
The 4,000 local art agencies are usually where beginning artists have the best shot at getting support
The agencies generally have the least amount of money, but also fewer and smaller requests
State grants are more difficult -- a panel of peers usually judge the applications
Funding

16. Public Funding Several regional arts agencies:
Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation
201 N. Charles Street, Suite 401
Baltimore, MD 21201
(DE, DC, MD, NJ, NY, PA, VA and WV)
Funding

17. Public Funding
They make some grants directly to artists but generally through satellite organizations
Generally like to fund cultural events and activities among the states in their areas. They like collaborative efforts among different arts organizations in the states (ex: hosting a conference or doing a traveling exhibition)
Funding

18. Other Sources Creative Capital
Grants to about 2% of their typical 1,500 inquires
Financial support of work project, and training and support from consultants and advisors (typical grant is $10K initial, up to $50K actual cash, and approximately $37K in support.
creative-capital.org
Funding

19. Other Sources
Crowdsourcing • Indigogo • Fundanything • Are you really my friend? •
Funding

20. Other Sources kickstarter.com
“largest funding platform for creative projects in the world. Every month, tens of thousands of amazing people pledge millions of dollars to projects from the worlds of music, film, art, technology, design, food, publishing and other creative fields.”
A new form of commerce and patronage. “not about investment or lending. Project creators keep 100% ownership and control over their work.”
( more )
Funding

21. Other Sources kickstarter (cont.)
“All or nothing funding -- a project must reach its funding goal before time runs out or no money changes hands. Why? It protects everyone involved. Creators aren’t expected to develop their project without necessary funds, and it allows anyone to test concepts without risk.”
Each and every project is the independent creation of someone like you. Projects are big and small, serious and whimsical, traditional and experimental. They’re inspiring, entertaining and unbelievably diverse. We hope you agree... Welcome to Kickstarter!
Funding

22. Emergency Funds
While these foundations are primarily for more established artists, they also occasionally provide one-time emergency support to younger artists for medical needs and other catastrophic events
Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Foundation
Pollock-Krasner Foundation
Funding

23. Asking for Funding
Two- part process: (1) find likely funder (2) develop idea appropriate to their program
Corporations rarely have formal applications
Government agencies always have formal applications and most large foundations have regular applications processes (smaller foundation sometimes are less formal)
Funding

24. Inside Information
Ask if they will look at your application if you complete it before deadline
If you get it to them a few weeks before deadline, many will critique it and give advice on how to make it better
This is great advice and can really help
Funding

25. Ask Specific Questions
Ask them if your budget is realistic
Is the amount you are asking within their typical funding range
Some organizations will give you previous successful applications that they feel are particularly good models
This kind of information is very helpful
Funding

26. People Give to People Individuals are the biggest art funders
In a recent year, they gave 85 percent of all charitable gifts, in same period 10% was from foundations, 5% was from corporations
People make gifts / corporations and foundations provide funds
Funding

27. Why People Give
To elevate self-esteem, elevate reputation in community, or simply like art and want to share in artist’s career
Sometimes individual gifts have strings -- they should be avoided (if donor want something you don’t want to give -- find other funds)
Funding

28. Seek and Ye Shall Find
Artists are often reluctant to ask for money from individuals -- feel like they’re begging
Remember, person giving gets something too: sense of well-being, sense of participating in community
Must mention governmental and foundation supports in all printed materials, but often individual will want to remain anonymous
Funding

29. Making it to First Base Funders are overwhelmed with applications
First-round rejections are usually technical: omitted information, incorrect format, hard to read, unrealistic budget (too high or too low)
Funding