Arts Education Grant Writing Tips

Guest Post by PSAE Board Member:
Ashley Kerns Brown
Arts Education Director
South Carolina Arts Commission

I was in graduate school when I wrote my first “big grant application” and was so confident I decided to share it with an advisor about 24 hours before it was due. You know, to get a little pat on the back before submitting. So imagine my shock when she called and asked, “Have you submitted this to the University’s Department of Sponsored Research?” Cue record scratch. No. No I had not submitted it to the Department of Sponsored Research. I had no idea what the Department of Sponsored Research was or how it was about to make the next 24 hours one of the biggest learning experiences of my life.

What I soon discovered was that our University’s internal process involved approval by the Department Chair (who was out of town) and the Dean (who was out on medical leave), more paperwork than the actual grant application itself (including a waiver for biomedical test subjects), and an average processing time of 2-3 weeks. The University recommended submitting grant applications to the Department of Sponsored Research a full month before they were due, and I had 24 hours. Over those 24 hours I made a lot of people angry, broke a lot of trust, and learned a lot of lessons.

Now that I am on the other end of grant making I try to share those and other lessons with teachers and arts organizations. I get how frustrating, confusing, and overwhelming grant writing can be and understand the urge to give up. But I also understand that grants can mean a child experiences the magic of theatre for the first time. They can mean an art teacher acquires the supplies to teach print making to a future designer. Grants can help narrow gaps, improve equity, and be the reason a child holds an instrument in their hands and thinks “I can do this.”

Below are my top tips for navigating the world of grants. Grant writing is a skill that improves with practice. So don’t give up – because you never know the impact your next grant can make in your program or classroom. Oh, and that first big grant I wrote? We did end up receiving funding. And I got to see firsthand how this frustrating, overwhelming, and confusing process can lead to life-changing experiences for students.

Before You Begin Writing

• Give yourself time. Make a calendar of grant-related dates that includes technical assistance sessions, internal due dates, and any follow-up dates (such as when final reports are due).
• Find the grant to fit the program, not the other way around. You don’t need to do programmatic gymnastics to fit a square peg into a round hole. If a grant isn’t the right fit for your need, it just isn’t the right fit – and that is ok.
• Have a short- and long-term vision. One of my favorite quotes is “Strategy without vision has no direction. Vision without strategy is a wish.” Know where you want to go but also know how you’re going to get there.
• Look at previous grant awardees. Many granting organizations post previous award winners on their website. This can show you the kinds of programs or projects that have received funding in the past. 

The Writing Process

• Answer the question that is asked (this is my number 1 grant writing tip). So often we feel the need to justify our work and sound like an expert. But a grant panelist is reading dozens of applications and doesn’t have the time or bandwidth to parse through roundabout language. Be concise and clear and answer the question that is asked.
• Give yourself plenty of time. Waiting until the last moment to submit a grant application can only lead to heartburn. You never know what could come up, so make sure you have enough time to handle whatever unexpected twist or turn may arise.
• Know your internal processes. Many school districts require that a grant application be submitted to their district office for internal approval before submitting to the granting organization, which could take days or weeks. Ask an administrator what needs to happen on the inside before an application is submitted.
• Make a checklist. Some grants have a checklist embedded in the application. But I always recommend making your own, so you can ensure you have dotted every I and crossed every T (especially for paper applications without digital “required fields” to ensure you have included everything).
• Think beyond the narrative. Too often people spend all their time writing an amazing narrative and then throw some numbers on a budget form that do not support the story they’ve told. A budget can feel scary and unfamiliar, but seeing it as another opportunity to tell your story will help make it a cohesive part of a bigger picture.
• Take advantage of technical assistance. Webinars, staff assistance, sample grant applications - many granting organizations have some form of technical assistance available. However, there is likely an assistance deadline, so don’t assume you can call at 4:00 pm on the deadline date and have someone read and respond to your application. Be respectful of everyone’s time and make sure you get help early in the game.
• Know your audience. If you are writing an arts education grant to your State Arts Agency, you don’t need to write paragraphs defending the value of the arts. Likewise, if you are writing a grant to a science center to expand your STEM program into STEAM, it would serve you well to share some statistics about the value of the arts in schools. Think about who will be reading your grant application and write through that lens.
• Use stories and statistics. In the arts there is an impulse to avoid data and err on the side of feel good storytelling. But consider how data can be used to support your request. Similarly, propose clear and concise assessment tools that indicate how arts learning will be measured. A strong grant narrative utilizes both statistics and a compelling story to make a case for funding.
• Be honest. This comes back to the grant writing gymnastics mentioned above – be honest with yourself about what you want to fund and then be honest in the application. Don’t promise a Broadway-quality production or 600% program growth if you know that isn’t realistic.
• Don’t overuse acronyms. It is fine to establish your name in the beginning of a grant application and then refer to it as an acronym. But too often panelists find themselves swimming in a sea of meaningless letters. Don’t assume the reader knows what you mean when you use internal shorthand.
• Proofread, proofread, and then get someone else to proofread. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to present a clear, concise, and polished application. Did you abuse the use of exclamation points? Did you use proper grammar and spelling? Did autocorrect change “art education” to “rat education?” Have someone who is unfamiliar with your project read it to see what you can’t. 

The Panel Process

• If you can, attend the grant panel. Many panels can be observed either in person or by calling in (check in advance to see if this is allowed). So much can be learned by observing panel discussions, not only of your project or program, but of other applicants. Take notes about what is said and how you could adjust future applications based on the feedback.
• Give yourself time. It always breaks my heart when I see an applicant enter the room 10 minutes after their grant was discussed. Grant panels often operate on a suggested timeline, but it is possible for them to get ahead of schedule. It is better to observe a discussion for an hour before yours is considered than to show up after the fact.
• Don’t get defensive. This one is hard because applicants care so much about their programs and projects. It is easy to interpret constructive feedback as a personal criticism, but you will be well served to listen - not to defend - but to learn. Observing a panel with an open mind will make your future applications stronger, so take a Zen approach and don’t get defensive. 

Follow-Up

• Get an audio recording of your panel session. Not all granting organizations allow this, but if they do I highly recommend doing so. You can share the recording with your team and listen with fresh perspectives. Whether or not you receive funding there is always room for improvement and this is one of the simplest ways to get feedback.
• Make a checklist of post-award responsibilities. The process doesn’t end once you receive a grant. Make note of demographics required, payment request due dates, and what your responsibilities are to the granting organization. Go above and beyond (Can you share a link from a local newspaper that credits the grant maker? How about thank you notes from your students?)  Think of it as a relationship that will thrive if everyone involved holds up their end of the deal. 

---

Special thanks to the following people for their contributions: Nancy Daugherty, National Endowment for the Arts; Anne Alston, Nebraska Arts Council; Danielle Bursk, New Jersey State Council on the Arts; Vivien Lee, Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts; Sheila Oedit, Colorado Creative Industries; Sheila Dean Ross, Delaware Division of the Arts; Rebecca Engelman, North Dakota Council on the Arts; Argy Nestor, Maine Arts Commission; Diana Green, Alabama State Council on the Arts; Jennifer Allen-Barron, Oklahoma Arts Council; Chiquita Mullins Lee, Ohio Arts Council.