Art Grants for Schools

Faculties and administrations of almost all schools have had the experience of conceiving a great idea for an arts program only to have that idea shelved because of lack of funding. One effective way for schools to obtain the needed cash is through art grant funding.

Facts

Grants provide money that does not need to be repaid; therefore, the competition for most grant dollars is fierce. A grantor rarely has enough money available to fully support all proposals submitted. Often, more proposals are denied than funded. For this reason, it's imperative that grant writers locate grantors whose goals match their own and then follow specific guidelines, set forth by the granting entity, when crafting the application.

Types

Grants are commonly divided into two categories: general purpose or program development. Of the two, the general purpose grants are less restrictive in the way the funds can be spent. Under general purpose grants, money can be earmarked for diverse project needs, such as construction, travel or paying utility bills. Typical projects funded by program development grants include technical assistance, equipment purchase, field trips and enhancements to existing art programs.

Identification

Art grants for schools are offered by local, regional and national businesses, government agencies, private foundations, professional associations and individuals. Examples of these art grants for schools include:
• Target Store Grants--for those schools in the communities where the company has stores. (See "Resources" 1 below.)
• The National Art Education Foundation--for members of the National Art Education .(See "Resources" 2.)
• The National Endowment for the Arts--larger grants for any number of art-related activities. (See "Resources" 3.)

Considerations

Not all grants are open to any applicant. Eligibility categories are listed in the grantor's proposal guidelines. Some art grants are open only to schools within a certain area. For example, state art education associations and state commissions on the arts offer art grants for schools within their defined borders. Many larger or federally funded art grants are open only to school districts, institutions of higher education, museums or collaborations between two such entities. (See References 1.)

Expert Insight

According to Grant Proposal Writing Tips, "Successful proposal writing involves the coordination of several activities, including planning, searching for data and resources, writing and packaging a proposal, submitting a proposal to a funder, and follow-up." This coordination includes clarification of your goals and objectives prior to searching for funders, matching your ideas to the interests of specific grantors, crafting a well-worded and clear proposal and then following up with any information the grantor requires. (See "References" 2.)

References

• Grants.gov--Who is Eligible for a Grant?
• Corporation for Public Broadcasting--Grant Proposal Writing Tips

Resources

• Target Store Grants
• National Art Education Foundation
• National Endowment for the Arts