FAQ Grants Frequently Asked Questions
For contact info
and maps, click here
1. We will not be able to get out application to your office by the deadline date. Can we turn it in
late?
Council policy does not permit us to accept late
applications. All applications, with the exception of Folk Arts
Apprenticeships, must be submitted electronically by 5 PM on the deadline date.
Folk Arts Apprenticeships must be received in the Council Office by 5 p.m.
on the deadline date. If the
deadline date falls on a weekend or state holiday, your application is due by 5 PM the
next business day. During the year, the Council's staff will process approximately 500
requests for funding. In order to meet data input, printing and panel review deadlines, we
must have your application by the due date. We have also added second deadlines for many
programs to accommodate such problems. Please call a program manager.
2. I sent my application expecting delivery
by your deadline, but it didn't get to your office on time. Will you accept the
application?
When you submit your application
through the eGrant system, you will be received notification that the
application has been submitted. If you sent the signature page and
supporting documents with a reasonable expectation that it would arrive
within a reasonable time, then it can probably be accepted. This might be a case where
your package was lost in the mail or experienced unusual shipping delays. Be sure to save
your shipping receipts if you use one of the private over night carriers. Materials sent
or postmarked on the application deadline date cannot be accepted. If you mail the day
before the deadline, then you must use overnight mail delivery services. A postmark is not
sufficient to meet the deadline requirements.
3. Is it possible to get your staff to help
me with my application?
Yes. Our staff will be glad to assist you in
developing your application and answer any questions that you may have. It is advisable to
begin working with a staff member well before the deadline date. In the days preceding a
deadline, there are usually a lot of applicants seeking assistance and it may be difficult
to reach a program manager on short notice.
BACK TO
TOP
4. Should I come to the grants public hearing? Will it help my grant application?
You are certainly welcome to come. There have been
cases where an applicant provided additional information which clarified panel concerns
and resulted in funding. There are other examples where the presentation resulted in
reduced funding. It is a good opportunity to meet the Council's grants review committee
and to give them an update on your organization. It may also be helpful if your
organization is new, going through major changes or has a particularly complex
application.
If you plan to speak, you should prepare your
presentation ahead of time and keep it within the allocated time frame. Be certain the
presenter is familiar with both the application and the proposed project. Use the
opportunity to give the Council an over view of your organization and the ways this
project will benefit your organization and community. Council members may have questions
for you following your presentation.
The public hearings are intended for arts groups and
not individual artists seeking grants or fellowships. Grants for individuals are based on
samples of work and the panel review process.
BACK TO
TOP
5. We have lost our contract.
What do we do?
Remember that contracts become void if not signed
and returned within 30 days from the date of issuance. If your contract is lost, contact
Wanda DeJarnette in the Grants Office and request that a new contract be issued. In
general, it's good advice, to sign and return your contract as soon as you receive it.
It's also important to be sure we have your correct
mailing address.
6. We received an award letter but have
never gotten a contract. Why?
Contracts are generally mailed a couple of weeks
after the Council meeting. Most of the time, your contract will come within a week of your
award letter. Grants awarded near the close of the state fiscal year (September 30) or in
years when a state budget has not been passed by the Legislature, may be delayed until
funds are approved.
If you have not received your contract within a
month following receipt of your award letter, contact our office or check the News section of our web page for an update.
We mail your contract to the same address as your
award letter. Be sure we have your correct address. Your contract may have been
misdirected within your organization. If you cannot locate it, please contact our grants
office and request another copy.
7. How soon after the Council meeting should
I receive my grant check?
Award letters and contracts (see 5, above) are
usually issued a few weeks after the Council meeting. Your award letter will tell you when
you should expect to receive your contracts. In some cases this may be after October 1
(the start of our year) or later if there is no state budget. Larger grants are paid by
the quarter. Smaller grants are paid 50% in advance and 50% when you file your final
report. Grants to artists are usually paid 90% in advance and 10% when you file your final
report. Grant payments are generally based on the starting date you provided in your
application.
8. We received the check but my dog chewed
it up. What do I do?
If your check is damaged to the point that the bank
cannot process it, contact Wanda DeJarnette in the grants office. These situations require
special handing to void and reissue state checks and there will be a substantial delay in
replacing your check.
BACK TO
TOP
9. What do I need to do to receive the second portion of my grant?
Most grants are paid 50% in advance with the final
50% paid when we receive and review your final report. To get your final payment, submit a
final report for your grant through the eGrant system. Just follow
the procedure you utilized to submit the grant request. If you need
assistance, please contact your program manager.
10. How long do I have to send in my
final report? Can my grant be extended pass September 30?
Final reports are due thirty days after the funded
project is completed, but no later than September 30. Grants cannot be extended pass
September 30. It is important to remember that state funds not encumbered by September 30
will revert to the state. A substantial delay in filing your final report or in discussing
your problem your program manager, can result in a loss of the balance of your grant
funds. If you have a problem, contact your program manager as soon as possible.
It is also important to remember that you are not
eligible for any additional funding from the Council if you have outstanding final
reports. Delinquent reports must be filed before any future grants can be processed.
BACK TO
TOP
|
