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Who is eligible to apply for a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts?
Not-for-profit organizations incorporated in New York State that can document proof of their non-profit status are eligible to apply for NYSCA funding. Municipalities and Indian tribes are also eligible to apply. The Council is prohibited from funding public colleges and universities. Information about prior grants is available by searching our grants database.How do organizations apply to NYSCA for funding?
New applicant organizations begin the process by creating an organizational profile. Click the "First time users start here" link (the green box at the top right) for instructions.Returning applicant organizations use their username/password combination to log into their NYSCA on-line home page. Then follow these three steps to make a complete grant request to NYSCA.
Log in to your NYSCA on-line home page. Update and submit your organizational information form.
Register your grant requests by midnight, March 3, 2008, using the on-line grant application system.
Complete an on-line application form for each registered request. Completed application forms and support materials are due on one of four deadlines - April 1, May 1, July 1, and September 5, 2008.
Does the Council support individual artists?
Yes, but not directly. The Council can only accept applications from non-profit organizations. However, the Council encourages organizations to sponsor grant requests on behalf of artists. For more information, refer to Individual Artists Program guidelines. NYSCA funds are also provided for the Fellowship Program of the New York Foundation for the Arts.Which Program should we apply to?
Most NYSCA Programs support activities in a single arts discipline. So, for example, if you are a dance company, you will most likely apply to the Dance Program. However, you may also have a project in another discipline, such as Film, in which case you may also want to make a request to the Electronic Media and File Program.For multidisciplinary/interdisciplinary projects, decide which is the principle arts form and apply to that Program. We strongly recommend that you consult with NYSCA's Program staff to help guide you to the most appropriate Program.
Most important, read the Program guidelines!
Where do I find the Program guidelines?
The Council's guidelines are posted on the NYSCA website. Click the "About NYSCA grants" link for general information about eligibility, funding policies, and more. Then click the "Program guidelines" link for information about specific programs and funding categories.Is this a totally paperless application process?
Almost. There are a few items that we still request on paper, such as application support materials.New applicants must also send proof of their non-profit status and basic financial information with their signed certification form in order to be given an account in our system.
May I submit a registration/grant application by mail?
No. The Council accepts on-line applications only.What can we do if we miss the registration deadline?
If you miss the March 3 registration deadline, your organization will not be able to apply for funds in FY2008-09. We strongly encourage applicants to begin the application process early by establishing an organizational profile in the on-line grant application system at any time during the year.I registered my grant request by March 3. You mean I'm not done yet?
Correct, unless you have only ongoing multi-year grants. Each registered request must be followed up with a completed application form. The application form deadlines are April 1, May 1, July 1, and September 5.To see when the application form(s) are due for your NYSCA grant request(s), log in to your NYSCA home page and scroll down to the section called 'Current Requests.' You'll see each request and its application form deadline listed.
When and how will I know if my organization is awarded a grant?
Grant decisions are made at one of four Council funding meetings in 2008. Applicants are notified of grant decisions via email and "snail mail" approximately three weeks after the Council meeting. The steps and schedule are described in the "About NYSCA grants" link.Using the On-line Grants System
How do I access the on-line NYSCA forms?
Click the "login" link on the NYSCA home page and enter your NYSCA username and password. If successful, you will land on your organization's NYSCA home page. You will see "Welcome, (your organization name)!" at the top.New applicants to NYSCA should read the About NYSCA grants and Program guidelines sections, then click on the First-time users start here! link for instructions on creating a new user account.
I lost/forgot/don't have the username or password.
If you have applied to NYSCA or received a grant in the past five years, you should already have an organizational username and password. If you do not have this information, or need reminding, please click the help button in the orange section at the top for instructions.New applicants to NYSCA should click on the 'First time users start here' link to create a new user account. Follow the instructions.
How do I change my password?
The first time you log in, or whenever you click the 'Change Password' link on your organization's NYSCA home page, you will see a screen that asks you to enter your "old password"; and to enter your "new password" twice.The "old password" is the one you received from NYSCA, or is simply the password you have been using up to now. Enter that password in this box.
The "new password" is your choice of any 4-8 alphanumeric characters. Enter your new password in this box. (NYSCA passwords are NOT case sensitive.) Re-enter the same new password in the box below. Press 'Submit'.
I don't see a 'Registration Form' link on the left navigation bar!
First, make sure you are logged in and looking at your NYSCA home page. If not, see "Logging In" information above.If you are successfully logged in, there are two reasons you may not see the 'Registration Form' link.
- You have not updated and submitted the 'Organizational Info' form. Once you do that, the link will appear, unless ...
We have an overdue final report. Can we register new grant requests?
Before starting registration, click the 'Organization Info' link on the left navigation bar. Step through each page of the form, updating information where necessary. Click the 'Submit' button at the end.If you do not see the 'Registration Form' link, return to your NYSCA home page. Click the 'Final report' link on the left navigation bar. Overdue final reports will be displayed in red. Once you complete all overdue final reports and the certification forms are received by NYSCA Fiscal Management Unit, you will then see the 'Registration Form' link and can register your new grant request(s).
Do not wait until the last day!!
The Project Description field only allows 300 characters. I need more!
No, you don't. We want only one to three brief sentences here to summarize the project. You will have a chance to describe the project at greater length (but please try to be concise!) in the Application Narrative portion of the application form, which is due at a later date.Do we have to register our ongoing multi-year grants?
Yes. Organizations with ongoing multi-year grants must log in to the system, update and submit their organizational information, and register their intent to continue the grant(s). We have made this process very simple.1. Log into the grants system.
2. Click the 'Registration Form' link on the left navigation bar.
3. Indicate whether there are any significant changes in the activity or program that is receiving multi-year support. Click 'yes' where requested, then enter the information on the following page.
4. If there are no significant changes, simply click the "Complete registration" button.
Program Staff have told me that I need to submit an Organizational Budget along with my grant requests.
Click the 'Organizational budget' link on the left navigation bar. Click the 'Edit' button to enter your organization's budget information.If you are a returning applicant, your information from last year will appear in the middle column. Please update if necessary.
Enter your current year's organizational budget information in the right hand column. Give your best estimates where appropriate.
Your budget information from two years ago will appear in the left hand column. It cannot be edited.
Click the 'Submit' button at the end of the form.
I want to work on the entire application form off-line.
The on-line application form is designed as an "interview" format, which steps you through the application questions one screen at a time. As a result, there is no "form" to download and fill out. However, every section offers ways to 'View/print' the form, either during your work or before you start. Using this function, you can work on your budget figures or application narrative responses before entering them into the system.I need more space to type in my answers to the questions.
Each text box lets you enter up to 2000 characters of text. A character is a letter, a space, a comma, a new line, etc. 2000 characters is about 2/3 of a page of normal size, single-spaced text. (Note: your word processing program may not count characters the same way we do.) Please try to be concise and address only the information requested in the question.Why did my grant request amount change? Why is it $0?
In the Application Form's project budget section, the system compares your figures with those you entered when you registered the request. When you get to the 'Request' page, the system calculates your budget entries and shows the difference between your total income and total expenses as your request amount.You are notified if that amount is different from your original request. If so, you can accept the change, or go back into the budget pages and adjust your figures until it comes out the way you expect.
If your total income is greater than your total expenses, the system thinks you do not need a grant, so it sets your requested amount to $0! If you see a $0 request amount, you should return to the project budget pages and adjust your figures until you get the expected result.
Aren't we supposed to get emails from NYSCA?
Yes. The on-line system automatically sends out emails informing you of deadlines, schedule changes, grant awards, and other important information. These emails are sent to your organizational contact's email address that appears in the 'Organization Info' form. If you are not receiving NYSCA emails, check the address in that form and update it if necessary.Where do we get help?
There is a 'Help' button or link in the orange section at the top of every page. Clicking this button lets you submit a help request to our help desk staff. Our goal is to respond to every help desk request within one work day. (We don't work on weekends or holidays.)Also, look for the 'help bubbles' that appear when you hover your mouse cursor over any underlined field name. (This may not work with all browsers.) Also, clicking on most field names will pop up a new window with more detailed help text.
And, as always, your NYSCA Program staff person is available for your program-related questions.
Hint: The grant registration deadline is midnight, March 3. But don’t wait to the last day to begin! You may run into problems you didn’t anticipate that could delay registration.