ARTISTS IN MAINE COMMUNITIES GRANT

This program assists arts organizations, schools and other community groups to develop collaborative projects that employ Maine artists and provide artistic programs to Maine communities, schools or families. This program supports activities from all of the agency's programs: arts in education; contemporary arts; community arts; public art or traditional arts.

Deadline April 9, 2010
Maximum grant amount $7,500 (with a required match of 1:1)

Who is Eligible to Apply

Any community organization that is:

A nonprofit organization, legally established in the State of Maine,
and has tax exempt status 501(c)(3) from the Internal Revenue Service,
or is a unit of local, county, state or tribal government in Maine; and
has completed and filed all final reports required for previous Maine Arts Commission grants.

The initiative must include a non-profit community organization that serves as the legal applicant and one or more additional community organizations such as an artist collaboration, a trade organization or a creative economy business. Individual artists may not apply, however; by definition artists must be included in the collaboration through organizations or as individuals.

An applicant must demonstrate a fiscal structure that allows them to legally and responsibly utilize grant funds. The applicant must provide a minimum of a 1:1 cash match or in-kind match. This demonstrates the applicant’s ability to take on the project and must be documented as part of the application package.

Examples of recent Artists in Maine Communities Grant recipients

Review Process

Applications are reviewed by members of the Maine Arts Commission's program committees and/or members of the public selected for their expertise in specific fields.

Recommendations are presented to the Maine Arts Commission for approval of the selection process at its next regularly scheduled meeting.

The review process and delivery of funds can take up to four months.
Please plan accordingly which may mean that grant funds are used to reimburse
costs incurred for the project.

Review Criteria

All grant proposals are reviewed on a competitive basis using the following criteria:

Quality of the process used to involve local residents, including artists, and key members of local organizations.
Degree to which the project promotes effective collaboration and effective program planning.
High level of artistic quality including the involvement of professional artists within a community setting.
Articulation of the benefits of the program to community members as defined by the applicant.
Clear articulation of attainable goals and an appropriate timeline.
Incorporation of a planned strategy for implementation and evaluation.

Projects involving only one artist or projects that have been funded by the Artist in Maine Communities program in the past may be less competitive.

Required Application Materials

Preparing your documents for submission - All word documents must be saved as .doc or .rtf files and follow the following naming convention: lastname_firstname_TitleOfDocument.rtf (example: veilleux_lisa_resume.doc or veilleux_lisa_narrative.rtf).

eGRANT Application
You will upload all supporting documents (with exception to video, audio or images) through eGRANT.
Application Budget Form and Detail (form below) providing evidence of 1:1 cash and/or in-kind match. No substitutions for the budget form are allowed.
Letters of Support from community members (up to three).
Resume(s) of those responsible for carrying out the project and the the artists involved in the project. (up to five.)
Application Narrative (form below)
Clear, specific responses to each of the project description statements, addressed sequentially and numbered. Responses can not exceed four pages. The project description is the central element of the grant request.
Assurances Form (form below) with original signature of an authorizing official. Please mark with name of applicant.
Vendor Form (form below)
This is information used by the Treasury to generate a check if the grant is awarded. Applicants should be sure to indicate the address the check should be sent to. You must mail the form with your signature to our office. Faxed copies are not accepted.

Mail assurances form and vendor form to the Maine Arts Commission, AIMC, 193 State Street, Augusta, Maine 04333-0025.

STOP!

Each Applicant must speak with a member of the Maine Arts Commission program staff about the project before submitting an application. Failure to do so will disqualify the application. For proposals focused on:

arts in education, contact Paul Faria, 207/287-2790, paul.faria@maine.gov or TTY/NexTalk 877/887-3878.
art in public places or new media projects, contact Kerstin Gilg, 207/287-6719, kerstin.gilg@maine.gov or or TTY/NexTalk 877/887-3878.
arts creation or presentation, contact Donna McNeil, 207/287-2726, donna.mcneil@maine.gov or TTY/NexTalk 877/887-3878.
community arts, contact Keith Ludden, 207/287-2713, keith.ludden@maine.gov or TTY/NexTalk 877/887-3878.
folk or traditional arts, contact Kathleen Mundell, 207/236-6741, mainetraditionalarts@gmail.com.

How to Apply

Applicants are required to apply through the Maine Arts Commission e-GRANT system. E-GRANT will accept applications until 11:59 pm, E.S.T., however; agency staff is only available to answer questions until 5:00 pm, E.S.T. Because of the volume of e-GRANT submissions on the day of any grant deadline, we strongly recommend you give yourself a 24 hour buffer.

Applicants who are unable to apply through e-GRANT must contact Kathy Ann Shaw at 207/287-2750, 877/887-3878 TTY/NexTalk User ID: kathy.shaw or kathy.shaw@maine.gov to discuss an alternative prior to applying. Alternative submissions will not be accepted without prior authorization.

The agency will not accept late or incomplete applications under any circumstance.

Accessible Print Symbol Grant information is available in large print format by request. All Maine Arts Commission programs are accessible to people with disabilities. All programs funded by the Maine Arts Commission must also be accessible.

Apply Now!

Artists in Maine Communities Grant Program Application Forms
Application eGRANT	Assurances (PDF)	Budget Form	Vendor Form (PDF) or JPG	Narrative