Form 1 Grant Application Guidance Survey

CONFIDENTIAL DRAFT (October 25, 2011)

The National Endowment for the Arts

Survey on Grant Application Guidance

Thank you for submitting an application for grant funding to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). This survey will collect information about your perceptions of the grant application guidance provided by the NEA. In responding to these questions, please reflect upon your most recent experience locating, reading, and using the online grant application guidance, and, if applicable, consulting with the NEA staff. Please note that the questions are related only to guidance provided by the NEA and not Grants.gov (i.e., the Grants.gov instructions or forms, the Grants.gov Contact Center, or the Grants.gov process).

Your responses will remain anonymous and will be used only to evaluate the effectiveness of the grant application guidance provided by the NEA. Your responses will not be associated with, nor have any influence on, the review of your grant application.

1. Was your recent submission the first time you had prepared an application for an NEA grant (either for yourself or on behalf of another individual or organization)?

	Yes
	No

2. Please select a descriptor below that best describes the type of community expected to benefit from your proposed project.

	Urban
	Rural
	Suburban
	No Single Group

3. Please select the field/discipline that is most relevant to your project. This should be the same project discipline you selected for your grant application. If your project field is Arts Education, please select two disciplines: Arts Education, and the discipline that is most relevant to your project.

	72: Artist Communities		62: Local Arts Agencies		54: Presenting
	51: Arts Education		34: Media Arts		38: Research
	33: Dance		44: Museums		61: State and Regional
	42: Design		31: Music		32: Theater
	55: Folk and Traditional Arts		28: Musical Theater		41: Visual Arts
	52: Literature		36: Opera

4. Did you view one of the webinars offered through the NEA website?

	Yes
	No
	Not Applicable (no webinar available for my funding opportunity)

[If “Yes,” the applicant will be asked to answer question 4.1.]

4.1 Please rate how strongly you agree or disagree with the following statement.

	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neither Agree Nor Disagree	Agree	Strongly Agree
The webinar helped me understand how to prepare my grant application.

5. Please rate how strongly you agree or disagree with each of the following statements about the grant application materials available on the NEA website by placing a check mark in the appropriate box.

	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neither Agree Nor Disagree	Agree	Strongly Agree	Not Applicable
5.1 I was easily able to locate on the NEA website the information I needed to prepare my grant application.
5.2 I was easily able to understand the intended purpose of the grant program for which I applied.
5.3 I was easily able to understand the application instructions and materials provided on the NEA website.
5.4 The NEA website provided all of the information I needed to prepare my grant application.

6. Did you contact NEA staff with questions about your application?

	Yes
	No

[If “Yes,” the next set of questions will appear. If “No,” the applicant will be redirected to the closing statement.]

1. The NEA staff responded to my inquiry within two business days.

	Yes
	No

2. Please rate how strongly you agree or disagree with each of the following statements about guidance received from NEA staff by placing a check mark in the appropriate box.

	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neither Agree Nor Disagree	Agree	Strongly Agree
6.2 The NEA staff provided guidance that was useful in preparing my grant application.

[If “Disagree” or “Strongly Disagree,” then answer 7.1a]

3. Please select why you “Strongly Disagree” or “Disagree” with the statement: NEA staff provided guidance that was useful in preparing my grant application.

Select all that apply:

• The office business hours (9:00 – 5:30 EDT) were not convenient for me.

• I had to make multiple attempts to contact someone before receiving the answer to my inquiry.

• I was not able to speak to anyone over the phone; responses were only provided via e-mail.

• The guidance provided was not complete.

• The information provided to me was unclear.

• I was transferred multiple times before I was able to speak to the person who could provide the information I needed.

• Staff did not know the answer to my question.

• The staff did not handle my call in a courteous manner.

• Other: [text box for respondent to type comments]

Thank you for responding to this survey. The NEA appreciates your feedback.

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