Blanket Justification for NEA Funding Application Guidelines and Reporting Requirements for Nonprofit Organizations

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COMPLETING THE APPLICATION FORMS
The following instructions are for the application forms:
NEA Organization & Project Profile
Project Budget (Pages 1 and 2)
Financial Information
Consortium Partner Information
Note: You may find it helpful to print out this document in its entirety to have as an easy
reference as you complete the forms.
NEA Organization & Project Profile
See the instructions below for the following items (other instructions are provided on the
form itself).
Part 1. Applicant
For this application, the applicant is serving as: If applicable, choose one of the
items below from the drop down box. Otherwise, choose "Not Applicable." Refer to the
"Application Limits" for definitions.
Lead member of a consortium. Choose the "Lead Member of a Consortium"
box and list your one primary consortium partner in the space provided. Do not
list more than one partner here; other organizations may participate in the project
without being listed. Use the official IRS name of the primary consortium partner.
If your primary partner is a component of a parent organization (e.g., an art
museum located on a university campus), note the official IRS name and place
the component's name in parentheses, e.g., State University (ABC Museum).
Consortium applications are not eligible under Challenge America.
Parent institution applying on behalf of an eligible separate component.
Choose the "Parent of a Component" box and enter the name of the component
in the space provided.

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Part 2. Project
Project Field/Discipline: Choose the one discipline that is most relevant to your
project. This selection will aid the Arts Endowment's application review. If you have
questions, refer to "Agency Contacts."
Artist Communities
Arts Education
Dance (including dance presentation)
Design (including planning, urban design, architecture, landscape architecture,
interior design, product design, and graphic design)
Folk & Traditional Arts (including folk & traditional arts projects in any art form)
Literature
Local Arts Agencies (including projects in any discipline that are submitted by a
local arts agency. Local arts agencies generally are referred to as arts councils,
departments of cultural affairs, or arts commissions. While the majority are
private entities, others are public municipal, county, or regional agencies that
operate in cooperation with mayors and city managers. Local arts agencies
generally make grant awards directly to both artists and arts organizations,
present programming to the public, manage cultural facilities, provide services to
artists and arts organizations, and facilitate community cultural planning.
Statewide assemblies and cultural service organizations that work specifically
with local arts agencies also are eligible. Applicants such as arts and business
councils, audience alliances, or lawyers for the arts organizations also are
included. Projects may be for any type of constituent service.)
Media Arts
Museums (including projects in any discipline that are submitted by a museum)
Music (including music presentation)
Musical Theater (including musical theater presentation)
Opera (including opera presentation)
Presenting (projects that involve multiple arts disciplines including
multidisciplinary performing arts presenting and other types of multidisciplinary
activities)
Theater (including theater presentation)

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Visual Arts
Choose your field/discipline carefully. In limited cases, Arts Endowment staff may
transfer an application to a field/discipline other than the one that was selected by the
applicant to ensure appropriate panel review.
Project Budget (Pages 1 and 2)
NOTE: Organizations may not receive more than one Arts Endowment grant for the
same expenses. This budget cannot include project costs that are supported by any
other federal funds or their match.
Your Project Budget should reflect only those costs that will be incurred during the
"Period of Support" that you have indicated for your project. Any costs incurred before
or after those dates will be removed. Round all numbers to the nearest $100.
Combine like costs if necessary to make rounding more realistic. Provide details for line
items of more than $100,000. Applicants whose grants are recommended for less than
the amount that is requested may be asked to revise the project budget. You may
submit your own project budget, but this may not be submitted in lieu of the required
Project Budget form.
INCOME
1. AMOUNT REQUESTED FROM THE ARTS ENDOWMENT: For Challenge
America Fast-Track, enter $10,000 (all grants are for $10,000). For traditional
applications, organizations may request a grant amount from $10,000 to
$100,000. Be realistic in your request.
2. TOTAL MATCH FOR THIS PROJECT: The Arts Endowment requires each
applicant to obtain at least half the total cost of each project from nonfederal
sources. For example, if you receive a $10,000 grant, your total project costs
must be at least $20,000 and you must provide at least $10,000 toward the
project from nonfederal sources. Matches of more than dollar for dollar are
encouraged. These matching funds may be all cash or a combination of cash
and in-kind contributions as detailed below. Be as specific as possible. For

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projects that include additional partners, indicate on the form the portion of the
match that is being contributed by each participant. Asterisk (*) those funds that
are committed or secured.
Cash match refers to the cash donations (including items or services that are
provided by the applicant organization), grants, and revenues that are expected
or received for this project. Do not include any Arts Endowment or other federal
grants that are anticipated or received. Identify sources.
In-kind: Donated space, supplies, volunteer services are goods and services
that are donated by individuals or organizations other than the applicant (thirdparty). To qualify as matching resources, these same items also must be listed in
the project budget as direct costs. The dollar value of these non-cash donations
should be calculated at their verifiable fair-market value. Identify sources.
Reminder: Proper documentation must be maintained for all items noted as "inkind."
3. TOTAL PROJECT INCOME is the total of "1. Amount requested from the Arts
Endowment" and "2. Total match for this project."
EXPENSES
DIRECT COSTS are those that are identified specifically with the project. Be as specific
as possible (e.g., show costs that relate to festival programming if your project is for a
festival). For projects that include additional partners, indicate on the form the portion
attributed to each participant.
1. DIRECT COSTS: Salaries and wages cover compensation for personnel,
administrative and artistic, who are paid on a salary basis. (Funds for contractual
personnel and compensation for artists who are paid on a fee basis should be
included in "3. Other expenses" on Page 2 of the Project Budget form, and not
here.) Indicate the title and/or type of personnel, the number of personnel, the
annual or average salary range, and the percentage of time that will be devoted
to the project annually. List key staff positions, and combine similar functions.

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Where appropriate, use ranges. If the costs for evaluation and assessment are
part of staff salary and/or time, separately identify those costs.
Example:
Title and/or

Number

Annual or

% of time

Amount

type of

of

average salary devoted to

personnel

personnel range

Executive

1

$40,000 per yr. 7%

$2,800

1

$40,000 per yr. 3%

$1,200

3

$20-25,000 per 5-40%

this project

Director (most
of project)
Executive
Director
(evaluation
only)
Archivists

$15,000

yr.
Support Staff 2

$15-20,000 per 20-30%

$9,000

yr.
Salaries and wages for performers and related or supporting personnel must be
estimated at rates no less than the prevailing minimum compensation as required
by the Department of Labor Regulations. (See "Legal Requirements" for
details.) Salaries and wages that are incurred in connection with fund raising are
not allowable project expenses; do not include them in your budget.
Fringe benefits are those costs other than wages or salary that are attributable
to an employee, as in the form of pension, insurance, vacation and sick leave,
etc. They may be included here only if they are not included as indirect costs.
2. DIRECT COSTS: Travel must be estimated according to the applicant's
established travel practice, providing that the travel cost is reasonable and does

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not exceed the cost of air coach accommodations. Include subsistence costs
(e.g., hotels, meals) as part of the "Amount" listed for each trip, as appropriate.
Foreign travel, if any is intended, must be specified in this section and must
conform with government regulations, including those of the U.S. Treasury
Department Office of Foreign Asset Control. If Arts Endowment funds are used
for foreign travel, such travel must be booked on a U.S. air-carrier when this
service is available.
3. DIRECT COSTS: Other expenses include consultant and artist fees, contractual
services, promotion, acquisition fees, rights, evaluation and assessment fees,
access accommodations (e.g., audio description, sign-language interpretation,
closed or open captioning, large-print brochures/labeling), telephone,
photocopying, postage, supplies and materials, publication, distribution,
translation, transportation of items other than personnel, rental of space or
equipment, and other project-specific costs. List artist compensation here if
artists are paid on a fee basis.
Television broadcast projects and educational/interpretive videos must be closed
or open captioned. Applicants should check with captioning organizations for an
estimate.
If you intend to purchase any equipment that costs $5,000 or more per item and
that has an estimated useful life of more than one year, you must identify that
item here. Provide a justification for this expenditure either in this section of the
Project Budget form or in your Details of the Project narrative.
Group similar items together on a single line, with only one total cost. List
consultant and artist fees or contracts for professional services on consecutive
lines; do not scatter them throughout the list. Specify the number of persons and
the applicable fee, rate, or amount of each. Example:
Artists (5 @ $300-500 per week/30 weeks)
Consultants (2 @ $150 per 1/2 day/1 day per
mo./10 mos.)

$60,000
$6,000

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Access accommodations (sign-language

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$1,200

interpretation and audio description)
Costumes, props

$6,500

Project supplies

$4,000

Administration (rent, telephone, copying)

$5,000

Do not include fund raising, entertainment or hospitality activities,
concessions (e.g., food, T-shirts), fines and penalties, bad debt costs,
deficit reduction, cash reserves or endowments, lobbying, marketing
expenses that are not directly related to the project, contingencies,
miscellaneous, or costs incurred before the beginning of the official period
of support.
4. TOTAL DIRECT COSTS is the total of all direct cost items listed in "1. Salaries
and wages" (from Page 1 of the Project Budget form), "2. Travel," and "3. Other
expenses."
5. INDIRECT COSTS are overhead or administrative expenses that are not readily
identifiable with a specific project. (The costs of operating and maintaining
facilities and equipment, depreciation or use allowances, and administrative
salaries and supplies are typical examples of indirect costs.) Indirect costs are
prorated or charged to a project through a rate negotiated with the Arts
Endowment or another federal agency. NOTE: Colleges and universities may not
apply a "research" indirect cost rate to Arts Endowment grants. If you do not
have or intend to negotiate an indirect cost rate, leave this section blank. You
may claim administrative costs or overhead as direct costs under "3. Other
expenses." If you have a negotiated rate and would like to include indirect costs,
complete the information requested in this section. For additional information,
see "Indirect Cost Guide for NEA Grantees."
6. TOTAL PROJECT COSTS is the total of "4. Total direct costs," and, if
applicable, "5. Indirect costs." NOTE: "3. Total project income" (from Page 1 of
the Project Budget form) must equal the "Total project costs." Your project
budget should not equal your organization's entire operating budget.

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Financial Information
If you are applying for a Challenge America Fast-Track grant, do not complete
this form.
Provide the requested information for your organization for the most recently completed
fiscal year, the current fiscal year (estimated), and the next fiscal year (projected). If you
are the lead applicant for a consortium, provide this information for your own
organization. If you are a parent organization, provide this information for the
component on whose behalf you are applying (e.g., for a university project, provide the
information for the component, not the entire university). For components, footnotes
(e.g., "museum guards and utilities paid for by university") may be helpful to explain the
relationship that the component has with the larger entity. If your organization is a
smaller entity that exists within a larger organization, submit information for the smaller
entity and follow the instructions for parent organizations and components.
This page is intended to show your organization's fiscal activity as it relates to
operations. Do not include activity related to a capital campaign (such as raising money
for a new facility, an endowment fund, or a cash reserve fund). The Arts Endowment
may request additional information to clarify an organization's financial position.
In the space provided on the form, discuss the fiscal health of your organization.
You must explain 1) any changes of 15% or more in either your income or
expenses from one year to the next, and 2) plans for reducing any deficit (include
the factors that contributed to the deficit and its amount).
Use the following definitions when completing this form. Unaudited figures are
acceptable.
Earned Income: Revenues that are received through the sale of goods, services
performed, or from investments. Examples: ticket sales, subscription revenue,
contractual fees, interest income.

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Contributed Income: Gifts that are received which are available to support operations.
Examples: annual fund donations, grants for general operating or project support, inkind contributions.
Artistic salaries and fees: Costs that are directly related to the creation, production,
and presentation of art work. Examples: fees for dancers, choreographers, actors,
curators, artistic directors, contributors to literary publications. Include arts personnel
that are on your staff as well as those that are paid on a contract or fee basis.
Production/exhibition/service expenses: All program or service delivery costs,
excluding artistic salaries and fees that are listed above. Examples: presentation costs;
costs of sets, costumes, and lighting; publication costs of catalogues or literary
magazines.
Administrative expenses: All other costs that are incurred during the normal course of
business. Examples: outside professional non-artistic services, space rental, travel,
marketing, administrative salaries, utilities, insurance, postage.
Total Expenses: In the "Most recently completed fiscal year" column, this figure should
agree with the "Total organizational operating expenses for the most recently completed
fiscal year" that you provide on the NEA Supplemental Information Form.
NOTE: The figures listed in the "Most recently completed fiscal year" column are subject
to verification by the Arts Endowment.
Consortium Partner Information
If you are applying for a Challenge America Fast-Track grant, do not complete
this form.
Complete this form only if you are applying for a consortium project as detailed under
"Applicant Eligibility/Application Limits."
If your application is for a consortium project, have your one primary partner complete
this form. For the purposes of these guidelines, consortium applications should list only

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one primary partner in addition to the lead applicant. (Other organizations may
participate in the project.)
You may provide a copy of this form to your consortium partner or the partner may
reproduce it on a computer. Make sure that the partner's form contains the correct IRS
name for the lead applicant, and the correct IRS name and Taxpayer ID Number (9-digit
number) for the primary consortium partner.

Reporting Burden
The public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated at an average
of 32 hours per response traditional applications and 10 hours per response for FastTrack applications. This includes the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing
data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and
reviewing the collection of information. The Arts Endowment welcomes any suggestions
that you might have on improving the guidelines and making them as easy to use as
possible. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this
collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: Office of
Guidelines & Panel Operations, Room 620, National Endowment for the Arts, 1100
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20506-0001. Note: Applicants are not
required to respond to the collection of information unless it displays a currently valid
U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number.

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How to Prepare and Submit an Application

SIDE BAR NAVIGATION TOOLS:
Using Grants.gov
Register or Renew/Verify Registration with Grants.gov
Download the application package using Adobe Reader
Submit your electronic application
Grants.gov Tips

Application Instructions
What makes a complete application
Step 1
Fill out the Application for Federal Domestic Assistance (SF-424)
Step 2
Fill out the Project/Performance Site Location(s) Form
Step 3
Complete and attach items required for the Attachments Form (narratives, budget
forms, etc.)
Step 4
Submit items in Steps 1-3 electronically through Grants.gov
Step 5
Prepare and submit material to be mailed directly to the NEA (e.g., work samples)
These application guidelines provide all of the information that you need to submit an
application. We urge you to read these instructions in their entirety before you begin the
application process. If you wish to print a copy, see "Printing Tips." You also may want

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to keep these instructions open in a window in your computer as they contain helpful
links to information that you will need as you complete your application.
In addition to these instructions, you should periodically check the Grants.gov blog or
the Grants.gov homepage for tips, updates, and alerts.

IMPORTANT NOTICE:
Electronic application through Grants.gov is MANDATORY
1. Verify that your organization has completed all steps of the
registration process. If you have already successfully submitted
an electronic application, renew/verify your registration.
2. Verify that you have a version of Adobe Reader that is
supported by Grants.gov installed on your computer before you
download your new application package from Grants.gov.
3. Submit your application no later than 10 days prior to the
deadline to give yourself ample time to resolve any problems
that you might encounter. You take a significant risk by waiting
until the day of the deadline to submit.
o

The Grants.gov Contact Center is available 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week. (Phone: 1-800-518-4726.)

o

Submit your application outside of Grants.gov’s hours of
heaviest usage, generally 12 noon to 5:00 p.m., Eastern
Time.

o

The Arts Endowment will not accept late
applications.

There are two application deadlines; you must apply to the one that is appropriate for
your project.
March 10, 2011
August 11, 2011

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The Grants.gov system must receive your application no later than 11:59 p.m., Eastern
Time, on the deadline date.
If you are unable to submit your application electronically, you may request a waiver. A
waiver will be granted for the following reasons only:
Internet access is not available within a 30-mile radius of your organization's
business office.
Disability prevents the submission of an electronic application.
Your waiver request must be in writing and must be received (not postmarked) at the
Arts Endowment at least three weeks before the application deadline. Click here for
more information on waivers.

WAIVER POP UP:

Requesting a waiver
If you are unable to submit your application electronically, you may request a waiver. A
waiver will be granted for the following reasons only:
Internet access is not available within a 30-mile radius of your organization's
business office.
Disability prevents the submission of an electronic application.
Your waiver request must be in writing and must be received (not postmarked) at the
Arts Endowment at least three weeks before the application deadline, or no later than
5:30 p.m., Eastern Time, on:
February 17, 2011, for the March 10, 2011, deadline.
July 21, 2011, for the August 11, 2011, deadline.
You may fax your request to 202/682-5660 or send it to:

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Deputy Chairman for Programs and Partnerships
Grants.gov Waiver Request
Room 705
National Endowment for the Arts
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20506-0001
The National Endowment for the Arts continues to experience delays in the delivery of
First-Class mail. Please consider faxing your waiver request or using a commercial
delivery service, particularly if you are sending your request close to the receipt
deadline.
In the event a waiver is granted, your complete paper application package must be
postmarked (or show other proof of mailing) no later than the application deadline dates
listed above.

Register or Renew/Verify Registration with Grants.gov

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NOTE: Beginning in 2010, Grants.gov will be implementing new security
requirements for the use of the Grants.gov system. Among the changes,
applicants will be required to change their passwords every 90 days.
It is your organization's responsibility to create and maintain a regularly updated
registration with Grants.gov. This includes registration with the Central Contractor
Registration (CCR), where your organization's information must be renewed annually.
Finalize a new or renew an existing registration at least two weeks before the
application deadline. This should allow you time to resolve any issues that may arise
with Grants.gov or CCR. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in your
inability to submit your application.

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If your organization is not yet registered, go to Grants.gov's Get Registered. Allow a
minimum of two weeks for this multi-step, one-time process. If your organization
already has registered, renew your registration with CCR and verify that your
registration with Grants.gov is current.
If you have problems with registration:
CCR Assistance Center: Call 1-888-227-2423, send a message through the Web
site at www.ccr.gov, or see the information posted on the CCR Web site at Help.
Grants.gov Contact Center: Call 1-800-518-4726, e-mail [email protected], or
consult the information posted on the Grants.gov Web site at Help. The
Grants.gov Contact Center is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Maintain documentation (with dates) of your efforts to register or renew at least two
weeks before the deadline.
You do not need to complete the registration process to download the application
package and begin to prepare your material (see below). However, you will need your
Grants.gov Username and Password that you obtain in the final step of the registration
process to submit your application.

Download the Application Package

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1. Verify your software
You must have a version of Adobe Reader that is supported by Grants.gov
installed on your computer before you download your application package from
Grants.gov. Non-compatible versions of Adobe Reader or other Adobe products
will lead to errors and prevent you from submitting your application. If more than
one computer will be involved in the preparation of the application package,
ensure that the same version of Adobe Reader is used.
Please go to "Download Software" to see the compatible versions of Adobe
Reader or to download and install Adobe Reader.

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2. Access the application package on Grants.gov by clicking on the link for your
deadline:
For applications under the March 10, 2011, deadline:

[Funding Opportunity Number 2011NEA01AAE1]
This will bring you to the "Selected Grant Applications for Download" screen.
Download the application package and follow the instructions below. It is not
necessary to download the instructions from Grants.gov as you will merely be
directed back to the instructions in this document.
The application package for the August 11, 2011, deadline will be available after
the March 10, 2011, deadline has passed.
3. When you download the application package, the Grants.gov "Grant Application
Package" screen will open. Click on the "Save" button at the top of the form and
save the application package to a location on your computer or network
where you can find it readily. Save your application each time you work on it.
You will get the message "The File already exists. Replace existing file?" Click
"Yes" to ensure that you always save the most recent version.
4. In the "Mandatory Documents" box, you will see three forms. You must move
these forms to the “Mandatory Documents for Submission” box before you
can open them. Once moved, the three forms merge into a single document. You
can access each form by clicking on it to highlight it and then clicking on the
"Open Form" box OR you can scroll down your screen and you will come to
each form in succession.
The forms are:
Application for Federal Domestic Assistance/Short Organizational
Form (SF-424): This form asks for basic information about your
organization and project. Complete this form first. Data entered here will

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populate fields of other forms where possible. See instructions for
completing this form below.
Project/Performance Site Location(s) Form: This form collects
information about the primary site location where the project will be
performed. See instructions for completing this form below.
Attachments Form: This is not a form in the conventional sense, but
rather a place to attach additional items (e.g., your application narrative
and the Project Budget Form) that must be included for your Grants.gov
application package to be considered complete. See instructions for
completing this form below.

Submit Your Electronic Application

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1. Check the size of your electronic application. The total size should not exceed 10
MB.
2. To begin the submission process, click the "Save & Submit" button. [This button
will not become active (and turn from light to dark gray) until you have saved your
application with all required fields completed. Clicking this button will prompt you
to save your application package one last time. When asked if you want to
replace the existing file, click "Yes." You will then be reconnected to Grants.gov
and the Internet.] You will be prompted to provide your Grants.gov
Username and Password that you obtained during registration.
(REMINDER: You must have successfully completed the registration process in
order to receive your Grants.gov Username and Password.)
3. Click the "Login" button. This will bring you to the "Application Submission
Verification and Signature" screen, which provides a summary of the Funding
Opportunity for which you are applying. Click the "Sign and Submit Application"
button to complete the process. Be certain that you are satisfied with your
application before you click this button. No revisions to your application
are possible through Grants.gov once it is submitted.
If you have difficulty submitting, go to Adobe Reader Error Messages or
Applicant Resources for several tools and documents to help you.

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4. Ensure that your application was validated and accepted by the Grants.gov
system. Go to Track My Application to track the validation and progress of your
application submission through Grants.gov. After the Arts Endowment retrieves
your application from Grants.gov, log in to the Grants.gov system by using your
Username and Password to receive your Agency Tracking Number (this will be
the Arts Endowment-assigned application number).
REMINDER: After submission of your application to Grants.gov, you must mail certain
items (detailed in "Step 5: Prepare and submit material to be mailed directly to the Arts
Endowment" below) directly to the NEA for your application to be considered complete.
Additional Help
For additional help on how to use Grants.gov, please see the Grants.gov Web site at
Help. You also can send e-mail to the Grants.gov Contact Center at
[email protected] or call them at 1-800-518-4726, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
For specific help on how to complete your application, please review the instructions in
these guidelines including the Frequently Asked Questions, or contact the discipline
staff that is appropriate to your project (see "Agency Contacts").

For a complete application, follow Steps 1-5 below

A complete application consists of:
Application for Federal Domestic Assistance (SF-424)
Project/Performance Site Location(s) Form
Attachments Form to which you have attached:
o

NEA Organization & Project Profile Form

o

Organizational Background Statement

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o

Details of the Project Narrative

o

Project Budget Form, Pages 1 and 2

o

Financial Information Form

o

Biographies of Key Project Personnel

o

List of Current Board Members

o

Consortium Partner Information Form (official
consortium applications only)

o

Your Own Project Budget (optional)

o

Programmatic Activities List

o

Special Items

o

Work Sample lndex

Material to be mailed directly to the Arts Endowment

Step 1: Fill out the Application for Federal Domestic Assistance/Short
Organizational Form (SF-424)

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NOTE: All asterisked (*) items and yellow fields on this form are required and must be
completed before you will be able to submit the form. Do not type in all capital letters
when completing the form. Enter information directly into the form. Do not copy from an
old application package or another document and paste into the form.
1. Name of Federal Agency: Pre-populated.
2. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: Pre-populated.
3. Date Received: This will be filled automatically with the date that you submit your
application; leave blank.
4. Funding Opportunity Number: Pre-populated.
5. Applicant Information:

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a. Legal Name: The name provided here must be the applicant's legal name as it
appears in the current IRS 501(c)(3) status letter or in the official document that
identifies the organization as a unit of state or local government, or as a federally
recognized tribal community or tribe. (Do not use your organization's popular name, if
different.)
If you are a parent organization that is applying on behalf of an eligible component, do
not list the name of the component here. You will be asked for that information later.
b. Address:
Use Street 1 for your street address or post office box number, whichever is used for
your U.S. Postal Service mailing address. Street 2 is not a required field and should be
used only when a Suite or Room Number or other similar information is a necessary
part of your address. Do not use Street 2 to give a second address for your
organization.
In the Zip/Postal Code box, organizations in the United States should enter the full 9digit zip code that was assigned by the U.S. Postal Service. If you do not know your
full zip code, you may look it up at www.usps.com/zip4/.
d. Type of Applicant: Select the item that best characterizes your organization from the
menu in the first drop down box. Additional choices are optional.
e. Employer/Taxpayer Identification Number (EIN/TIN): Enter the 9-digit number that
was assigned by the Internal Revenue Service; do not use a Social Security Number.
f. Organizational DUNS: All organizational applicants for federal funds must have a
DUNS number, which is recognized as the universal standard for identifying
organizations worldwide. The number that you enter here must agree with the
number (either 9 or 13 digits) that you used with the CCR (Central Contractor
Registration) as part of the Grants.gov registration. Otherwise, your application
will not be validated by Grants.gov and will be rejected.
g. Congressional District: : Enter the number of the Congressional District where the

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applicant organization is located. Use the following format: 2 character State
Abbreviation-3 character District Number. For example, if your organization is located in
the 5th Congressional District of California, enter "CA-005." If your state has a single AtLarge Representative or your territory has a single Delegate, enter your 2 character
state/territory abbreviation and "-000." If you need help determining your district, go to
www.house.gov and use the "Find Your Representative" tool.
6. Project Information:
a. Project Title: Provide a brief descriptive title for your proposed project.
b. Project Description: In two or three brief sentences, clearly describe your specific
project, not your organization. Begin the first sentence with "To support" and include the
name of the project. Follow this with up to two more sentences that describe the type of
project, the target population that will be served, and where the project will take place.
For examples, see Recent Grants.
c. Proposed Project Start Date/End Date: Enter the beginning and ending dates for your
requested period of support, i.e., the span of time necessary to plan, execute, and close
out your proposed project. The Arts Endowment's support of a project may start on or
after: 1) For applicants under the March 10 deadline, January 1, 2012; or 2) For
applicants under the August 11 deadline, June 1, 2012. Generally, a period of support
of up to two years is allowed.
7. Project Director:
Provide the requested information for the Project Director. Select a Prefix (e.g., Ms.,
Mr.) even though this is not a required field.
Provide contact information, including an e-mail address, that will be valid through the
announcement date for your category.
8. Primary Contact/Grant Administrator:
Provide the requested information for the individual who should be contacted on all
matters involving this application and the administration of any grant that may be

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awarded. For colleges and universities, this person is often a Sponsored Research,
Sponsored Programs, or Contracts and Grants Officer. Select a Prefix even though this
is not a required field.
In some organizations, particularly smaller ones, this individual may be the same as the
Project Director. If this is the case, you may check the "Same as Project Director" box
and not repeat information that you have already provided in Item 7. (If the Primary
Contact/Grant Administrator is the same as the Authorizing Official, please complete all
items under both 8 and 9 even though there will be some repetition.)
9. Authorized Representative:
Enter the requested information for the AOR (Authorized Organization Representative)
who will be submitting this application to Grants.gov. Select a Prefix even though this is
not a required field. The AOR must have the legal authority to obligate your
organization. By clicking the "I Agree" box at the top of Item 9, this individual will be
certifying compliance with relevant federal requirements on your organization's behalf.
(These requirements can be found in the "Assurance of Compliance" section of these
guidelines.) The "Signature of Authorized Representative" and "Date Signed" boxes will
be populated by Grants.gov upon submission of the application.
Step 2: Fill out the Project/Performance Site Location(s) Form

[Back to Top]

NOTE: All asterisked (*) items and yellow fields on this form are required and must be
completed before you will be able to submit the form. Do not type in all capital letters
when completing the form. Enter information directly into the form. Do not copy from an
old application package or another document and paste into the form.
This form collects information about the primary site, as well as additional sites, where
project activity will take place. In most -- but not all -- cases, the primary site will be the
address of the applicant organization. If a portion of the project will be performed at any
other site(s), identify the site location(s) in the additional block(s) provided. Use up to 29
additional blocks as required (one for each site). Your responses will not be a factor in
the review of your application.

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For the Organization Name:
Enter the name of the organization where the activity will take place. This may be the
applicant organization or another organization. The remaining fields in a block (e.g.,
DUNS number) are associated with the organization where the activity will take place.
For the Project/Performance Site Congressional District:
Use the following format: 2 character State Abbreviation-3 character District Number.
For example, if the organization is located in the 5th Congressional District of California,
enter "CA-005." If the project directly impacts all districts in a state, enter "all" for the
district number. For example: "MD-all" for all Congressional districts in Maryland. If
nationwide (all districts in all states), enter "US-all." If the state has a single At-Large
Representative or the territory has a single Delegate, enter your 2 character
state/territory abbreviation and "-000." If the project is outside the U.S., enter "00-000." If
you need help determining a district, go to www.house.gov and use the "Find Your
Representative" tool.
Step 3: Complete and Attach Required Items to the Attachments Form

[Back to

Top]
The "Attachments Form" is not a form in the conventional sense. Rather, it is a place to
attach documents that you have completed and saved elsewhere on your computer.
Several important points:
1. Attachments 1, 4, 5, and 8 are fillable forms; you will find links to them. These
forms can be filled in, saved to your computer, and attached without the need for
special software or conversion to PDF.
2. Attachments 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, and 12 are documents (e.g., narratives, lists)
that you will develop in accordance with the instructions provided. These items
must be submitted as PDF (portable document format) files.
These non-form documents can be created using any word processing software.
When you have completed the document, save it to your computer and convert it
to PDF before attaching. If you don't already have software to convert files to

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PDF, there are many low-cost and free software packages that can do this. To
learn more, go to PDF Conversion Programs.
Please make sure to convert your documents into PDF format in line with the
guidance above. Do not create PDFs of your electronic documents by
scanning. In the past, some applicants have printed their electronic documents
and then scanned them, saving the scan in PDF format. PDFs created this way
are much larger, and of lower quality, than PDFs created by the methods we
recommend. Do not embed non-printable media files (video and/or sound) in
your PDF documents. Static images (e.g., pictures) are acceptable. Please do
not enable any document security settings or password-protect any PDF file you
submit to us.
No attachment should be more than 2 MB.
3. For non-form documents, label pages clearly with the name of the item (e.g.,
Organizational Background) and your organization's legal name. Leave a margin
of at least one inch at the top, bottom, and sides of all pages. Do not
reduce type below 12 point font size. Do not type in all capital letters. Within
each attachment, number pages sequentially; place numbers on the bottom right
hand corner of each page. Excess pages will be removed and not be reviewed.
4. Name your files as indicated below and attach them in the proper order.
Please note that you cannot change the name of a file on the Attachments Form.
Therefore make certain that each file is named correctly before you attach it.
When you open the Grants.gov Attachments Form, you will find 15 attachment buttons.
By clicking on a button, you will be able to choose the PDF file from your computer that
you wish to attach. Please attach the proper file to the proper button as listed below.
The Attachments

ATTACHMENT 1: NEA ORGANIZATION & PROJECT PROFILE FORM
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD: [FORM] [INSTRUCTIONS]

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To this button, attach the NEA Organization & Project Profile Form. The file name
should indicate the name of your organization or a recognizable acronym followed by
"OPPF.pdf."

ATTACHMENT 2: ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND STATEMENT
To this button, attach a one-page Organizational Background statement. The file
name should indicate the name of your organization or a recognizable acronym followed
by "OrgBackground.pdf" (e.g., "ABCDanceCoOrgBackground.pdf" or
"StateUnivPerfArtsCenterOrgBackground.pdf").
This statement should cover the points below; use the following headings and letters to
organize your response. If you are a parent organization that is applying on behalf of a
component, this information should refer to the component on whose behalf you are
applying.
Date organization was incorporated. If not applicable, omit.
Mission/purpose of your organization: Briefly summarize the mission and
purpose of your organization. For organizations whose work extends beyond the
cultural sphere (e.g., universities, human service agencies), summarize your
mission as it pertains to your public cultural programs or services.
Organization overview: Address the following:
a. An overview of your organization's activities.
b. Some specific examples of previous activities that demonstrate your
organization's ability to carry out the project for which you are requesting
support.
c. The size and general demographics (e.g., ethnicity, income, age) of the
community/region/audience that you serve. If you are a membership
organization, indicate the number of individuals or organizations that you
serve.
d. A description of any special efforts that your organization is making to
reach a broad segment of the community.

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ATTACHMENT 3: DETAILS OF THE PROJECT NARRATIVE
To this button, attach your Details of the Project narrative. The file name should
indicate the name of your organization or a recognizable acronym followed by
"DetailsofProject.pdf."
Your narrative can be a maximum of three pages, but keep in mind that the Arts
Endowment and its panelists prefer succinct descriptions. Organize your response a),
b), c), etc., and use the boldfaced language below as headings for each item. For
example, "a) Major project activities. The ABC Performing Arts Center plans to..."
The information that you provide will be reviewed in accordance with the "Review
Criteria" for the category. Your narrative should address each of these "Review
Criteria" and include information on the following, as relevant to your project.
a. Major project activities. Be as specific as possible about the activities that will
take place during the project period. Include information on the location(s) of the
proposed activity and any special resources that will be used. For projects that
will tour, provide a list of venues with dates and indicate the degree of
commitment. For projects that involve publication, provide details on items such
as projected sales figures, print runs, distribution plans, contributors' fees,
payment policies, etc. Where relevant, include information on any educational
component or activities of the project.
b. Your goals in undertaking the project and what you hope to achieve. Address the
Arts Endowment outcome that you have identified as most relevant. Identify any
additional outcomes of your own that you have established for the project.
c. Schedule of key project dates.
d. Key individuals, organizations, and works of art that will be involved in the
project. (Bios of key project personnel are requested as a separate item.)
Indicate whether the artists, other individuals, and organizations that are cited are
committed to or merely proposed for the project. Where relevant, describe their
involvement in the development of the project to date. For projects that include
multiple partners, discuss each partner's participation. Describe the process and

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criteria for the selection of artists, organizations, and, where relevant, artworks.
Where key individuals or organizations remain to be selected, describe the
procedures that you plan to follow and the qualifications that you seek.
e. The target population (i.e., the intended audience and/or other beneficiaries to
whom the project is directed). If actual figures or reasonable estimates can be
secured, indicate the number of people the project will serve. Have you worked
with this target population before? Has the target population been involved in the
planning for and implementation of the project? Describe any underserved
groups or areas that will benefit.
f. Plans for promoting, publicizing, and/or disseminating the proposed project,
as relevant.
g. Plans for monitoring the project and assessing the degree to which you
achieve your goals. Include your plans for documentation, evaluation, and
dissemination of the results, as appropriate. Describe how you will measure your
success in achieving the outcomes identified in b) above. If this is an ongoing
project, state the results to date and the rationale for continuing the project.
h. Plans for making the project accessible to individuals with disabilities in
compliance with federal regulations. This includes access accommodations for
both facilities and programs, such as audio description, sign-language
interpretation, closed or open captioning, large-print brochures/labeling, etc. See
the Nondiscrimination Statutes in "Assurance of Compliance" for more
information. (For technical assistance on how to make your project fully
accessible, contact the Arts Endowment's AccessAbility Office at 202/682-5532
or 202/682-5496 Voice/T.T.Y. or the Civil Rights Office at 202/682-5454 or
202/682-5695 Voice/T.T.Y.)
i.

Budget. If this project is being undertaken over and above your normal
operations, what resources will be applied to cover these costs? If you were to
receive less than your requested amount, what would be your project activity
priorities?

ATTACHMENT 4: PROJECT BUDGET FORM, PAGES 1 and 2
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD: [FORM] [INSTRUCTIONS]

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To this button, attach the Project Budget form, Pages 1 and 2. The file name should
indicate the name of your organization or a recognizable acronym followed by
"ProjectBudget.pdf." (If you wish to submit a copy of your own project budget, you may
do so; see Attachment 8. Your own project budget may not be submitted in lieu of the
required form.)

ATTACHMENT 5: FINANCIAL INFORMATION FORM
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD: [FORM] [INSTRUCTIONS]
To this button, attach the Financial Information form. The file name should indicate the
name of your organization or a recognizable acronym followed by "FinancialInfo.pdf."

ATTACHMENT 6: BIOGRAPHIES OF KEY PROJECT PERSONNEL
To this button, attach a single file that includes all of the items below that are relevant to
your application. The file name should indicate the name of your organization or a
recognizable acronym followed by "Bios.pdf." Label clearly each item.
Dance applicants should submit bios only, not resumes.
For all applicants: Brief, current biographies of the key project personnel
[e.g., the proposed primary artist(s), project director, artistic director, executive
director, teachers, curator, editor, folklorist, conductor]. Send no more than two
pages of bios; group several on each page.
For projects that involve highly technical professionals (e.g., individuals who work
with new technology, art conservators): Resumes (not bios) for those individuals.
For parent organizations applying on behalf of an eligible component: A list of
key staff of the component unit. Describe any overlaps in staffing with the parent
organization. This documentation is required to demonstrate your eligibility.

ATTACHMENT 7: LIST OF CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS

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To this button, attach a single file that includes all of the items below that are relevant to
your application. The file name should indicate the name of your organization or a
recognizable acronym followed by "BoardList.pdf." Label clearly each item.
For all applicants: A list of current board members including professional
affiliations.
For parent organizations applying on behalf of an eligible component: A list of
board/advisory group members for the component as well as the parent
organization. Note how long each board/advisory group has been in existence.
This documentation is required to demonstrate your eligibility.
For lead applicants applying on behalf of a consortium: A list of current board
members for the primary consortium partner as well as the lead applicant.

ATTACHMENT 8: CONSORTIUM PARTNER INFORMATION FORM
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD: [FORM] [INSTRUCTIONS]
If you are applying for an official Consortium Application, to this button attach the
Consortium Partner Information form. This form must include the name of the
Authorizing Official for your consortium partner, but no signature is necessary. The file
name of your attachment should indicate the name of your organization (not your
partner) or a recognizable acronym followed by "ConsortiumPartner.pdf."

ATTACHMENT 9: OPTIONAL PROJECT BUDGET
If you wish to submit a copy of a differently formatted budget (e.g., one created for your
own planning purposes), attach it to this button. The file name should indicate the name
of your organization or a recognizable acronym followed by "SepBudget.pdf." Limit this
to a maximum of three pages.

ATTACHMENT 10: PROGRAMMATIC ACTIVITIES LIST

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To this button, attach a representative list of your Programmatic Activities for the past
three seasons. The file name should indicate the name of your organization or a
recognizable acronym followed by "ProgActivities.pdf."
Submit a selective representative list, in chronological order, of your organization's
programming or activities for the following years: 2008-09, 2009-10, and 2010-11. For
organizations that schedule activities according to a single calendar year, use
programming for 2008, 2009, and 2010. You may submit up to three pages.
This list should demonstrate eligibility (i.e., your organization's three-year history of
programming) and the artistic excellence and merit of your organization. Where
available, include arts or cultural programming that has a relationship to the project for
which you are requesting support (e.g., show examples of previous festival
programming if your project is for a festival). For most applicants, this list should show
selected artists/projects/exhibitions/works that your organization has or will have
presented/produced/exhibited/performed. Use the bullets below as a guide to possible
column headings for your list; adjust them as appropriate for your organization.
Year: 2008-09, 2009-10, or 2010-11. For organizations that schedule activities
according to a single calendar year, use 2008, 2009, or 2010.
The titles of the works/productions/exhibitions or of the program or project.
Key Artist(s)/Personnel. This may include a creator or project head such as a
choreographer, composer, playwright, performing artist, arts specialist,
teacher, etc. Also list any key personnel such as director, conductor, etc.
The location of the activity.
Dates of the activity and the number of
performances/classes/events/exhibitions.
Example:
A performing arts group might fill out its representative list as follows:
Year
Title/
Key
Location
Dates/#

200809

Creator

Artist(s)

Lecture

James Miller

of perfs.
ABC

February 15,

Museum

2009

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2009-

Work A/

John Smith, Jane Civic

Jan 27-31,

10

Creator

Doe

2010

Theater

A

6 perfs.

2010-

Work B/

Richard Jones,

Civic

April 17-21,

11

Creator

Robert Hall

Theater

2011/

B

7 perfs.

ATTACHMENT 11: SPECIAL ITEMS
To this button, attach a single file that includes any items specified below that are
relevant to your particular project. The file name should indicate the name of your
organization or a recognizable acronym followed by "SpecReqs.pdf."
Copyright Information: If your project is based on copyrighted material, a
statement that documents the clearance of rights for this particular project or
publication. You must have the rights secured by the application deadline.
Statements of Commitment: If your project requires collaboration,
statements of commitment from up to three organizations or individuals who
are integrally involved in your project. Do not provide general statements
of support for your organization. Statements should clearly indicate how
the project will serve its beneficiaries. For residency and touring projects,
provide evidence of commitment from the host and other collaborating
organizations. Each statement should include the name, phone number, and
e-mail address of the individual who provided it. (We encourage you to
submit this item electronically through Grants.gov. However, if this is not
feasible, you may submit a hard copy directly to the Arts Endowment. Include
it with the items detailed under "Prepare and submit material to be mailed
directly to the Arts Endowment.")
For projects that involve touring, following the instructions provided for
Attachment 9 ("Programmatic Activities"), provide a representative list of your
touring activities for the past three seasons.

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ATTACHMENT 12: WORK SAMPLE INDEX
Below are instructions for the Work Sample Index that you will submit electronically as
Attachment 12 through Grants.gov. Following that are instructions for the preparation of
the work samples that you will mail directly to the Arts Endowment.
Work Sample Index
To this button, attach your Work Sample Index. The file name should indicate the
name of your organization or a recognizable acronym followed by
"WorkSampleIndex.pdf."
For each work sample that you are including with your application, provide the
information below as relevant to your particular project:
A letter designation. Start with "A" if you are submitting more than one
sample. List your samples in the order in which you want them reviewed
(e.g., A, B, C). Make sure that the letter on the Work Sample Index
corresponds to the letter on the sample work itself. Each different DVD,
video, etc., should be considered one work sample.
Format (e.g., DVD, audio CD).
For each selection on that work sample, note:
Name of the company that produced or presented the work. In some cases
this will not be your company's name (e.g., for a sample of a choreographer's
work at a company other than your own, list the other company's name).
Title of the work.
Choreographer.
Title of the musical selection.
Composer.
Date the work was completed
Date the work was performed.
Relationship of the work to the project for which you are requesting support.
Any special instructions for reviewing the sample. Include, as relevant:

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o

For DVDs and CDs, the priority in which you would like different
selections reviewed, and the chapter numbers or counter cues for
these selections. For DVDs, please provide a menu at the beginning, if
possible. List the excerpts and the full work as separate items on the
menu.

o

For Web sites, the URLs for the pages to be shown. Include any
necessary information on required plug-ins or the navigation path.

Work Samples
Send recent (not more than two years old), high quality samples that relate as directly
to your project as possible:
Samples of up to two unedited works performed by your company within
the past two years, and
One sample of work by each proposed choreographer(s) or work(s) to be
staged, as appropriate. If you are requesting support to complete a work,
submit a sample of the work in progress.
For education or outreach projects, one sample that demonstrates
artists/teachers working with students or others.
Do not send promotional work samples (e.g., booking tapes).
Do not send dark work samples or samples with poor visibility.
Clearly label each sample (and where relevant its container) with your organization's
name and the letter that corresponds to its description on the Work Sample Index
(above). Cue each work sample to a point that you feel best represents the
choreography. Cue to an ensemble section unless your project involves a solo.
Please be aware that the entire sample (not just the selected segment) is considered
part of the application package and may be reviewed. The panel only views three to
five minutes of the work sample(s) for each application, but has the option to view the
whole work.

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We will accept the following types of work samples:
DVD (one copy).
Provide a menu at the beginning, if possible. The menu should list each excerpt and
each full work as separate items. For example:
Menu:
Excerpt A
Full work A
Excerpt B
Full work B
If a menu is not used, list cues as chapters or by time.
The work samples below may be submitted in addition to a DVD, if relevant to your
project.
CD with audio samples (one copy).
Curricula/study guides: If your project involves dance instruction, submit
two copies of a sample curriculum.
Web sites: Provide up to three URLs for the pages to be shown.
Preview your samples before submitting them to ensure that there are no technical
problems that might interfere with the panel's review of your work.
The Arts Endowment may copy or digitally convert work samples to facilitate panel
review. By submitting a work sample, you are giving the Arts Endowment permission
for reproduction and dissemination for this purpose.
Work samples will not be returned.

Leave all remaining Attachment buttons blank.

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Step 4: Submit Items in Steps 1-3 above electronically through Grants.gov
[Back to Top]
Follow the detailed instructions under "Submit your electronic application" above.

Step 5: Prepare and submit material to be mailed directly to the Arts Endowment
[Back to Top]
In addition to the material that you submit through Grants.gov, you must mail the
following items to the Arts Endowment. Your application package will not be considered
complete without these items.
1. An identifier so that we can match your mailed material with your electronic
application. This may be a copy of the Submission Confirmation or validation email from Grants.gov that includes your Grants.gov Tracking Number
(preferred) or your organizations' legal name as it appears on your electronic
application (not your popular name). Be sure that this is the first item in your
mailed material.
2. Work Samples. See the instructions under Attachment 12 for the preparation of
the work samples. Work samples will not be returned.

The National Endowment for the Arts continues to experience delays and damage to
support material (e.g., CDs, DVDs) in the delivery of First-Class and Priority mail. We
recommend that you use a commercial delivery service.
We strongly recommend that you maintain on file proof of your on-time submission.
Without proper documentation, the Arts Endowment will not accept application material
that is delayed or lost in transit.
Label your package as noted below. All mailed material must be postmarked (or
show other proof of mailing) no later than:

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For the March 10, 2011, application deadline, March 11, 2011
For the August 11, 2011, application deadline, August 12, 2011

NAME OF DISCIPLINE
Room 710
National Endowment for the Arts
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20506-0001
Include a complete return address that includes your organization's legal name as it
appears on your electronic application (not your popular name) on your package. If the
delivery service that you use requires a telephone number for the recipient on the label,
use 202/682-5702.
If new information that significantly affects your application (including changes in artists
or confirmed funding commitments) becomes available after your application is
submitted, please send that information immediately to the specialist for the
field/discipline of your project. Include your organization's name and application number
on any such submission. No changes in or revisions to your application can be made
through Grants.gov.