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ART WORKS Guidelines: Creativity
Connects Projects
Grant Program Description
Creativity Connects* is an initiative that shows how the arts contribute to the nation’s creative
ecosystem, investigates how support systems for the arts are changing, explores how the arts can
connect with other sectors that want and utilize creativity, and invests in innovative projects to
spark new, collaborative ideas.
A key component of Creativity Connects is a grant opportunity in the Art Works category that
supports collaborative, mutually beneficial partnerships between the arts and non-arts sectors,
specifically:
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Agriculture
Business and Economic Development
Science
Technology
Healthcare
Community
Education
Environment
Military
Transportation
Art Works: Creativity Connects projects mutually benefit both the arts and non-arts sectors by:
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Demonstrating the beneficial contributions of artists and creative work to societal health.
Supporting the infrastructure for the arts to work in new ways with new sectors.
Building bridges that create new relationships and constituencies.
Creating innovative partnership projects to advance common goals.
* Creativity Connects™ is used with permission from Crayola, LLC.
Projects
Organizations may apply for any or all phases of a project, from its planning through its
implementation.
Projects may include:
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The creation of art works through collaborations that benefit from active participation by
both arts and non-arts partners.
Projects that utilize artistic practice to support the creative needs of non-arts sectors, as
well as the arts.
Projects that explore the intersection of artistic creativity and creativity in non-arts
sectors.
Projects that expand the range of artistic practices, styles, and practitioners.
Projects that explore employing artists in fields outside of the arts.
Projects that develop support systems for the arts and non-arts sectors to work together
and build relationships.
Projects that use the arts and the creative process to address complex issues of broad
concern.
Professional development that cultivates creativity in the non-arts sector, integrates
business strategies into artist training, or prepares the workforce in both sectors to
collaborate in a variety of efforts.
For cultural tourism and creative placemaking projects, see the other National Endowment for
the Arts’ funding categories, including Challenge America and Our Town. See “We Do Not
Fund” for activities and costs not funded by the agency.
Projects funded through Creativity Connects can be found within the “Bright Spots” web page,
highlighting successful projects across the country where arts and non-arts collaborators are
working to further common goals.
If you are recommended for a grant, your project may be subject to the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and/or the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA)
and the National Endowment for the Arts will conduct a review of your project to ensure that it
is in compliance NEPA/NHPA.
Some of the common project types that garner a review are:
• A project involving or occurring near a district, site, building, landscape, structure or
object that is 50 years old and therefore eligible for inclusion in the National Register of
Historic Places.
• The commissioning and installation of temporary or permanent outdoor furnishings such
as benches or market structures or art such as a sculpture or mural.
• An arts festival in a park.
• Design planning and services for projects that may involve a historic site, structure, or
district.
This review and approval process may take up to several months to complete and may
delay your project's start date and our ability to make a grant award/our ability to release
grant funds.
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To learn more about what questions you will need to answer for the review of a project
impacted by the National Environmental Policy Act and/or the National Historic
Preservation Act, see here.
Award Information
We anticipate awarding a limited number of grants, subject to the availability of funding.
Grant Amounts and Matching Funds
All grants require a nonfederal match of at least 1 to 1. For example, if an organization receives a
$20,000 grant, the total eligible project costs must be at least $40,000 and the applicant
organization must provide at least $20,000 toward the project from nonfederal sources.
Grants generally will range from $20,000 to $100,000. No grants will be made below $20,000.
Grants of $100,000 or more will be made only in rare instances, and only for projects that we
determine demonstrate exceptional national or regional significance and impact.
Applicants whose grants are recommended for less than the amount that is requested will have
the opportunity to revise the project budget to reflect any necessary changes to the project, based
on the recommended funding amount. We reserve the right to limit support of a project to a
particular portion(s) or cost(s).
Period of Performance
The National Endowment for the Arts’ support of a project can start no sooner than June 1, 2018.
Grants awarded under these guidelines generally may cover a period of performance of up to two
years.
Any planning costs that are included as part of the project must be incurred during the
established period of performance. No pre-award costs are allowable in the Project Budget.
Project costs that are incurred before June 1, 2018, will be removed from the Project Budget.
A grantee may not receive more than one National Endowment for the Arts grant for the same
project during the same period of performance.
Application Limits
An organization may submit only one application for an Art Works: Creativity Connects grant.
An organization that submits an application to Art Works: Creativity Connects is still eligible to
submit an application to other National Endowment for the Arts funding opportunities including
other areas of Art Works and Challenge America. In each case, the request must be for a
distinctly different project.
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Applicant Eligibility
Nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3), U.S. organizations; units of state or local government; or
federally recognized tribal communities or tribes may apply. Applicants may be arts
organizations, local arts agencies, arts service organizations, local education agencies (school
districts), and other organizations that can help advance the goals of the National Endowment for
the Arts.
To be eligible, the applicant organization must:
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Meet the National Endowment for the Arts’ "Legal Requirements" including nonprofit,
tax-exempt status at the time of application. (All organizations must apply directly on
their own behalf. Applications through a fiscal sponsor are not allowed. See more at
“Information on Fiscal Sponsors.”)
Have a three-year history of programming prior to the application deadline.
Have submitted acceptable Final Report packages by the due date(s) for all National
Endowment for the Arts grant(s) previously received.
An organization whose primary purpose is to channel resources (financial, human, or other) to an
affiliated organization is not eligible to apply if the affiliated organization submits its own
application. This prohibition applies even if each organization has its own 501(c)(3) status. For
example, the "Friends of ABC Museum" may not apply if the ABC Museum applies.
All applicants must have a DUNS number (www.dnb.com) and be registered with the System for
Award Management (SAM, www.sam.gov) and maintain an active SAM registration until the
application process is complete, and should a grant be made, throughout the life of the award.
See "How to Prepare and Submit an Application" for the documentation that is required to
demonstrate eligibility.
The designated state and jurisdictional arts agencies (SAAs) and their regional arts
organizations (RAOs) are not eligible to apply under the Art Works guidelines. SAAs and
RAOs may serve as partners in projects. However, they may not receive NEA funds (except as
provided through their designated grant programs), and SAA/RAO costs may not be included as
part of the required match. SAAs and RAOs are eligible to apply through the Partnership
Agreements guidelines.
Ineligible applications will not be reviewed.
Required Partnerships
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Strong, committed partnerships are key to the success of Art Works: Creativity Connects
projects. By combining efforts and resources, partners will produce project outcomes that would
not be possible if organizations worked separately.
Art Works: Creativity Connects grants require a partnership between an arts program and an
organization from one of the following non-arts sectors:
• Agriculture
• Business and Economic Development
• Science
• Technology
• Healthcare
• Community
• Education
• Environment
• Military
• Transportation
The partnership must be confirmed at the time of application. Eligible non-arts partners may
include, but are not limited to, small businesses, retail chains, technology firms, universities,
hospitals, community centers, and service organizations. Applicant colleges and universities, and
other institutions of higher education, must partner with an organization outside the institution;
however, another program or component within the same institution may be involved in the
project.
Organizations that are not eligible as a non-arts partner:
• Federal agencies.
• The designated fifty state and six jurisdictional arts agencies (SAAs) and their regional
arts organizations (RAOs).
Application Review
Applications will be reviewed on the basis of the following criteria:
The artistic excellence of the project, which includes the:
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Quality of the artists, arts organizations, works of art, or services that the project will
involve, as appropriate.
The artistic merit of the project, which includes the:
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Extent to which the project uses creativity to connect the arts and non-arts sectors.
Strength of the proposed partnership, including the engagement of and benefits for all
partners.
Potential to demonstrate and advance the value of creativity within the arts and non-arts
sectors.
Potential to provide evidence of learning that can be used widely, be sustained, and/or
have national significance.
Plans for documentation, evaluation, and dissemination of the project results, as
appropriate.
Appropriateness of the proposed performance measurements.
Ability to carry out the project based on such factors as the appropriateness of the budget,
the quality and clarity of the project goals and design, the resources involved, and the
qualifications of the project's personnel.
What Happens to Your Application
All applications are reviewed according to the review criteria by an advisory panel comprised of
a diverse group of arts experts and other individuals with broad knowledge of the specific types
of projects in this funding area. Panel recommendations are forwarded to the National Council
on the Arts, which then makes recommendations to the Chairman of the National Endowment for
the Arts. The Chairman reviews the Council’s recommendations and makes the final decision on
all grant awards. Pending the availability of funding, it is anticipated that applicants will be
notified of award or rejection in April 2018.
Due to an anticipated high volume of applications, National Endowment for the Arts staff will
not provide individualized review feedback. After applicant notification in April 2018,
summarized, collective panelist observations will be posted as a resource.
Additional Reading: The Creativity Connects Initiative
The Creativity Connects research report, created for the National Endowment for the Arts by the
Center for Cultural Innovation, finds that the population of artists is growing and diversifying.
New technologies, economic changes, and other conditions of contemporary life present
challenges for artists, but also offer new, exciting possibilities and new potential partners and
allies. The report can be downloaded here.
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ART WORKS: Creativity Connects
Guidelines: How to Prepare and Submit an
Application
These instructions provide all of the information that you need to submit an application.
Submitting an application is a multi-step process. You will interact with the NEA's website,
Grants.gov, and the NEA GrantsOnline™ System (NEA-GO). We urge you to read these
instructions in their entirety before you begin the application process.
Art Works: Creativity Connects Deadline:
Step 1 - Submit SF-424 to
Grants.gov
May 4, 2017 by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time
Register/renew by at least April 12
Submit by at least April 25
Step 2 - Submit Materials to NEA- May 11, 2017 to 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time on May 18,
GO
2017
1. View the Art Works: Creativity Connects Guidelines Webinar:
• We will conduct a live webinar on January TBD, 2016, at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time
featuring an overview presentation followed by a Q&A session. Click here to
register for the upcoming webinar and for an archive of the webinar after it is
concluded.
2. Step 1 – Submit the SF-424 to Grants.gov:
• The SF-424 (Application for Federal Domestic Assistance)
3. View the NEA Grant Application Form (GAF) Tutorial:
• Online Tutorial: Using the NEA Grant Application Form
4. Step 2 – Submit Materials to NEA-GO:
• Fill out and submit the NEA Grant Application Form and upload items to NEAGO.
5. Ensure that your application is complete with this checklist:
• Creativity Connects Application Checklist
6. Application updates after submission:
Send new information that significantly affects your application (such as changes in
artists or confirmed funding commitments) as soon as possible to the staff at
[email protected]. Remember to include your organization’s name and
NEA application number.
If you have questions about your application, please use contact the staff at
[email protected].
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ART WORKS: Creativity Connects
Guidelines: Step 1 - Submit the SF-424 to
Grants.gov
Complete and submit the SF-424 (Application for Federal
Domestic Assistance/Short Organizational Form) to
Grants.gov.
Register or renew/verify Grants.gov and SAM.gov registration | Download the SF-424 | Fill-out
the SF-424 | Submit the SF-424 to Grants.gov | Track Your Application
Art Works: Creativity Connects Deadline:
Step 1 - Submit SF-424 to
Grants.gov
May 4, 2017 by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time
Register/renew by at least April 12
Submit by at least April 25
Step 2 - Submit Materials to NEAGO
May 11, 2017 to 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time on May
18, 2017
1. Register or renew/verify Grants.gov and SAM.gov
registration:
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Before submitting the SF-424, your organization must register or renew/verify its current
registration with both Grants.gov and the System for Award Management (SAM).
Failure to comply with these requirements may result in your inability to submit your SF424.
Go to Grants.gov's Organization Registration to create a new organization
registration.
Grants.gov Contact Center: Call 1-800-518-4726, e-mail [email protected], or
consult the information posted on the Grants.gov website at Support. The Grants.gov
Contact Center is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
SAM Federal Service Desk: Call 1-866-606-8220 or see the information posted on the
SAM website at SAM User Help.
You do not need to complete the registration process to download the SF-424 and begin
to prepare your material (see below). However, you will need the Grants.gov Username
and Password that you obtain during the registration process to submit your SF-424.
Registration can take several weeks. Exceptions to the deadline will be considered only for
those issues related to registration or renewal. Maintain documentation (with dates) of
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your efforts to register or renew by at least April 12 with the Data Universal
Numbering System (DUNS), System for Award Management (SAM), or Grants.gov.
In addition to these instructions, you should periodically check the Grants.gov blog or the
Grants.gov homepage for tips, updates, and alerts.
2. Download the SF-424:
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First, verify your software. You must have a version of Adobe Reader that is supported
by Grants.gov installed on your computer before you download the application package
containing the SF-424 from Grants.gov. Please go to “Download Software” to see the
compatible versions of Adobe Reader or to download and install Adobe Reader. Please
see important information about versions of Adobe Reader DC here.
Access the SF-424 on Grants.gov by clicking on the link for your deadline:
DOWNLOAD
[Funding Opportunity Number 2017NEA01AWCC]
This will bring you to the “View Grant Opportunity” screen on Grants.gov. Choose “Select
Package” and follow the screens from there. Do not open a Grants.gov “Workspace”
environment to create, prepare, or submit your application materials. Grants.gov uses the
term "application" and "application package" when all you'll submit is the SF-424 form
(Application for Federal Domestic Assistance). Please note that you will submit the
substantial part of your application during Step 2.
3. Fill out the SF-424
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 SF-424
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 SF-424;
leave blank.
4. Funding Opportunity Number: Pre-populated.
5. Applicant Information:
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
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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 independent component,
do not list the name of the independent 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 9-digit 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 SAM (System for Award Management) as part of the Grants.gov
registration. Otherwise, your SF-424 will not be validated by Grants.gov and will be
rejected.
g. Congressional District: Enter the number of the Congressional District where the 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 At-Large 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. For example: To
support An Exhibition of the Works of Georgia O’Keeffe.
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
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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 during the requested period
of performance. For examples, see Recent Grants.
Please note:
This field on the form has a character limit of 1,000, including spaces. Even if you have less than
1,000 characters, Grants.gov may translate special characters (e.g., apostrophes) in a way that
will cause your SF-424 to be rejected. This can happen if you "cut and paste" from an old SF424 or another document into the form. We strongly encourage you to write a succinct project
description and double check the number of characters.
c. Proposed Project Start Date/End Date: Enter the beginning and ending dates for your
requested period of performance, i.e., the span of time necessary to plan, execute, and close out
your proposed project. The start date should be the first day of the month, and the end date
should be the last day of the month. Our support of a project may start on or after June 1, 2018.
Generally, a period of performance of up to two years is allowed. The two-year period is
intended to allow an applicant sufficient time to plan, execute, and close out its project, not
to repeat a one-year project for a second year. Your budget should include only the activities
and costs incurred during the requested period of performance.
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 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. For the Telephone
number field, use the following format: 000-000-0000.
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:
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Enter the requested information for the AOR (Authorized Organization Representative) who is
authorized to submit 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 (e. g., be a
senior member of the staff such as an ED, Director of Development, etc.). See specific
requirements for who can serve as an AOR for colleges and universities. Contractors or
administrative support staff cannot serve as an AOR. 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 SF-424.
4. Submit the SF-424 to Grants.gov:
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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 SF-424
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.
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 SF-424 before you
click this button. No revisions to your SF-424 are possible through Grants.gov once
it is submitted.
If you wait until the day of the deadline to submit your SF-424, you are taking a
significant risk! We strongly suggest that you submit your SF-424 no later than April 25.
This should provide ample time to resolve any problems you might encounter.
We will not accept late SF-424s or late SF-424s that are the result of user error, including
failure to verify that your SF-424 was validated and accepted by the Grants.gov system
through Track My Application. Exceptions may be made if you can provide
documentation dating from April 25 that, in the judgment of the National Endowment for
the Arts, indicates a technological failure on the part of Grants.gov. We will consider and
address your situation as appropriate
Failure to successfully submit the SF-424 form through Grants.gov will make you
ineligible to complete Step 2 of the application process.
5. Track Your Application:
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Verify that your SF-424 was validated and accepted by the Grants.gov system. Go to
Track My Application to confirm the validation and track the progress of your SF-424
submission through Grants.gov. Do not wait until the day of the deadline to verify your
submission in case you encounter any difficulties.
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6. Prepare to Complete Step 2:
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Read the Step 2 instructions to learn about how and when to access the NEA-GO system
to fill out and submit the NEA Grant Application Form and upload items to NEA-GO.
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To access NEA-GO, you’ll need your Agency Tracking Number/NEA Application Number. The NEA
assigns the number to your application 1-2 business days after you submit your SF-424, but no
earlier than April 25, 2017. The number is not available before that date.
Additional Help
For additional help on how to use Grants.gov, please see the Grants.gov website at Support.
You also may send an 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.
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ART WORKS: Creativity Connects
Guidelines: Step 2 - Submit Materials to
NEA-GO
Fill out and submit the NEA Grant Application Form and upload items to NEA-GO.
You will use the NEA GrantsOnline™ System (NEA-GO) to complete Step 2 of the application
process. You must first have successfully completed Step 1 (submitting the SF-424 to
Grants.gov) by the application deadline of record.
Art Works: Creativity Connects Deadline:
Step 1 - Submit SF-424 to
Grants.gov
May 4, 2017 by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time
Register/renew by at least April 12
Submit by at least April 25
Step 2 - Submit Materials to NEAGO
May 11, 2017 to 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time on May
18, 2017
Do not attempt to complete Step 2 before NEA-GO becomes available to you on these dates.
Your log on credentials will be created for you. Do not log in to the system early and create your
own NEA-GO registration. If you do, it will prevent you from accessing the system.
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Log on to NEA-GO at: http://nea.cloud.culturegrants.org/index/login
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User Name = Grants.gov Tracking Number
(Example: "GRANT12345678")
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Password = Agency Tracking Number/NEA Application Number
(Example: "18-123456")
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Once you are logged on to NEA-GO, select the "Link to Formset" icon on the My
Forms page to access the Grant Application Form
How do I find my Grants.gov tracking number? Your Grants.gov tracking number is assigned
to you by Grants.gov at the time you submit your SF-424. A confirmation screen will appear
once your SF-424 submission is complete. Your Grants.gov tracking number will be provided at
the bottom of this screen. Remember to save this number.
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How do I find my Agency Tracking #/NEA Application Number? The NEA assigns the
number to your application 1-2 business days after you submit your SF-424, but no earlier than
April 25. The number is not available before that date. Log on to Grants.gov with the Grants.gov
Username and Password that you used to submit your SF-424. Select the Check My Application
feature to find your Agency Tracking#/NEA Application Number. NOTE: Check My Application
is a separate feature from Track My Application at Grants.gov.
For specific help on how to complete your application, please review the instructions in these
guidelines or contact [email protected].
2. Fill out the Grant Application Form
You will submit a substantial part of your application through the Grant Application Form
(GAF) in NEA-GO, including:
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Answers to narrative questions about your organization and project.
Financial information about your organization and project.
Bios of key individuals.
Upload work samples and statements of support.
Click below to see the application questions, instructions, and information about required
application materials that you will submit through the Grant Application Form in NEA-GO. For
your application to be considered complete, every item that is required MUST be included in your
application.
Art Works: Creativity Connects FY18 Step 2 Application Instructions:
DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTIONS
You should prepare your responses and material well in advance of the deadline and have
them fully ready to upload once NEA-GO opens for you. You will not have access to the
Grant Application Form until NEA-GO opens for you to submit your application materials
on the dates noted above.
Note: We strongly urge you to complete and submit the Grant Application Form and
upload materials outside of NEA-GO’s hours of heaviest usage, generally 8:00 pm to 11:59
p.m., Eastern Time, on the day of the deadline.
HELPFUL TIPS:
1. Submit your materials to NEA-GO 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.
• Most problems can be solved by changing your browser. If that doesn't
work, change devices.
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NEA staff will not be available to help you after 5:30 p.m., Eastern Time, on
the day of the deadline.
2. Don't forget to hit the "Submit" button when you are ready to submit your
application. If you do not hit the "Submit" button, your application will not be
received.
3. NEA-GO closes at 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on the day of the deadline. Be sure
you have finished uploading your materials and hit the "Submit" button prior to that
time.
4. You will receive confirmation of your successful submission in two ways: 1) a pop
up on your screen, and 2) an email from noreply at culturegrants.org. Maintain
documentation of your successful submission(take a screenshot and/or keep the
email). If you modify your application after you submit, you will not receive
additional confirmations.
You also can confirm that your application was received when you log in to NEAGO. On the first screen it will say “Received” if your application has been received.
If your application has not yet been received, it will say “In Progress.”
5. After submitting your application, you may log back into NEA-GO and make
modifications to your submission up until the system closes on the day of the
deadline. Remember to hit the "Save" and "Submit" button again prior the deadline.
6. You may print a copy of your application at any time, whether in draft or final form,
for your records. The print icon is located on the My Forms page.
7. Some special characters (such as ampersands, quotation marks, apostrophes, and
angle brackets) take up more character counts than others in webforms, including
the Grant Application Form. This is because certain characters are translated into
HTML code which takes up more than one character space. If you notice a higher
than expected character count when you enter information directly into the Grant
Application Form or copy and paste from your word processing program, here are a
few tips:
o
o
o
o
Transfer your text into a text-only utility like Notepad before pasting
it into the Grant Application Form. This will delete hidden HTML
code to ensure the proper capture of your text. However, any
formatting you had will be deleted.
Use a solution other than special characters. For example, instead of
using quotation marks for titles of works, put them in italics and that
won't affect character count.
Use only one space after the end of sentences. Single spaces after
punctuation marks (periods, commas, colons, etc.) only reduce the
character counter by one character. If you enter two spaces after a
period, HTML coding adds extra spaces.
Also, save character space by limiting the use of tabs.
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8. View the Grant Application Form Tutorial for other helpful tips to assist you in
completing the online form.
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ART WORKS: Creativity Connects
APPLICATION CHECKLIST
BEFORE APPLYING (By at least April 12)
Register/Renew with the System for Awards Management
Register/Renew with Grants.gov
Why do I need to register/renew so far in advance of the application
deadline? See here LINK.
STEP 1:GRANTS.GOV (By at least April 25 for the May 4 deadline)
Submit the SF-424 (Application for Federal Domestic Assistance)
through Grants.gov
Why do I need to submit the SF-424 in advance of the application
deadline? See here LINK.
STEP 2: NEA GRANTS ONLINE™ (NEA-GO)
Log in to Grants.gov and go to "Check My Application Status" to get
your Grants.gov tracking number and agency tracking number to use
as your username and password for NEA-GO. NEA-GO will be open
May 11-18, 2017.
Complete & submit the Grant Application Form (GAF) by 11:59 pm
ET on May 18, 2017.
Part 1: Organizational Information
Part 2: Project Information
Part 3: Project Budget
Part 4: Items to Upload – Required Works Samples and PDF
attachments (Excess pages and items not listed in the guidelines will
be deleted.)
REQUIRED WORK SAMPLES (At least one of the following)
Video
Audio
Digital Images
Documents
Websites
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REQUIRED PDF ATTACHMENTS
Statement of Support
Part 5: Organization & Project Profile
RESOURCES
Watch the Art Works webinar
Watch the Grant Application Form tutorial
Contact the staff at [email protected] with any
questions
FULL GUIDELINES CAN BE FOUND AT: http://arts.gov/grantsorganizations/art-works/
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ART WORKS Guidelines: Creativity
Connects Projects Frequently Asked
Questions
Q: Can I seek support for my large, collaborative project through both an Art Works
discipline grant and an Art Works: Creativity Connects grant?
A: Yes. An organization that submits an application to Art Works: Creativity Connects is still
eligible to submit an application to other National Endowment for the Arts funding opportunities
including other areas of Art Works and Challenge America. In each case, the request must be for
a distinctly different project.
Q: Can a university serve as the lead applicant?
A: Yes. However, a university lead applicant may not use another unit of the same institution of
higher education as the primary non-arts partner. The primary non-arts partner must be an
outside organization that is unaffiliated with the school.
Q: Does the non-arts partner have to be a for-profit entity? My organization is partnering
with a local church.
A: No, the partner does not have to be a for-profit entity. The required non-arts partner may be a
for-profit company, or it may be nonprofit, including religious organizations.
Q: Does the partnership need to be new? My organization has been working with a nonarts entity for a couple years and would like to seek funding for the work we are already
doing together in our community.
A: The partnership does not need to be new and eligible projects can be established activities that
are ongoing.
Q: Does the non-arts partner need to be committed in advance of the submission deadline?
A: Yes. Participation by the non-arts partner needs to be confirmed and evident in the Statement
of Support required at the Step 2 phase of application.
Q: Can you guide us as to what the Statement of Support should contain? Do you have a
template that we can use?
A: We do not have a template. However, the one-page PDF document should be a formal
endorsement from an official of the partner organization. It should reflect the partner's
familiarity with, support for, and involvement in the project and include the partner’s name,
affiliation, phone number, and email address.
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Q: What qualities are considered by the panel when determining the strength of the
proposed partnership?
A: Reviewers will consider aspect such as the qualifications of personnel, resources involved
and the benefits for both the arts and non-arts partner organizations. The Statement of Support
should reflect the partner’s support for and involvement in the project. The primary partner may
contribute funds, but it should also supply human resources or information capital, or actively
participate in another way.
Q: May I have other project participants in addition to the required, non-arts entity?
A: Additional collaborators are allowable, from both the arts and non-arts fields. However, only
submit one Statement of Support, confirming participation by the required non-arts partner.
Q: Who will review and select grantees?
A: All applications are reviewed according to the review criteria by an advisory panel comprised
of a diverse group of arts experts and other individuals with broad knowledge of the specific
types of projects in this funding area. Panel recommendations are forwarded to the National
Council on the Arts, which then makes recommendations to the chairman of the National
Endowment for the Arts. The chairman reviews the Council’s recommendations and makes the
final decision on all grant awards. Pending the availability of funding, it is anticipated that
applicants will be notified of award or rejection in April 2018.
Q: How will the projects be evaluated?
A: Congress specified in our authorizing legislation that "artistic excellence and artistic merit"
are the criteria by which all applications must be evaluated. For more detailed information about
how artistic excellence and artistic merit apply to Creativity Connects projects, see the review
criteria in the guidelines.
Q: Can NEA staff help me with my application?
A: Members of the NEA staff are available to answer specific questions about the application
materials and forms. However, the NEA does not review full proposals or provide edits to text
or budgets in advance of the application deadline. Please email
[email protected] to set up a time to speak to our staff.
Q: Do all matching funds need to be committed in advance of the submission deadline?
A: No, but we ask you to designate on the budget form funding that is committed versus funding
that is being proposed or sought. Designate committed funding with a (*) after the source on the
budget form.
Q: What are some examples of measurement tools you'd like to see for these Creativity
Connects projects?
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A: You should propose measurement tools that are feasible and appropriate for your
organization, partner, and specific project. Program evaluation resources are available on the
NEA website.
Q: Are work samples from the non-arts partner required? Or should we only submit
artistic samples?
A: Work samples should demonstrate the artistic excellence and artistic merit of your project, the
work of the applicant, and, if appropriate, the work of the non-arts partner. You may submit the
work of one or both organizations, but the total submission may not exceed the limitations listed
in the Creativity Connects guidelines. Remember, the panelists’ review time is limited, so be
selective and provide only substantive samples that are the most relevant to your proposed
project.
| File Type | application/pdf |
| Author | Jillian Miller |
| File Modified | 2016-08-31 |
| File Created | 2016-08-31 |