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Grant Application & Guidelines

Download the Grant Checklist and Application
(2012 forms posted 11 January 2012)
Word 97+  •  Adobe Acrobat/PDF •  ONLINE FORM

A copy of these guidelines is included in the application document.

Eligibility: Who May Apply

Our grants support choral music in New England. Grants are thus awarded to: (1) New England choruses, both volunteer and professional; (2) parent organizations of New England choruses; and (3) New England organizations that provide support to choral music. Church choirs and school or college choruses are also eligible.

All applicant organizations must be non-profit and tax-exempt. Groups or consortia planning a collaborative project can apply under the auspices of a designated fiscal agent (e.g., local historical society, arts council, library, museum, etc.) if desired.

The Application Process

Each grant application must conform to the following requirements:

1. The application form must be typed or machine-printed (not handwritten) and mailed to the address given below by the deadline. PDF forms are available for your convenience, but they still must be submitted in paper (not electronic) form. You must submit the original form plus SEVEN COPIES. Please confine your description to the space allotted; however, you may attach additional materials supporting your application as addenda.
2. Include EIGHT copies of the financial statements for your organization's most recently completed fiscal year, to provide us with an overview of the organization's financial status. (This requirement is in addition to the project budget on the back of the application form, which is for the specific project for which you are requesting Choral Arts New England funding.)
3. Include ONE copy of your organization's IRS 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status form.
4. Include THREE IDENTICAL copies of a recent CD or cassette tape of about 30 minutes duration that contains in its first ten minutes the material you would most like us to hear. Mark both the case and the CD or tape itself with the name of your group. Include a separate contents listing that gives the title and composer for each selection to be considered. The recording must not contain any material submitted with previous applications to Choral Arts New England. Do not include any extensive non-choral segments. The submission need not include complete works. Please do not submit DVDs.
5. Additional supporting materials could include program books, press clippings, or other material that would tell us more about the importance and potential benefit of the proposed project. You should not submit anything that is irreplaceable, as we cannot return any material that has been submitted.

Application Deadline

Application packages for each project period must be complete at the time of submission and MUST BE POSTMARKED NOT LATER THAN FEBRUARY 29, 2012, or they cannot be considered. There are no exceptions to this requirement. Applications should be sent to:

We suggest that you send your submission through a traceable mail service, and that you keep a copy of your submission for future reference throughout the grants process.

Acknowledgments of Receipt

We will make an effort to acknowledge receipt of applications by sending an email to the contact person who is listed on the application. These acknowledgments may not be sent immediately, but if you have not received word from us within 7–10 days after sending your application, feel free to call us or send a query to admin@choralarts-newengland.org.

Criteria for Funding

Choral Arts New England tries to distribute its grants throughout the New England area. Organizations in rural or otherwise musically underserved areas are particularly encouraged to apply. Choral Arts New England is especially interested in the programming of new works and important neglected music of the past; educational programs; technical assistance projects; and organizational development projects that show potential for moving grantees toward greater strength and self-sufficiency, in such areas as audience development, fund raising, board development, and business planning.

Grants are awarded for, among other things: salaries for artistic personnel (including orchestral musicians); consultant fees and/or other costs involved in organizational development projects; composer commissions; rental or purchase of music; and costs associated with a performance, festival or other special project not specifically mentioned here. Past grants have ranged from $300 to $4000, but requests for larger amounts will be considered.

The Grant Awards Process

Choral Arts New England's Grants Committee, which consists of several members of the Board of Directors, reviews all grant applications. The Committee evaluates each eligible application in light of the funding criteria and artistic standards of Choral Arts New England and then makes recommendations to the full Board, which has the ultimate authority to approve the awards.

Grant recipients may expect to be notified by June 1, 2012.

If You Are Awarded a Grant

All organizations awarded a grant will be invited to an Awards Ceremony in the fall of the year for which the grant is awarded, and we encourage you to send one or two representatives to the event. Grant checks will be delivered to recipient organizations at the Awards Ceremony (or mailed to those who are unable to be represented there).

Acknowledgement of Choral Arts New England

All published materials and announcements regarding your project must give credit to CHORAL ARTS NEW ENGLAND with references such as the following: “This project is supported in part by an Alfred Nash Patterson Grant from Choral Arts New England.” For example, if your project consists of a concert or other performance, this or a similar statement should appear prominently in your concert program book and advertising. Full acknowledgment guidelines will be sent with the notification of grant approval, and are also available on the web site. Please see the full guidelines for grant acknowledgment.

If Your Project Should Change

Applications are approved based on the information provided therein. Any substantial changes in a funded project from its description in the grant application must be approved in writing by Choral Arts New England, or grant funding may be rescinded in whole or in part. If a project cannot be completed during the period for which it was funded, normally the grant would be returned and the applicant encouraged to re-apply (without prejudice) in the following year. Please notify us promptly should changes be necessary so we can work with you.

Project Report

When your project is completed you must submit a final report of your experience with the project, plus an itemized financial statement of the project's actual income and expenses and certain addenda described on the report form. These forms will be provided to grant recipients when they are notified of their grants. Final report forms are now available online, as either a fillable PDF form or in Microsoft Word format. You must submit your final report or you will be ineligible for any future funding from Choral Arts New England.

GOOD LUCK!

Choral Arts New England • 781-721-SING (781-721-7464)
P.O. BOX 608 • Newton, MA 02456-0608