Grant Application Access
New Grant Applications are accessed by clicking on the Apply Here / Grant Portal Login tab above. The Apply Here / Grant Portal Login tab takes the applicant to their respective Dashboard to access Grant Applications, Grant Reports and other relevant materials.
Grant Guidelines
The Foundation will support charitable organizations that promote or preserve the Arts and Humanities. Priority will be given primarily to those organizations located in Central Indiana. The Board has discretion to make decisions regarding any proposal on a case-by-case basis.
The Foundation will make grants only to those organizations that are described in IRC Section 501(c)(3) and are public charities defined in IRC Sec. 509(a)(1), 509(a)(2) or 509(a)(3). In rare cases the Foundation will make grants to private operating foundations as defined in IRC Sec. 4942 (j) (3). The Foundation will not make grants to individuals or for endowments.
The Foundation invites organizations that meet the above guidelines to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI). For organizations new to the Operations Cycle, you must submit an LOI via the grant portal by November 30. The Operations Cycle LOI will be available on the portal by October 1. For the Capital Cycle, the LOI is mandatory for all organizations and must be submitted via the grant portal by April 30. The Capital Cycle LOI will be available on the portal by March 1. If your organization has never applied for funding, you will need to create a new account in the grant portal to access the LOI.
Grant Application Documents
FAQs: Grant Applicants
Q. Which Cycle Do I apply to?
A. There are two cycles: The Operations Grant Cycle and the Capital Cycle. The Operations Cycle is generally for smaller organizations and smaller dollar amounts. Organizations may apply each year to this cycle for general operating funds. Dollar amounts for this cycle primarily range between $1,000 to $75,000. The Capital Cycle is for one-time, specific undertakings and projects. The dollar amounts for this cycle can range from $1,000 to $1,000,000. Examples of grants in this cycle would include renovations, new construction, capacity building, a special exhibit, or a unique program offering.
Q. What is the time limit to get my application in on the due dates?
A. The deadline is 11:45 pm for both cycles on the respective due dates, January 31 for the Operations Cycle and June 30 for the Capital Cycle. The application is now online and must be accessed through the grant portal via our website. All applicants new to the Operations Cycle and all applicants for the Capital Cycle must first submit a Letter of Intent and be approved to apply for a grant.
Q. When Do I need to Submit a Letter of Intent (LOI)?
A.
LOIs for the Operations Cycle are necessary for any organization new to the cycle, having never received operations funding from the foundation. Operations Cycle LOIs are online and should be submitted via the grant portal by 11:45 pm on November 30. We will receive LOI’s between October 1 and November 30 each year. Your organization will receive communication by December 15th indicating whether you are approved to apply or that your LOI has been denied. You may be contacted to set up a conversation, if approved, or if your organization was denied approval to submit a proposal.
An LOI is now required for all Capital Grant Cycle proposals and will be part of the application process. New organizations will register by creating a new account in the portal and complete and submit the LOI by April 30. Returning organizations will log in using their previously established login credentials to access and submit the online LOI. The LOI will be available on the portal by March 1.
Q. How do I complete the Budget section?
A. AWCCF has changed the budget section to better suit its needs. The budget template can be accessed above in our Grant Application Documents section. There is also a direct link to the budget within the application itself.
There are three columns and a projected budget (if applicable) to be filled out. The first column is for the most recently completed board approved budget year figures. The second column is to record the actual amounts occurring in the most recently completed budget year. The current year is either the calendar year or the fiscal year that the organization is in. *Use the original budget as approved by the BOD for the most recently completed year not an amended budget.
Fill out the projected budget in addition to the regular budget if the funding will spill over into the following year, or the organization is already half way through the current year, or if you are requesting funding for the next fiscal cycle.
Q. IS the budget narrative mandatory?
A. The budget narrative clarifies for the reviewer what the line items mean. The budget narrative contributes to the reader’s understanding of the numbers. It is highly recommended that the budget narrative section is filled out.
Q. Is it best to use the budget supplied in the application or can I submit an agency specific budget?
A. The organization/applicant is advised to use the budget form supplied in the application. This budget is consistent across applicants and allows reviewers to have consistency when reading. However, if the categories in the applicant’s normal budget do not align with the budget categories available in the foundation’s form, then you may decide to submit a separate income and expense budget and attach it after the application’s supplied budget form.
Q. Can I submit extra materials such as a brochure, a year-end report or a flier in addition to the proposal?
A. Yes, you may submit visual material such as a brochure, a DVD or a flier to provide a visual. However, the foundation may not make use of these materials. Most of these materials can be uploaded into the application, but DVDs and bound materials will need to be mailed in separately. If mailing in materials, please include two copies.
Q. What is the geographic area the Foundation will consider for funding?
A. Indianapolis and Central Indiana are the primary geographic areas for funding. The Foundation has a few legacy grants that fall outside of this area, but it is rare to consider any new funding outside of Central Indiana. The Board of Directors has the discretion to vote on all funding.
Q. When is the Grant Report due?
A. All grant recipients must submit grant reports. For grants awarded prior to 2018, the form can be found above in the “Grant Application Documents” section. For grants awarded 2018 and after, the Grant Report Form will be assigned within the applicant portal. Each applicant will be responsible for viewing their Dashboard and filling out either an Interim or Final Report as indicated by the due dates assigned. At the end of one year from the time the grantee received funding, it is expected that most, if not all, of the funding will be expended and a final report will be completed and either emailed, mailed or submitted through the portal. If this is not possible a Project Modification Form needs to be requested from the office and submitted.
An interim grant report is due for all applicants that are considering applying for another grant cycle while they are in the midst of the current cycle. For example, if your organization received funding for operations in July and is planning to apply again in January for the next operations cycle, an interim report will be required before that application can be considered. For Operations Cycle grants a progress report is now part of next year’s application rather than a separate Interim Report. If an organization has expended all of their previous year’s operations funds, the applicant can skip the Progress Report section on the application and access the Final Report through the portal as assigned. All Operations Grant Cycle Interim or Final Reports are now due on June 15th of the year following funding. An Interim Report is also due if the Capital or Special Project funded is ongoing at the one-year mark and funding is not fully expended. The interim grant report form is available and assigned through the portal for all grants.