The following questions apply to all of our grant programs unless otherwise specified. We are continuing to update, so please check back each grant round for more information.
Be sure to read the specific eligibilty requirements for whichever grant you are applying for.
Do I have to be a 501(c)(3) to receive funding?
No.
If I didn't receive funding, can I reapply next grant round?
YES!
I received funding last grant round, can I apply for the same grant program again next round?
No. For example, if you received a BCAA Endowment grant award in the fall, you are inelligible to reapply in the spring.
Can I apply for more than one BCAA grant during the same year - for example the Pathways to Jazz grant and the BCAA Endowment grant?
Yes!
Can I apply for BCAA funding if I have lived in Boulder for less than one year?
Depends on the grant. Most grants offered through BCAA require applicants to have lived or worked in Boulder for at least a year.
I live in Denver but I am doing a project in Boulder County, can I apply for funding through BCAA?
If you have a studio or business in Boulder County and the project you are requesting funds for will take place in Boulder County, you can use your studio/business address on your application. Or, if you are doing the project in collaboration or partnership with an individual or organization in Boulder County, you can write the grant but have the person or organization in Boulder County be the grant applicant.
We receive a LOT of questions about writing budgets. Essentially, the budget is the numerical reflection of the project. Feel free to email us with questions.
Following are answers to frequently asked questions about budgets. If you are still unsure about how to write your budget or are new at writing budgets for grant proposals, please feel free to give us a call.
Should I list what I plan to pay myself for the project on the budget?
Yes. Be sure to list this under Personnel Expense and describe your role on the project, such as Director, Choreographer, Presenter, Costumer, Dancer, Musician, or Project Manager. Include the number of hours and fee you will be charging. This amount should be a reasonable fee for that service and may include the value of your "donated" or "in-kind" contribution to the project. For example, if you are directing a play, your regular fee may be $2,250. However, you have decided to contribute $1,250 of your time to this particular project. On the budget, you will describe the expense for the Director as follows:
| EXPENSES | CASH | IN-KIND |
| Personnel Director/Choreographer, 1000+1250 (in-kind) | $1,000 | $1,250 |
The $1,000 represents the cash amount you will be paid for your work. The $1,250 represents the amount of labor you are donating to the project.
If you have difficulty describing your role on the project or figuring out how much you should be paid for that role, call the BCAA office for assistance.
How do I list donated labor, volunteer hours, or other non-monetary contributions to my project?
All non-monetary contributions to your project are considered "in-kind" contributions. This includes, donated labor, equipment, supplies, and services. Often, someone will donate a portion of a good/service and be paid the rest. In the budget, you will want to list the amount you will have to pay them in "cash" and the amount they are "donating" to the project in the "In-Kind" column of both the Expense and Revenue worksheets. For example, in-kind expenses are listed on the Expense worksheet as follows:
| EXPENSES | CASH | IN-KIND |
| Director, 1000+1250 (in-kind) | $1,000 | $1,250 |
| Costumer, 100+300 (in-kind) | $100 | $300 |
| Performance Space Rental, 750+250 (in-kind) | $750 | $250 |
| Printing Programs, 100+250(in-kind) | $100 | $250 |
In the example above your total Cash Expense is $1950 and your total In-Kind contribution is $2050.
On the revenue worksheet, you would list the in-kind contributions under "Other Support" as follows:
REVENUE | CASH | IN-KIND |
Earned Income | $900 |
|
BAC Grant (secured) | $400 |
|
BCAA Grant Requested | $450 |
|
Other Support | $200 | $2,050 |
Please note that Cash Expense = Cash Revenue and In-Kind Expense = In-Kind Revenue. It is very important that the Expenses and Revenue sheet totals match!
Showing in-kind contributions and their sources is important in showing the panelists that you have support for your project from the community, so be sure to list it whenever someone gives you a discount on their good or service.
What if I need more or less than the maximum award amount?
Ask for what you need, up to the maximum award amount. If you need less than the maximum award amount, than adjust your funding request accordingly. It is expected that applicants will seek funding from additional sources and that grant funds will not be the sole source of support.
At first, the task of writing a grant can seem daunting, and the rewards unknown. However, grants do get easier and easier to write once you've done them a few times. Consider your first few grants "practice grants." Purchase our Grant Writing Workbook and check out online resources.
BCAA offers semi annual grant writing workshops each year. Keep an eye out on our Business of Arts Calendar for announcements about the next scheduled grant writing workshop. These workshops are extraordinarily helpful. The Office of Arts and Culture and other organizations also offer grant writing workshops, which are extraordinarily helpful.
Our staff is available for one-on-one technical consulting. Please call the BCAA office at least three weeks before the grant deadline to make an appointment.
Be sure to read the specific evaluation criteria for whichever grant you are applying for.
The following are examples of general criteria used to evaluate grant applications:
PRO TIP: BE SURE TO INCLUDE HIGH-QUALITY AUDIO/VISUAL MATERIAL WHEN SUBMITTING A GRANT. The a/v material is a primary method by which grant panelists are able to evaluate the artistic excellence of your work. If the images in your slides are fuzzy or your video is poorly filmed or does not contain a one sequential segment to view, your project may not get as a high a score as it deserves for its artistic excellence. The a/v material should do the best job it can to SHOW the type of work you do and its artistic merit.
Typing/Formatting Applications
Do I have to type the information in the application form?
Yes. We encourage you to work in a seperate document, and then copy and paste into the application form when ready.
Are there electronic versions of the application?
Yes. Click the link below to the appropriate grant page for current applications.
If you don't get funded, be sure to contact us and make an appointment to receive feedback about your grant. We will review the panelists' comments and notes and help you figure out how to write a better proposal next time. Sometimes your proposal is just right, but there may have been limited funds or other projects that were more compelling to the panelists, but we will have other suggestions that may be helpful to you.
If you have a great project, we encourage you to apply again. Your grant writing will improve over time, and panelists change every year.
Boulder County Arts Alliance
2400 28th St. #103
Boulder, CO 80301
