Criteria for Review
All criteria are important in grant review and should be addressed in the program description of your application.
PROGRAM SUPPORT CRITERIA
QUALITY OF PROGRAMS
- Involvement and compensation of professional artistic/cultural personnel in the planning and implementation of programs/events.
- The qualifications, background, and experience of the artists involved.
- Reviews and other support materials.
- On-site visits by Commissioners, citizen panelists, and Commission staff.
- The organization's commitment to improve the quality of its programs.
- Whether attendance and support has increased.
EXPLORATION OF INNOVATIVE IDEAS AND PROGRAMMING
- The organization's willingness to develop programming that encourages freedom of artistic expression and that stretches established views.
- Engagement of young and/or emerging artistic personnel.
- The organization's production and/or presentation of new work as evidenced by commissions and premieres.
CULTURAL DIVERSITY
- Demonstrable effort to involve diverse individuals defined as those of diverse race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion and those with disabilities on artistic, technical, administrative, policy, board, and audience levels.
- Assessment of diversity section in this application and, for past constituents, assessment of diversity report submitted with final report.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
- Programming that is accessible to a variety of diverse populations.
- Community participation and diversity of audience.
- Promotion of further understanding of an art form to a diverse audience. This includes collaborations with other groups, lectures, use of alternative performance spaces, and/or implementing an arts education component.
MANAGEMENT CAPABILITY OF BOARD AND STAFF
- The board's/advisory committee's activity in fund raising, including individual board contributions, and in setting policy.
- The qualifications and background of the staff.
- Staff competence (i.e. preparation of accurate reports and budgets, design and implementation of quality programs).
- Board/advisory committee and staff involvement in short-term and/or long-range planning.
- Whether the proposed program is in line with the objectives of the organization.
- Completeness and accuracy of the grant proposal.
- Administration of previous grants, if applicable.
- Whether the composition of the board and staff reflects the diversity of the community the organization serves.
- Manner in which the organization responded to previous grant stipulations and recommendations.
NEED FOR THE PROGRAM IN THE COMMUNITY
- Community interest in the program as shown through letters of support (limit this to three letters of support).
- How the program will serve audiences in St. Louis City and/or County.
- Whether the program is promoting an art form that creates new opportunities for the community/neighborhood or is developing an audience in St. Louis.
FISCAL HEALTH OF THE ORGANIZATION
- Balanced budgets and plans for financial stability.
- A diverse base of financial support through earned income, private giving, and government support.
- An active fund raising program.
- The ratio of Commission support requested to funding from other sources.
- Whether the program can be produced with the available resources.
- Ability to raise matching funds.
- Clear and accurate financial records.
COMMUNITY / NATIONAL IMPACT
- Local or national recognition for excellence.
- Contribution to the quality of life in the community through providing opportunities for participation.
- Contribution to the overall cultural climate of the St. Louis region.
CONSORTIUMS:
If you are applying as a consortium (three or more organizations), please address the following criteria in your narrative:
- the purpose of the consortium, including concrete, attainable goals/objectives, shared vision, and a unique purpose
- each consortium member's role(s) and responsibilities
- resources which include sufficient funds and a designated convener
- the decision-making process
- the evaluation plan which includes process evaluation and results evaluation
- a demonstration of how evaluation is built into the program
PUBLIC ART:
If you are applying for public art support in Program Support I, II or III, please respond to the following questions in your narrative:
- Describe the planning process for this project. Who is (or will be) involved? Provide a detailed timeline for the project.
- Describe the artist selection process. Attach a copy of your Request for Proposals (RFP).
- How is the community involved in the selection of artwork? What community education activities are planned?
- Describe the evaluation process for the project.
OPERATING SUPPORT CRITERIA
ARTISTIC MERIT
- Artistic quality.
- Level of innovation and risk-taking in programming and artist selection.
- Vision and leadership of the artistic staff.
- Production / presentation of new work.
- Involvement and compensation of professional artistic / cultural personnel in planning and implementation of programs / events.
COMMUNITY / NATIONAL IMPACT
- National recognition for excellence.
- Contribution to the overall cultural climate of St. Louis.
- Economic impact on the region.
- Number of programs / events offered annually.
EFFECTIVE AND ACCOUNTABLE MANAGEMENT
- A governing board that demonstrates active leadership by:
- Guiding the vision and mission of the organization through planning.
- In concert with staff, setting policy and approving and monitoring programs and services.
- Assuring secure financial management including approving annual budgets and routinely reviewing fiscal operations.
- Actively seeking and securing needed financial resources.
- Fiscal responsibility.
- Diversity and balance of funding sources as evidenced by both earned and unearned sources from the public and private sectors.
- Effectiveness of administrative staff.
- A governing board that demonstrates active leadership by:
AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT
- Quality and scope of outreach and educational programming efforts.
- Evidence of a growing audience.
- Collaboration with other organizations.
- Effectiveness of marketing efforts.
CULTURAL DIVERSITY
- Effort to involve diverse individuals, defined as those of diverse race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion and those with disabilities, on artistic, technical and program levels.
- Efforts to include diverse individuals on administrative and policy levels.
- Efforts to reach new and diverse audiences and under served populations.
- Efforts to explore new strategies including collaborations with other organizations.
