Program Guidelines

Note: The application period for this program has closed for fiscal year 2022. 

The Iowa Arts Council invites 501(c)3 non-profit organizations that have a demonstrated record of serving folk and traditional artists to apply for grant funding to develop an apprenticeship or residency program. The goal of the program is to sustain artistic traditions and cultural heritage in Iowa by encouraging master artists and culture bearers to pass on their skills and knowledge to emerging or apprentice artists and culture bearers.

Application Deadline
February 21, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. for the funding period of March 1, 2022 - June 30, 2022

Selection Announcement
Applicants will be notified of funding decisions via email by February 28, 2022.

Final Report Deadline
Grant recipients are required to complete a final report by August 1, 2022.

Funding

Grant Request Amount
Applicants may request up to $5,000 in funding for eligible one-time project expenses that are incurred and expended within the eligible funding period. 

Funding Period
All project activities and incurred expenses must occur within the eligible funding period of March 1, 2022 – June 30, 2022.

Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants must meet all of the following requirements. Entities who do not meet these requirements are not eligible to apply.  

• Federally tax exempt 501(c)3 nonprofit organization incorporated and physically located in Iowa
  • Physical location of the organization is defined as maintaining a current home office and registered agent address in Iowa defined by Iowa Code 490.501 as well as maintaining a primary staff presence physically located and working in Iowa
  • Entities located in a border community may be eligible under the Border State Policy
  • Entities not yet formally organized may be eligible under the Fiscal Agent Policy
• Have a demonstrated record of serving  folk and traditional artists through the organization’s ongoing programming.

Ineligible Applicants

The following types of entities are not eligible to apply:

• Public and private schools that serve grades pre-K through 12
• Institutions of Higher Education
• Government agencies
• For-profit corporations or businesses
• Individuals
• Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs grantees who have already received a grant from the department for any part of the project
• Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs grantees with an outstanding final report or who have been placed on a department funding moratorium

Iowa Arts Council Administered Grant Program Eligibility

• Applicants may not submit more than two applications for the same project regardless of fiscal year if both applications are unfunded
• Proposed projects may not receive more than one Iowa Arts Council administered grant regardless of applicant, phase of project or fiscal year

Folk Arts Apprenticeship/Residency Requirements

Eligible Projects
Eligible projects need to involve one master artist working with at least one apprentice or emerging artist who are committed to sustaining their artistic traditions and cultural heritage. The applicant organization must also have a vested interest in keeping the identified artistic tradition alive. Priority is given to living art forms with fewer remaining practitioners. 

Folk and traditional arts are defined as being learned and passed on to the next generation informally by word of mouth, imitation and observation rather than in a formal academic setting. Traditional arts encompass many forms including crafts, music, dance, verbal arts and culinary traditions.

All project activities must have a clear beginning and end date within the eligible funding period.

Master Artist 
A master artist must be teaching the artistic tradition. They are considered a tradition bearer who is recognized by fellow artists and community members as exceptionally skilled and committed to perpetuating a traditional art form based on their cultural heritage. Master artists selected to lead the program must demonstrate expertise and excellence, teaching ability, and deep cultural knowledge of the art form.

Apprentice/Emerging Artist
Organizations are welcome to engage either apprentice or emerging artists depending on their needs. An apprentice artist already has some experience working within the artistic tradition, and is committed to improving their skills within that tradition to teach others in the future. An emerging artist is one that has little prior experience within the artistic tradition, but is interested in learning to carry on that tradition.

Ineligible Projects
The following types or activities and projects are not eligible for the grant program: 

• Examples of art forms that are not eligible under this program include the work of professional teachers or contemporary studio craft workers, historical recreations and copies of antiques, or contemporary interpretations of traditional art forms (for instance, a theatre artist who wants to create a performance based on traditional storytelling or dance)
• Capital projects 
• Collection maintenance, restoration or digitization
• Operating costs including ongoing projects or programming for which the identified beginning and end dates are arbitrary
• Projects intended primarily for students, faculty members, or other on-campus or in-school audiences
• Projects that result in an applicant’s course credit, degree or certification
• Projects that occur prior to or after the funding period
• Projects that have already received an Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs grant for any part or phase of the project
• Religious activities

Budget Requirements
Folk Arts Apprentice Pilot Program Grants support one-time, direct eligible project expenses that are essential to the completion of the proposed project. Expenses identified in the grant request should be based on competitive, current market pricing. These grant funds do not need to be matched by the applicant.

Eligible Grant Request Expenses
The grant request expenses must be legitimate parts of the proposed project and must be incurred and expended within the eligible funding period. Eligible grant request and match expenses include direct project costs such as:

• Master artist’s honorarium
• Domestic Travel for master artist and apprentice(s) (e.g. mileage, accommodation, per diem)
• Marketing to help with apprentice/emerging artist recruitment
• Necessary tools, equipment, and materials for the apprentice’s work
• Personnel Time Dedicated to the Project* (e.g. planning, execution, evaluation time)

*Applicant must demonstrate how personnel time is specifically dedicated to the proposed project. Personnel benefits are not eligible.

Ineligible Grant Request
Expenses that fall outside of the identified eligible expenses for the project may not be included as part of the grant request. Applicants that include ineligible expenses in the grant request will be considered ineligible. Ineligible grant request and match expenses include:

• Budget shortfalls
• Capital expenditures including equipment over a total of $5,000 per unit
• Collection maintenance or restoration
• Deficit or debt reduction
• Expenses incurred prior to or after the funding period
• Foreign travel 
• Fundraising or benefit
• Lobbying activity 
• Ongoing or operating expenses including utilities, rent/lease, office supplies, and personnel time that is not dedicated to the project
• Personnel benefits
• Prizes and awards
• Property maintenance, restoration or renovation

Funding Priorities
Applications are encouraged from all applicants that meet the applicant eligibility requirements; however, priority will be placed on competitive applications from organizations that are led by and/or primarily serve populations that have historically been under-resourced by arts, humanities, and cultural funding due to geography, race/ethnicity, or socioeconomic status as defined in the Grants Terms and Definitions.

Online Application Submission

Applicants must submit an application via the Iowa Arts Council’s SlideRoom, an online application portal. Applications will not be accepted in any other format. Late, incomplete or ineligible applications will not be accepted. Applicants can access the current online application requirements at iowaartscouncil.slideroom.com. Applicants must create a login to view the full application requirements for the program. Applicants can visit help.liaisonedu.com for technical assistance related to the online submission.

Competitive Staff Review

Eligible applications will be referred to a competitive review by Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs staff with appropriate expertise commensurate to the purpose of the grant program. Applications will be scored and ranked based on the published scoring rubric. Staff ranking and recommendations are submitted to the Administrator of the Iowa Arts Council and Director of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs for consideration and funding approval. Applications will be awarded funding based on the ranked list, funding priorities, and available funding. All funding decisions are final and may not be appealed due to dissatisfaction. Applicants may review the department appeals policy for information on grounds for appeal and the appeal process.

Decision Notification

Applicants will be notified of funding decisions via email by February 21, 2022. Applicants are notified of the status of their application whether they are or are not awarded funding. Applicants will be contacted if any additional information is required and are encouraged to refrain from contacting staff for application status updates until funding decisions are made.

Application Questions and Scoring Rubric

The Folk Arts Apprentice Pilot Program Grant Scoring Rubric will be used by the panel to evaluate grant applications. Application questions are provided for reference only. Applicants must review and complete application requirements in the SlideRoom portal. Each section has criteria and corresponding point values to ensure a fair review process. The rubric is on a scale of 9 points.

Project Description
Describe the proposed program for which grant funds are being sought, including:

• overall apprenticeship/residency program structure and the folk art discipline or tradition that will be taught
• the need for training new artists in the identified folk art discipline or tradition and how the artists will be recruited to participate
• timeline for program planning and activities to take place