Grant Criteria

Your project should meet the following criteria.

What kind of art does BRAF fund?

We prioritize funding highly interactive, community-driven, collaborative works of art that are accessible to the public and civic in scope.

We suggest you browse our website and look at the past grant recipients to get an idea of what we’ve funded in the past.

What is ‘interactive’ art? 

• Art that requires human interaction to complete the piece.
• Art that involves the community and the audience in its creation, presentation and display.
• Art that prompts the viewer to act.
• Art that can be experienced in more ways than visually. We are fans of art that is can be approached, touched, heard or experienced, as well as viewed.
• Art that prompts people to interact with one another.
• Art that responds to participants and to its environment.
• Art that causes people to reflect on the larger community.
• Art that challenges the viewers’ traditional perspective on art.
• Art that belongs to the public and exists for the benefit of all.

What kind of work does BRAF not fund?

Although we are open to all proposed forms of media, there are some common projects that typically fall outside the scope of our criteria. The exception to all of the examples listed below would be if the project had a highly interactive element that moves the project outside the definitions of its genre.

We typically do not fund:

• Static work, such as sculpture with no interactive component
• Gallery work, such as paintings in a gallery
• Publications – poetry books, photo books, fiction, etc
• Photography
• Screenplays or films
• Musical, theater or dance productions
• Social aid/relief efforts
• Entrepreneurial endeavors
• Art destined for the annual Burning Man event. Burning Man has it's own grant process that funds artwork bound for the playa. Please visit their website to learn more about their grant process. 

We are open to your ideas. If your work is extremely collaborative and participatory, please feel free to apply, even if your media is listed above. Feel free to call or email us with questions.

Who can apply? 

• Black Rock Arts Foundation gives grants to individual artists, artist collectives or organizations.
• Grants can be applied towards the creation of interactive artworks or towards the development of community programs or organizations that support the creation of interactive artworks. 
• BRAF funds projects worldwide. There are no geographic restrictions placed on those who can apply. 
• If you’ve applied for or received a BRAF grant previously, you may apply again. 
• Individuals, groups and established 501c3 non-profits are all eligible to apply.
  
  
  

Other Frequently Asked Questions

What level of funding is awarded through the Black Rock Arts Foundation Grant Cycle?

Our grants range between $500 and $10,000, but more commonly range between $2000 and $6000. We typically fund anywhere from 8 to 12 projects a year and receive as many as 300 proposals. Occasionally, we will fund a project with a slightly larger budget.

Many of our grantees receive funding from other sources, aside from Black Rock Arts Foundation. Applying for partial funding or a matching grant to funds you’ve received from other sources is permitted.

Timeline

• Letters of Inquiry for our 2012 grant cycle were due December 1, 2011, 5:00 pm, Pacific Standard Time, are no longer being accepted. No exceptions.
• Invitations for proposals were extended on December 22, 2011.
• Proposals are accepted by invitation only, and are due February 1, 2012, 5:00 pm, Pacific Standard Time.
• Selected grantees are announced March 15, 2012
• Funds are released to new grantees April 1, 2012

Late Letters of Inquiry and proposals will not be accepted. No exceptions. Please read our application instructions below for more details on how to apply.

What can I expect if I am awarded a grant?

Awarded grantees receive their first funding in April, and are expected to complete their project within the proposed time line. The payment schedule for each grant is specific to the project. The foundation is committed to working with each artist to arrive at a schedule that best suits the needs of the artist and the project. Generally, grants are awarded in three increments over the course of a year, each payment being contingent on an interim report of the project’s progress.

Do I have to have a fiscal agent?

No, you do not have to have a fiscal agent – although some projects do have one.

Please be aware:

The Black Rock Arts Foundation DOES NOT fund any art destined for the annual Burning Man event. The Burning Man organization has a separate process for providing grants for artworks destined for the Burning Man event. If your artwork is destined for the playa, please visit the Burning Man website at www.burningman.com for further details on their grant application process.

Black Rock Arts Foundation grant awards are considered taxable income to the recipient, and require a 1099 Form, which we will provide. You will be asked to sign a contract, outlining the payment schedule of your grant as well as the interim report requirements. Contracts must be signed no later than April 1, 2012.

Because of the number of proposals we receive, please know that we prioritize funding to highly interactive, publicly accessible and truly innovative works that meet most if not all of the above criteria.

Application submission instructions

If your project or program fits our criteria and aligns with our mission and values, please follow these instructions to be considered for funding.

As of 2011, proposals will be accepted by invitation only. To be considered for this invitation, you must submit a Letter of Inquiry. LOI's were due December 1, 2011, 5:00 pm, Pacific Standard Time, and are no longer being accepted for our 2012 cycle. To receive notice of when we are accepting LOI's for our 2013 cycle, please sign up for our mailing list.

Letter of Inquiry Instructions

Our online Letter of Inquiry will give you the opportunity to provide us with the following:
 

• Name of artist or art collective
• Name of contact person, contact person’s phone number, email address and mailing address
• Name of project or program
• Amount requested
• Brief description of the physical manifestation of project or program (1500 characters, about 250 words)
• Brief description of how the project or program fits the Black Rock Arts Foundation’s mission, our grant criteria and definition of interactivity. (1500 characters, about 250 words)
• A link to an uploaded image (optional but encouraged.)

Proposal Instructions

Invitations for proposals will be extended no later than December 22, 2011. If selected, you will be invited to fill out our online application. Uninvited proposals will not be considered.

In our online application, you will have the opportunity to tell us about your project, its goals, audience and interactive potential.

A complete proposal includes: 

1.     The completion of the online proposal. We do not accept printed and mailed proposals.

2.     A timeline. Our online application has a format you may use, or follow the instructions in the application to submit it via email. We prefer you use our online form.

3.     A budget. Our online application has a format you may use, or follow the instructions in the application to submit it via email. We prefer you use our online form.

4.     Any supplemental materials (optional) you wish to include. Follow the submission instructions in the application. We recommend you submit visual representations of your proposed project. 

If your project or program fits the criteria above, please continue on to read an example of our grant application.

Click here to read an example of our online application.

If you have any other questions, please contact:

Josie Schimke
josie@blackrockarts.org
415.626.1248