Paperwork
Applying to funds will require a lot of paperwork, time to deliver that paperwork and a high level of organisation.
Prerequisite for applying to funds:
You need to have the right legal body to be able to apply for funding, often a foundation or an association.
Death or glory: meet the deadlines…
Most funds organise their applications procedures in tranches and therefore have deadlines. Deadlines for applications with funds are real deadlines. Too late? Wait another year… Applying to funds often requires starting fundraising a year before the actual project will take place.
What is the profile of the fund, what are its goals?
Do your homework and make sure your application matches the goals of a fund. Some funds have very specific goals and support for instance the social and participatory aspects of the arts in particular. Other funds have a strictly regional function (for example fostering the art of playing the church organ in the small Dutch city of Kampen). All funds have websites and describe in detail their mission and their procedures. Avoid doing a lot of unnecessary work: make sure you do your research and only apply to funds that fit your project.
How to apply?
Provide a project plan in time (before the deadline): a well written description of your plan (without typos and misspelling the name of the fund….)
Provide a Marketing plan describing who your potential audience(s) will be, what you know about them and what you have to offer them.
Provide a Publicity plan describing how you will reach those potential audiences and inform them about your project.
Provide a Budget that will give insight into the costs of your project and a realistic overview of the benefits, expected income.
Provide documentation. Online presence is crucial. The first thing members of advisory boards of funds will do is to google you and check the first ten seconds of what can be found of you online: the two clicks to your success or rejection.
Once your application has been accepted:
- send the funds a follow-up report on how the project is developing
- invite the funds to the show/event/concert or send them the final product
- provide representatives of the fund with hugs, best seats and champagne
- send the fund an evaluation of the project afterwards
- send the fund a financial report after the project