Creative Capital
Application Handbook
2023/2024
Creative Capital Application Handbook 2023/2024 1
OVERVIEW
Creative Capital provides grants to support the creation of groundbreaking art by innovative
and adventurous artists across the country. Our transformative giving approach is built on
the principle that artists need funding as well as networks and professional services in order
to build long-term sustainable projects and careers. Awardees have access to direct project
funding up to $50,000, artist services, and a community of fellow awardees and other
professionals who may provide additional support for the project. We encourage a spirit of
mutual generosity among our awardees and seek to foster exchange through our retreats,
workshops, and online, regional, national, and international gatherings. Over the course of a
funded project, we partner with each artist to help define critical moments of development
and determine how to best meet their goals.
ELIGIBILITY
Artist Eligibility
● US citizen, permanent legal resident, or O-1 visa holder
● At least 25 years old
● Working artist(s) with at least 5 years of professional artistic practice
● Applicant may not be a full-time student
● May not apply to the Warhol Foundation Arts Writers grant program in the same year
● May not have previously received a Creative Capital Award
● May not be an applicant or collaborator on more than one proposed project per year
Projects are not eligible if the main purpose is:
● Promotional
● To fund ongoing operations of an existing business
● The curation or documentation of existing work
2023 AWARD CYCLE TIMELINE
● March 1 to April 1, 2022 at 4pm ET: Letter of Inquiries (LOI) accepted
● July 2022: Notification of advancement to Round II!
● September 2022: Notification of advancement to Round III
● January 2023: Public announcement of 2023 Creative Capital Awards
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AWARD PROCESS
The selection process for the Creative Capital Award includes three rounds of review with
external expert reviewers. As a result, multiple arts professionals from across the country
will have seen each individual application by the final round, exposing the projects to new
audiences.
● In Round I, we will accept Letters of Inquiry (LOI) through our free and open-call
application, available through our application portal.
● In Round II, artists selected to advance will be required to submit a project itemized
budget, a project timeline, and work samples.
● In Round III, artists selected to advance to the Final Panel Review will be required to
submit their proof of eligibility, and can submit optional project updates.
Throughout this process we make a concerted effort to select a roster of projects that
reflects work from across the nation and diversity in all its forms: art forms and creative
processes, gender, ability, race/ethnicity, geographic distribution, age, and experience.
What results is an incredible group of innovative projects by artists in varying stages of their
career—from emerging artists who have yet to show their work in major public forums, to
renowned artists ready to launch an exciting new idea in their body of work.
ROUND I: TELL US YOUR IDEA. LETTER OF INQUIRY
In Round I, you will be asked to provide demographic information; a project title,
description; answers to several questions about your project; and a resume and artist
website (if applicable) through our application portal.
PLEASE NOTE: Collaborations (including families) should submit one application.
Collaborators who have accepted to be part of one project cannot submit another proposal,
nor will they have to submit their own proposal for the same project. You may have up to five
collaborators. (See APPENDIX A: APPLYING AS A COLLABORATION)
Applicant Information
Please be prepared to complete the following information in our application form:
● Legal name, and professional/chosen name (if applicable)
● Contact Information
o Current City, State, Zip Code, Country
o Primary phone number and email address
PLEASE NOTE: Creative Capital will send important emails to all applicants
throughout the application process, including confirmation that your
application has been received. You must opt in to receiving emails to be
notified of your application status.
● Date of birth
● Demographic information
o Gender identity and pronouns
o Race/Ethnicity
o Tribal Affiliation (if applicable)
o Disability identification
o Hometown city, state, zip code, country
o Career state (emerging/mid-career/established)
Creative Capital Application Handbook 2023/2024 3
● A short bio focused on your creative practice. If you have collaborators (or family
members working with you), they can also include short bios. (250 words max per
collaborator)
Project Title (10 words max)
One Line Project Description (25 words max)
Describe your project succinctly. Be as concrete as possible. This one line should give us a
sense of what ideas your project addresses, and importantly, what form your project will
take (i.e. a painting, dance, film. etc.)
Project Description (250 words max)
The project description should give evaluators a vivid sense of the project so they can
imagine it and “see” it in their mind’s eye. Do not discuss the concepts behind your project
without describing how the project will ultimately manifest. What will the work look like?
What form will it take? How will the audience interact with the work? Be specific and
concrete. We understand that these elements may change as the project develops, and/or
that the project may have multiple manifestations.
Questions
1. How does your project take an original and imaginative approach to content and
form? Please be as specific as possible. (150 words max)
Creative Capital has always been committed to supporting innovative,
groundbreaking work. How is the project pushing boundaries, taking risks, and
exploring an idea in a new or different way? Projects should challenge the status quo
and spark conversations in new and innovative ways. Innovation can occur in a
variety of areas, like form, function, content, or technicality.
2. Please place your work in context so we may better evaluate it. What are the main
influences upon your work as an artist? How does your past work inform your
current project? Please use concrete examples, which may include other artists’
work, art movements, cultural heritage, science, philosophy, research/work from
outside the arts field, etc. (150 words max)
Innovation often occurs through deep engagement with the field. This is an
opportunity for you to explain not only what your work is about, but also how it fits
into a broader discourse—be it within the field of art, or outside it. Be as specific and
concrete as possible.
3. What kind of impact—artistic, intellectual, communal, civic, social, political,
environmental, etc.—do you hope your project will have? What strategies will you
employ to achieve the desired impact? (100 words max)
Art can contribute to and expand creative, intellectual, civic and/or social dialogue.
This question is a chance to explain what you wish to accomplish with your work. The
impact of your project could be specific, impacting a smaller audience with a specific
set of concerns; or it could be more expansive, engaging a wide variety of people
across the country.
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4. Who are the specific audiences/communities that you hope to engage through this
project? Please think beyond the broader art community where possible. How are
you hoping to reach them? (100 words max)
We encourage artists to begin thinking, at the earliest possible phase of their project,
about whom they hope to reach. Think about audiences outside a community like
“theater-lovers” or “readers”—who exactly is your work for? This question allows
evaluators to see what kind of individuals, communities, or organizations would be
most responsive to and appreciative of this project.
5. How might your proposed project act as a catalyst for your artistic and
professional growth? In what ways is it a pivotal moment in your practice? (100
words max)
We want to know how artists envision their work changing in the next few years, and
what part this proposed project will play in those goals. These responses provide us
with a sense of your artistic ambition and your level of engagement with professional
development.
6. In addition to funding, Creative Capital also provides scaffolding and support
services for awardees (such as expert consultations, gatherings/retreat, alumni
network, workshops). How would our non-monetary services help you to realize
your goals for this project and/or your long-term artistic and professional growth?
(100 words max)
The Creative Capital Award provides Awardees with services that include strategic
planning, legal and financial counsel, community-building, networking, and
communications support. Let us know if any of these services would be helpful to you
and how.
Resume
Please upload as a PDF (See APPENDIX B: RESUME)
Artist Website (if applicable)
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ROUND II: PROJECT DETAILS
In Round II, artists selected to advance will be required to submit an itemized project
budget, a project timeline, and work samples through the application portal.
Itemized Project Budget (1 page)
Applicants advancing to Round II are required to upload an itemized project budget for your
proposed project. A budget must include two sections: income and expenses. As you will
see in the budget examples we provided, income should equal (or exceed) expenses. Simply
designate any un-raised funds as “to be raised.” Please upload as a PDF.
(See APPENDIX C: BUDGET)
Project Timeline (1 page)
Applicants advancing to Round II are required to submit a 1-page project timeline. This
timeline should outline the major milestones in your project’s conception, production,
funding, and presentation. Please indicate where you are in this timeline at the time of
submission—that is, which milestones you have already met (and when), and when you
anticipate meeting the remaining ones. A detailed timeline is another way of communicating
to evaluators the feasibility of your project. Please upload as a PDF
Work Samples
Applicants advancing to Round II are required to upload work samples. Literature applicants
may submit up to 3 samples totaling 25 pages of prose, or 10 pages of poetry. All other
applicants may submit up to 5 still images OR up to 3 minutes total of audio and/or video
work.
Each work sample should include a caption for the work, including title, materials used, year
completed, and a short description (up to 100 words). For Literature applications, you may
upload 25 pages of double-spaced prose or 10 pages of single-spaced poetry in total.
Please use this file naming convention for all work samples uploaded from your computer:
ProjectTitle-SampleNumber.FileType. So if your work is titled Catalyst Opener and you
want to upload a .jpg as the second work sample in your application, the file name should be
“CatalystOpener-2.jpg”. The file name will not affect your application, but all work sample
file names must be less than 30 characters (you may abbreviate titles).
(See APPENDIX D: WORK SAMPLES)
● Still Image Samples:
Visual work should be uploaded as single-file images of at least 72 dpi, no larger than
25MB in any of the following formats: PDF, JPG, GIF, or PNG. If you choose to submit
a PDF file for a visual image, it may not include more than one page or one image per
submission.!
● Audio and/or Video Samples:
You may submit up to 3 minutes of audio and/or video work. This could be one 3
minute clip, or up to 5 smaller clips that add up to a total of 3 minutes.
Audio and video work must be shared through a streamable link. You can upload your
audio files for free using SoundCloud. Video work should be uploaded to YouTube or
Creative Capital Application Handbook 2023/2024 6
Vimeo. If you link to a longer video sample, provide a timestamp (in
hour:minute:second:frame format) where reviewers should begin and end
watching/listening (ex. “Start at 00:10:05:00 and end at 00:13:05:00”). Please note
that if you don’t provide this guidance, reviewers will view only the first three minutes
of the clip you submit.
Be sure to provide a link to the work and include the password or passwords if
applicable. If you fail to provide the correct link or fail to include passwords, or
change your password, we are not responsible for reaching out to get the correct
information and reviewers will not be able to review your samples. Keep in mind that
the application review process can take many months, so all information you submit
should stay valid through the duration of the review.
● Literary Work:
Written work should be uploaded as PDF files using a 12-point font size, and should
not exceed 25 pages of double-spaced prose or 10 pages of single-spaced poetry in
total. If you send a longer sample, reviewers will read only the first 25 pages of prose
or 10 pages of poetry due to time constraints.
ROUND III: FINAL PANEL REVIEW
In Round III, artists selected to advance to the Final Panel Review will be required to submit
their proof of eligibility, and can submit optional project updates.
Proof of Eligibility
Artists that are selected to advance to the final round of review must submit their proof of
eligibility. If you applied with collaborators, you must submit proof of eligibility for your
collaborator as well. You can submit one of the following:
● US Passport
● US Birth Certificate
● US Naturalization Certificate
● US Permanent Resident Card
● Non-resident O-1 Visa
Optional Project Updates (100 words)
You may submit a brief description of any significant updates to your project (i.e., new grant
funding, new partnership with a venue, etc.) However, you may not submit additional work
samples as part of this update, nor can you add new collaborators to your project.
UN Sustainable Development Goal Icon & Project Drawdown
Any finalist projects and award-winning projects which are directly related to any of the 117
UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and Project Drawdown 100 Ways to Reverse
Global Warming will have the opportunity to have the way or the icon of that UN Sustainable
Development goal attached to their project on the Creative Capital website in effort to
advance the global dialogue around these critical issues impacting the future of our
communities, our planet, and beyond.
Creative Capital Application Handbook 2023/2024 7
SELECTION CRITERIA
Innovation is a primary selection criterion and our focus on championing groundbreaking
work distinguishes Creative Capital from other granting organizations. While selecting
projects that are genre-stretching and adventurous is at the core of our mission, we
welcome multidisciplinary projects as well as projects that push boundaries within a single
genre (for example, a project that takes a formal new approach to painting or dance).
Your application will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
Idea: How groundbreaking, innovative, forward-thinking, original, and bold is the project?
● Does the project demonstrate boundary-pushing, bold, inventive and singular vision
in form?
● Do you demonstrate a deep engagement with the project and a clear vision for the
project outcomes?
● Do you clearly explain who the intended audience or community is?
● Is the “why” and “how” of the project clearly articulated with intentionality?
● Does the project have the potential to challenge the status quo and spark new
conversations in its given field and for the larger arts community?
*Please note that this first criterion—idea, innovation, and originality—is prioritized and
weighted most heavily of the three selection criteria.
Feasibility/Capacity: How feasible is the project? Do you have the appropriate
professional capabilities to execute the project?
● Are you demonstrably committed to your art form? This is not an award for artists
just beginning their creative practice, thus our requirement for five years of
experience.
● Do you demonstrate a deep understanding of the professional landscape of your
field?
● Is there evidence that the project is well thought through and articulated in detail,
including the final form the project will take?
Timing: Are you at a catalytic moment when you would greatly benefit from Creative
Capital funding? (Creative Capital is dedicated to funding innovative projects that are in
the key, early stages of research and development. It is not a lifetime achievement
award.)
● Are you ready to examine your creative and/or professional approach? Are you ready
to take a risk and expand your working methods?
● Could you benefit from additional resources of capital and skills-building to complete
the project?
● How soon will the project be completed? If the project is likely to premiere before or
soon after the award being granted, it is not a strong match for Creative Capital
funding. Entering the life of a project at a key moment is important to us, and we have
found that projects premiering within the first year are less able to take advantage of
our resources.
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JUROR INFORMATION
● Creative Capital invites regional, national, and international experts in a wide range
of disciplines to serve in our review process.
● Each application is reviewed by at least two external expert reviewers as well as
internal staff.
● External reviewers are offered honoraria for their time and expertise.
● All external reviewer names are confidential.
● Due to the volume of applications, we are unable to provide feedback on
applications.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Award Cycle Questions
1.
Creative Capital accepted applications from all disciplines last year, why is it
moving to different cycles for different disciplines in 2023/2024?
Our national, open call process involves expert reviewers for all artists’ applications.
We will have three panels each year focused on each specific discipline. We have
increased the number of awards 43% (from 35 to 50 awards) and moving to
discipline-specific cycles will allow us to make more awards in each category, with
50 awards per year in 2023 and 2024 (Creative Capital awarded 35 awards
annually across all disciplines between 2020/2021).
2.
What happened to the Socially-Engaged Art category? If I am an artist working in
social practice, what disciplinary category should I choose?
Creative Capital is fiercely committed to groundbreaking ideas that challenge what
art can be. As countless visionary projects selected for the Creative Capital Awards
have demonstrated, socially impactful ideas are embedded in the work of forward-
thinking artists in a myriad of forms, often with the goal of imagining new forms of
living. Social engagement can take shape across disciplines, therefore, we have
expanded opportunities for artists to propose socially-engaged and/or sustainable
projects in every category instead of isolating these categories.
Eligibility Questions
3.
Do you fund the work of artist-run nonprofits or businesses?
The Creative Capital Award is specifically designed to support the realization of new
artist projects. We do not fund nonprofits and artist-run businesses, nor are our
services well-suited to support these kinds of ventures. Some of the artist projects we
have awarded evolved into businesses; however, they began as artist projects. We
provided them funding during their research and development stages, and aided
early production of the project before it launched. Additionally, if you would not
consider your business or organization to be an artwork in itself, this may not be the
best award for your project.
4.
Do you fund curatorial projects?
The Creative Capital Award does not support the production of exhibitions. We fund
new, discrete artist projects that have one author, director, lead or a core group of
collaborating artists. While artists do use Creative Capital Award funding to support
exhibitions of the project they are proposing, the award isn’t designed solely for the
production of that show. If the artists you are working with are still in the early stages
of producing work that you would like to curate in the future, please encourage them
to apply with those projects.
5.
Do you fund educational projects?
Creative Capital supports artist projects, and does not fund projects that are solely
academic. While we understand that all art is educational to some degree, if the end
goal of your project is to serve a student audience, create a curriculum, or help fund
programming for a community center, then this is likely not the right award for you.
Creative Capital Application Handbook 2023/2024 10
6.
I am looking to expand an existing project, should I apply?
We are most interested in projects that are in the early stages of development and
production, as they can benefit the most from the services that we offer. That being
said, if you still consider your project to be in development or have only shared the
work in workshops or much more condensed versions, you are welcome to apply.
Note that we do not provide support to projects that are at a stage where they need
finishing funds or touring support. We ask our reviewers to specifically consider the
timeline of development for a project to make sure that Creative Capital can make
the most impact on the artist and the final results of their project. If you think that a
significantly more evolved version of your project could take form, we are happy to
review your application.
7.
How do you define five years of professional experience?
We define five years of professional experience as engaging your practice in some
public capacity over a cumulative five years. This could be constituted through
readings, panel conversations, screenings, interviews, etc., and not just major
projects or exhibitions. The five years also do not have to be consecutive, and we
consider multiple creative avenues to be applicable (i.e. if you exhibited as a painter
for three years but then focused most of your attention towards writing for two years
afterward).
8.
How do you define full-time student status?
All applicants must have finished any degree-granting educational commitments
before the time of receiving the award. This applies to ABD (all but dissertation)
status Ph.D. candidates and students in low-residency MFA programs.
9.
Can I apply with multiple projects?
You may only submit one project per award cycle. You are also not able to apply as a
collaborator on another application because all collaborators are considered
awardees. Our panel is interested in supporting artists who have a strong, clear point
of view, and submitting more than one project may look as though you are not
dedicated to one meaningful project.
Application Content Questions
10.
My work spans multiple disciplines. How do I pick just one?
We invite artists to submit their proposals based on which area experts are most
suited and qualified to review the project proposal, with the understanding that
radical art is often by nature interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, or antidisciplinary. By
asking you to choose a disciplinary category, we are asking you to choose how you
want to frame the discussion around your work and to indicate which experts are
most qualified to evaluate your project proposal.
11.
What kind of non-monetary support does Creative Capital provide?
Awardees have access to professional services and community networks of fellow
awardees and other professionals. Professional services may include consultations
on legal concerns, PR, financial planning, business planning, and technology as well
as partnerships that provide access to crowdfunding platforms.
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12.
Why do you ask about my hometown?
The hometown question lets us know if you maintain roots that are different from
your present location. We find that many people who currently live and work in major
cities still identify as coming from another place. If you were born and raised in your
current city, please enter your current city.
13.
My application contains sensitive information. How are you going to use this
information? Can I submit it another way besides through your application portal?
We are only able to receive information through the application portal as this is what
reviewers use to access and score submissions. Applications are only shared with
select Creative Capital staff and the reviewers who will evaluate the project. You can
make note of any sensitive information in the materials or in the title of your work—
many previous applicants and awardees have.
Other Questions?
If you are having technical difficulties with the application or if you have any general
questions, please contact awards@creative-capital.org.
Before contacting us about technical issues, you may want to try the following:
● We recommend using the latest version of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari
● We recommend only using a desktop computer or laptop
● Try refreshing your browser
● If the problem persists, take a screenshot of the occurrence, and send it to us so we
can help to solve the issue.
Thank you in advance for taking the time to apply for the Creative Capital Award, and for
helping us further our mission of funding innovative, groundbreaking projects poised to
impact not only the field of art, but also the world beyond it.
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APPENDIX A: APPLYING AS A COLLABORATION AND/OR FAMILY
Creative Capital acknowledges that many artists work in collectives, families, or other kinds
of groups. For this reason, we allow between two to five collaborators on each project. For
the purposes of the grant, a “collaborator” is someone who is a co-owner of the project and
a generative part of the team. Collaborators must be designated on the initial application.
No changes to collaborations may be made after the application has been submitted.
Each individual artist that makes up the collaboration must meet all of the eligibility
requirements and will be required to sign letters of agreement with Creative Capital to
receive support. All collaborators will be considered awardees and receive equal billing on
our website and have equal access to funds and services. People who provide services on a
“work for hire” basis for the project are not considered collaborators.
● Ongoing Team or Collective Collaborations
We often see two to five artists joining forces to regularly work on projects, and they
sometimes produce work under a group name. These collectives can apply under the
group name, but the information of each individual artist should be entered into the
application (contact info, name, location, website, etc.) whether or not it is intended
for external communications.
● One-Time Collaborations
If you are making work together with another artist for the first time, you are
welcome to apply for a Creative Capital Award as a unified team. The application
must be approved and reviewed by all members of the collaboration, and not just the
leader that you have selected for your team. Keep in mind that if your collaboration
receives an award, all parties in the collaboration will be required to sign a letter of
agreement stating their intention to finish the project together. These types of
collectives will need to make a very strong case regarding their commitment to work
together for the entire multi-year life cycle of the project in order to be competitive.
APPENDIX B: RESUME
An artist’s resume is a listing of your professional experiences, achievements and
credentials, organized into categories for easy scanning by the reader. It is another way to
help us determine where the artist is in their career. We understand that not everyone is
formally trained, and may not have a typical resume. The resume tells a story about how a
career has unfolded so far, even if it’s not traditional.
Tips and Best Practices:
● Maintain a list of everything you have done in your career (a Curriculum Vitae or
C.V.). It may not be the document you distribute, but it will reflect your entire
professional history, so it’s an important document to keep.
● Unlike a C.V., your resume is a fluid document that can and should be tailored for a
particular opportunity. You may also have different kinds of resumes: one will be
shaped for exhibition/performance/publication opportunities, while another may be
used to apply for jobs or freelance situations, or to stress your activities as an
educator, producer, curator or critic.
● As you accumulate professional experiences, begin to eliminate lesser listings.
Choose only the most important and title the category “selected.” This alerts the
reader to the fact that you have done more than what’s listed.
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● Save your creativity for your art. Keep the format of your resume clean and neat, so it
is easy to read. You want to be sure all the information in your resume is up-to-date,
accurate, and free of grammatical and spelling errors.
● Save a version as a PDF file to preserve the formatting. The PDF version can be
attached to emails and included as a downloadable, print-ready document from your
website.
Suggestions on what to include:
● Contact Information: This includes your name, mailing address, phone number, email
address and website. If appropriate, also include your studio address and phone
number.
● Achievements: List the most recent events first and work backward in chronological
order. Include the year, exhibition/performance/publication title, sponsor/producer
(gallery, publisher, museum or organization), city and state.
● Exhibitions (for visual artists): If you have had four or more one-person exhibitions,
create two categories: SOLO EXHIBITIONS and GROUP EXHIBITIONS. If you have
had mostly two-person shows, the category could be SOLO & TWO-PERSON
EXHIBITIONS. If you have had fewer than four one-person exhibitions, use one
category, EXHIBITIONS to cover both group and one-person shows. Highlight the
one-person exhibitions with an asterisk (*). Consider including the curator’s name.
● Collections (for visual artists): List corporate collections, institutions and well-known
individuals who have collected your work. Do not list works owned by friends and
relatives.
● Performances/productions (for performing and visual artists): You may want to
include any other featured collaborators on the piece.
● Performances/productions (for playwrights): Indicate if your play was given a reading
or a production. Also indicate whether your play is a one-act, full-length or musical.
● Publications (for literary projects): Include book title, publisher and year of
publication. You may wish to make separate distinctions between chapter books,
anthologies and journals.
● Readings (for literary artists): List the title of the work presented and the location.
● Recordings (for musicians): List all recordings of your work. Include album title, work
title (if you are not the only artist on the album), record label, catalog number, year
released.
● Repertoire (for dancers and musicians): List works you perform. Include title,
choreographer or composer. If you perform on a special instrument, include it here.
● Works completed and in production (for filmmakers and new media): List your work
that is both completed and in production. You can categorize by your role (director,
writer, etc.) or the type of work (TV, feature, documentary, etc.).
● Screenings & Festivals (for filmmakers and new media): List the screenings and
festivals. Include festival name, location and year.
● Commissions/public art projects: List the title of the commissioned work or public
project, date, site and sponsor/producer.
● Awards and Honors: List recent awards first, working backward in chronological
order. Include project grants, prizes won in competition, artist-in-residence programs
and fellowships.
● Related professional work: List work that relates to your profession, such as teaching
positions, lectures given, curatorial projects, films, adaptations, installations or
recordings on which you have assisted/performed, etc.
Creative Capital Application Handbook 2023/2024 14
● Bibliography: List all publications in which you have been mentioned or reviewed, and
any articles that you have written related to art. Creating a bibliography with the
correct information and punctuation is a complex science. When in doubt, refer
to!The Chicago Manual of Style or the Modern Language Association Style Guide
● Education: If you are a recent graduate, education should be your first or second
category. If you are a mid-career artist, it should be your last. List education credits in
the following order: any degree you are currently a candidate for; graduate degrees
earned; undergraduate degrees earned; other institutions of higher education and
notable artists you’ve studied with (musicians and performers).
APPENDIX C: BUDGET
An itemized budget gives us an honest sense of how much it will take to make the project
happen, including reasonable fees for the artists involved. It is also a window into the scale of
the project and if you have a reasonable understanding of what it will take to execute it. This
is just an estimate. We know that the budget is subject to change and may well exceed the
amount of the Creative Capital Award.
Tips and Best Practices:
● A Budget Has Multiple Uses
The budget isn’t only a way to give an idea of how much a project costs, it also allows
granting foundations to see how realistic you are about what the project entails.
Artists can use itemized budgets as a management tool to set milestones throughout
the life of a project. A successful budget can function as a launching pad for
fundraising and can be used as a flexible document to use as check-ins and to
update as the scope and timeline of a project changes.
● Pay Yourself
Make sure to pay yourself and all of your collaborators. A budget that includes a fee
that compensates artists for their time will look more informed to evaluators than one
that doesn’t have an artist fee at all. There are two ways to calculate the artist fee for
your budget:
o If this project is the artist’s primary source of income, time spent can be
represented as a percentage of a reasonable, annual salary. For example, if
$35,000 is your annual salary, and you estimate you will spend six months
working full-time on this project, your fee—one-half of the “annual salary”—
would be represented in the budget as follows: Artist’s fee for six months: 50%
of $35,000 = $17,500
o If this project is not the artist’s primary source of income—perhaps you are
working on it concurrently with other projects or if you have a full-time job that
supports you—the artist can represent time spent as a percentage of the total
project budget. Organizations and individual artists typically budget 15-25%
of a project’s costs to cover administration and overhead (also known as
A&O). Even if the project budget pays for expenses in other ways—by
covering items like travel, and research costs—the A&O line will compensate
the artist for the time spent planning and fundraising for the project. Artist fee
Creative Capital Application Handbook 2023/2024 15
(2) for six months: 20% of $250,000 = $50,000 (This line item assumes two
collaborators receiving $25,000 each)
● Self-Financing
“Self-financed” expenses are still project expenses and need to be accounted for in
your project budget. If you’ve been using personal finances (like credit cards or
personal income) to cover creative expenses, check your receipts and add them to
your total expenses. That said, we discourage all artists from self-financing their
projects.
● Income from the Project
A complete budget includes expenses!and!income. Make sure that you include all
possible income and designate sources as confirmed, projected, or pending. If you
still need to raise money for your project but don’t have an identified source, you can
write “to be raised” followed by the amount.
● In-Kind Donations
There are two important things to remember about in-kind goods and services: in-
kind goes in as income and comes out as an expense at the same amount; and this
dollar amount should represent the fair-market value of the in-kind goods or service.
Because it may take time to figure out the fair-market value of a tool donated to your
project, such as a used computer, it’s helpful to separate the in-kind budget. Unless
you have no in-kind funds, your complete budget will have three distinct sections:
expenses, income, and in-kind. If you’re not yet sure of the fair-market value of your
in-kind line items, you can write “value to be determined,” and add the dollar amount
once it’s confirmed.
● Personal Equipment
If you’re using your personal computer, equipment, etc., for the project, you can note
this in the in-kind section of your budget. While it may be impossible to figure out the
dollar amount of your equipment’s depreciation due to project-related wear-and-
tear, your budget will at least reflect your “loan” to the project. If you believe that you
will need to replace or upgrade your personal equipment as the direct result of heavy
use during this project, it’s a good idea to include an “equipment replacement” line in
the expenses section of your budget, just in case.
● Studio Space
If you work out of your home, you can figure out the value of your workspace and
include it in the project budget. The formula is similar to the one for figuring out your
fee: what percentage of your home are you using for what period of time? This does
not mean that you can claim your entire rent as a project expense. Instead, this is
similar to the home-office deduction allowed by the IRS. In addition to listing your
home office use as an expense, you should also determine the extent to which you
will use your home phone or internet connection for project-related communications.
● Sample Budgets
Here are some sample budgets across disciplines that you can use as a guide. Please
note that the sample budgets are quite simplified.
o Performing Arts Sample Project Budget!(Theater, Dance, etc.)
o Technology Sample Project Budget!(Tech, Multimedia, Digital Media, etc.)
Creative Capital Application Handbook 2023/2024 16
o Literature Sample Project Budget!(Screenplays, Novels, Poetry, etc.)
o Visual Arts Sample Project Budget!(Painting, Sculpture, etc.)
o Moving Image Sample Project Budget!(Video art, Filmmaking, Documentary,
etc.)
APPENDIX D: WORK SAMPLES
Great work samples are important. Remember that even if you don’t get the award, great
work samples could stick with evaluators after the application process. We have seen work
that was not ultimately selected go on to be curated, programmed, and funded.
Tips and Best Practices
During a review process, an evaluator may be looking at upwards of 100 different projects.
The evaluators want to give their full attention to your project, so choosing great work
samples can help them do that. For evaluators who don’t know you, your work sample is
your work—it’s the single way they will experience it. So, make sure it’s the best
representation of it. The strongest work samples will capture your singular sensibility and
areas of exploration.
● Use the Description Space Wisely
Help the evaluators connect the dots by adding descriptions of the work samples—
telling them what they’re looking at, and how it connects with your future projects.
● Samples of Previous Work
It’s likely that the work you are proposing in your application won’t be far enough in
development for you to provide documentation. It is okay to use samples of previous
work to help the evaluators imagine what your future work will look like. Try to submit
completed work from the last five years. While completed work is best, work-in-
progress supplements are acceptable if you feel they will make the best case. No
matter what, showing at least some fully-produced work demonstrates your ability to
accomplish ambitious projects.
● Get Feedback Before You Submit
It may be helpful to show your work samples to a few friends or colleagues before
you submit. Consider choosing someone who knows your work intimately, as well as
someone who has never seen it before. Discuss their perceptions of the project—you
may be surprised to learn that others may take away meanings that are completely
different from your intentions.
● Drop Us Directly into the Action
For time-based works, the first few seconds or sentences are crucial. Don’t do a slow
buildup with lengthy intertitles. Instead, drop us straight into the action and make us
feel like we are right there with you. Remember, in any grant application process,
your project is not the only sample that an evaluator is reviewing. You want to
capture their attention quickly and then hold it for the duration of your sample. Do not
submit trailers, a reel of greatest hits, or a series of quick edits of your work.
Submissions should be a continuous excerpt so we can see how it unfolds. If you’d
like evaluators to see more than one section of work, divide it across multiple
samples.
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● Documentation
When collecting work sample documentation, hold yourself to the same high
standards that you hold in your art practice. You wouldn’t produce a play in a setting
where the audience can’t hear what the actors are saying, so don’t submit video of a
performance that makes it hard for the evaluators to hear the dialogue. For
performing arts especially, collecting great documentation may require working
videographers, editors, and boom mics—which can get expensive—but if it means
getting that next big grant, it can pay off. Or, consider working with a colleague who
can help with these needs by trading skills or other in-kind services.
