Arts Funding Program

In recognition of Laura Jane Musser's life-long commitment to excellence in the arts, and with awareness that pivotal and life-changing experience can occur for individuals through introduction to and participation in the arts. The Laura Jane Musser Fund hopes to encourage and excite a wider population to appreciate, learn, and participate in the arts.

In pursuit of this goal, the Musser Fund hopes to assist nonprofit arts organizations to develop, implement or sustain exceptional artistic opportunities for adults and children in the areas of literary, visual, music and performing arts.

Grants are given to organizations in the following states: Colorado, Hawaii, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Wyoming and Michigan.

Musser Fund Arts Funding Areas of interest are:

ARTS COLLABORATIONS

Collaborations of an arts organization with other nonprofits or schools to educate, enrich, and provide participatory arts activities for their community. The Musser Directors are interested in supporting projects where these collaborations spark a new interest or dynamic quality in the art organization and in the community.

Priority will be given to projects that engage participants in the creation of art.

Priority will be given to collaborations that offer opportunities for more in-depth participation in the creation of art, and to those collaborations that unfold over longer periods of time.

• Applicants may apply for up to $10,000.
• Applications must come from arts organizations with operating budgets of $3 million or less.
• Grants are for one year only and will not be eligible for additional Musser support for two years after the grant period.
• Proposals must demonstrate that both partners are involved in planning and implementation of the collaboration.

RURAL ARTS

This funding is available to arts organizations physically located in rural communities (population 20,000 or less) in the following geographic areas:

   Hawaii - All counties

   Colorado - All counties

   Wyoming - All counties

   Michigan - Ingham, Oceana, Muskegon, Berrien, Van Buren, Kalamazoo, Saginaw, Genesee, Gogebic, Houghton, Keweenaw, Luce, Chippewa, Montmorency, Alcona, Oscoda, Crawford, Missawkee, Roscommin, Ogemaw, Lake, Osceola, Clare, Gladwin, Arenac, Mecosta, and Isabella Counties.

   Minnesota - Koochiching, Itasca, Aitkin, Cass, Hubbard, Clearwater, Mahnomen, Clay, Becker, Wadena, Todd, and Morrison Counties.

   Ohio - Ashtabula, Columbiana, Jefferson, Harrison, Belmont, Hardin, Monroe, Guernsey, Muskingum, Morgan, Athens, Hocking, Vinton, Meigs, Jackson, Gallia, Lawrence, Scioto, Pike, and Adams Counties.

   New York - St. Lawrence, Montgomery, Oneida, Oswego, Shulyer, Cortland, Broome, Allegany, and Chautaqua Counties

Priority will be given to organizations whose work is increasing access to the arts through scholarships, hands-on activities, community venues, workshops, discounts and other innovations.

• General operating support to smaller arts organizations in rural communities - communities of less than 20,000 people.
• Applicants may apply for up to $7,500 per year.
• Organizations must have been in existence for one year at the time of application.
• Organizations must not have budgets over $200,000.
• Applications are accepted for one year of funding at a time. It is possible for organizations to apply for and receive funding for up to three consecutive years. But then Grantees may not reapply for funding for one year after the three years of funding.
• Proposals must demonstrate the organization's capacity to engage their community in the creation of arts.
• Proposals must also demonstrate support from their community (through volunteerism, membership, in-kind, or other types of support).

WHO CAN APPLY:

• Arts organizations
• Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations
• Organizations that are forming if they are sponsored by a 501(c)(3) organization

To apply for an arts grant from the Laura Jane Musser Fund:
Please construct your application in the following format, and include the Musser Fund Arts Application Cover Sheet. The proposal body can be no more than 5 pages. The application must be postmarked by March 2, 2009. Funding decisions will be announced in July 2009.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE for requests made in the area of ARTS COLLABORATIONS:

1. TWO-PAGE ARTS APPLICATION COVER FORM: Completed
2. PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Provide a clear descriptions of your proposed project.
3. BACKGROUND: Summarize your organizational background and history in your community.
4. ARTS PARTICIPANTS: Describe, using qualitative and quantitative descriptions, who you hope to reach with your collaborative program and how they will participate.
5. COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS: Identify and describe the nonprofit or school partners involved in your collaboration and how your collaboration will be structured. Please also explain how and why you have chosen this partner and the history of your relationship.
6. GOALS AND ACTIVITIES: Describe the overall collaborative goals of this project and the activities planned that will accomplish these goals; provide the timeline for the activities that includes schedule and completion for the project. Be specific about which of the collaborative partners will be responsible for which activities.
7. OUTCOMES: List the outcomes expected.
8. BUDGETARY INFORMATION: Include a budget for the project with projected income sources and expenses, an actual organizational budget for the previous year, and a projected organizational budget for the grant year with income, expenses and a detailed list of funding sources.
9. IRS STATUS: Please include a copy of your 501(c)(3) letter from the IRS.
10. LETTERS OF SUPPORT: Please include a letters of support from at your collaborative partner that clearly demonstrates understanding of the activities and goals of the project. The Fund is only able to consider letters that arrive in the same packet with your proposal.

PROPOSAL FORMAT: Electronic proposals can not be accepted. Please send your application packet in single-sided, unbound format. Please only send one copy. No materials other than those listed above will be included in the proposal review process. Only complete application packets can be considered.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE for requests made in the area of RURAL ARTS:

1. TWO-PAGE ARTS APPLICATION COVER FORM: Completed.
2. COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION: Please provide a clear description of your community.
3. BACKGROUND: Summarize your organizational background and history in your community.
4. ARTS PARTICIPANTS: Describe, using qualitative and quantitative descriptions, the community members your reach with your arts programming.
5. COMMUNITY SUPPORT: Describe the ways that the community supports your organization.
6. GOALS AND ACTIVITIES: Describe the overall goals of your organization during the grant period.
7. OUTCOMES: List the outcomes expected from your programming during the grant period.
8. BUDGETARY INFORMATION: Include an actual organizational budget for the previous year and a projected budget for the grant year with income, expenses and a detailed list of funding sources.
9. IRS STATUS: Please include a copy of your 501(c)(3) letter from the IRS.
10. LETTERS OF SUPPORT: Please include letters of support from at least two (but not more than six) community members that support your organization’s work in your community. The Fund is only able to consider letters that arrive in the same packet with your proposal.

PROPOSAL FORMAT: Electronic proposals can not be accepted. Please send your application packet in single-sided, unbound format. Please only send one copy. No materials other than those listed above will be included in the proposal review process. Only complete application packets can be considered.

Submit a Cover Form and complete proposal * to:

        Laura Jane Musser Fund
        318 W. 48th St.
        Minneapolis, MN 55419
        612-825-2024

*One copy, single sided, not bound or stapled. Include tax status letter, organization and project budgets, list of additional funders, support letters and proposal narrative.