City Parks Foundation/Richard Rodgers Foundation Announce Performing Arts Grant
Grant application period: November 14, 2011 – February 17, 2012
Grant letter of intent deadline: December 16, 2011
Grant Consultation & Facility Tour: January 18, 2012, 6:00-8:00 PM
Grant application deadline: February 17, 2012, postmarked no later 5:00 PM
Grant award notification: Within four to eight (4-8) weeks
Grant Announcement
City Parks Foundation is pleased to announce the establishment of a $25,000 Richard Rodgers Amphitheater Performing Arts Grant, a one-time grant award program intended to attract premier arts presenters and groups to produce works at the newly constructed Richard Rodgers Amphitheater in Marcus Garvey Park, New York City.
City Parks Foundation (CPF) is a not-for-profit organization which works in over 750 parks citywide and presents a broad range of free arts, sports, environmental education, and community building activities that reach more than 600,000 each year and contribute to the revitalization of neighborhoods throughout New York City.
In keeping with its mission to connect people with their neighborhood parks, CPF was proud to play a lead role in the project development of the new Richard Rodgers Amphitheater at Marcus Garvey Park in Historic Harlem, New York City. In early 2009, CPF secured a generous $1 million gift from the Rodgers Family Foundation to hire an architectural firm, Cooper Robertson, to design a new amphitheater and band shell to replace the previous facility. Over the course of the following year, and in conjunction with the New York City Dept. of Parks & Recreation, CPF met with park groups and Harlem residents to solicit suggestions for the final design, which was submitted to the capital projects division of the Parks Dept.
The Parks Dept. broke ground for the new facility in the autumn of 2010 and over the following year, CPF continued to play an active role in overseeing the construction of technical components of the amphitheater. CPF was thrilled to see the Richard Rodgers Amphitheater officially open to the public on schedule at a ceremony held on June 2, 2011.
CPF is pleased to announce that the project came in under budget, empowering us to grant arts presenters and/or groups to apply for funding based upon the requirements outlined in this document.
Overview
The CPF/Richard Rodgers Foundation Performing Arts Grant is a one-time program in support of arts presenters and groups based in Historic Harlem, New York City. A total of $25,000 in funding will be awarded in three to five grants ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 each to cover eligible expenses as defined in this document.
To apply, the presenter must fall into one of the two following categories:
Category 1, Arts Presenting Organizations
To apply, the arts presenting organization must:
- be a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization
- present free or low-cost music, dance, theater, or multi-disciplinary performing arts programs as its primary organizational mission
- have presented a minimum of five (5) free or low-cost public programs within the last year
- be based in New York City, with priority given to presenters based in Historic Harlem and/or in near proximity to Marcus Garvey Park, located from Mount Morris Park West to Madison Avenue between E. 120th and E. 124th Street
Category 2, Artists
To apply, the artist named in the application must:
- have performed as a professional individual, group or company for a minimum of three (3) years
- have presented a minimum of five (5) public programs within the last year; presenter or venue references are required
- be based in New York City, with priority given to groups based in Historic Harlem and/or in near proximity to Marcus Garvey Park, located from Mount Morris Park West to Madison Avenue between E. 120th and E. 124th Streets
Grant Letter of Intent
Preference will be given to applicants that submit a one-page letter of intent to apply for funding no later than December 16, 2011. The letter should be attached as a PDF file and e-mailed to ArtsGrants@CityParksFoundation.orgwith the subject heading “Richard Rodgers Grant Letter of Intent.”
Grant Consultation and Facility Tour
Applicants with questions regarding the grant application process and/or the physical Richard Rodgers Amphitheater facility are encouraged to attend a consultation workshop and tour to be held at the facility on January 18, 2012, from 6:00-8:00 PM. The amphitheater is located in Marcus Garvey Park adjacent to the Pelham Fritz Recreation Center off of Mount Morris Park West and 123rd W. 23rd Street.
Grant Applications Packages
All applications package materials must be postmarked or hand delivered no later than 5:00 PM, February 17, 2012 to:
City Parks Foundation
CPF/Richard Rodgers Foundation Grant
830 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10065
Incomplete packages will not be accepted. All materials submitted as part of the application process will become the property of CPF and will not be returned. It will not be necessary to have your letter of intent approved before submitting a full application package, but preference will be given to those packages prefaced by a letter of intent.
The package must include:
- One (1) stapled completed application form, with an original signature, clipped to a selection of the ensemble’s and/or presenter’s recent publicity and press materials (e.g., brochures, postcards, releases, and reviews from print and digital media). Submit at least three (3) but no more than five (5) examples.
- Six (6) additional stapled copies of the application form
- One (1) copy of a CD-R / DVD work sample with no more than 3 work samples with a max length of 15 minutes total
- One (1) copy of the applicant’s 501(c)(3) IRS tax-exempt determination letter (or equivalent)
- One (1) copy of the presenter’s audited financial statement, or IRS Form 990, or IRS Form 990EZ from the most recently completed fiscal year
- One (1) copy of the presenter’s operating budget for the year in which the performance(s) will take place
Application Form
The application form is available to download from the City Parks Foundation website at CityParksFoundation.org
The Project
The application must include a detailed description of the project to be presented. The award will fund concert, dance, theater or multi-disciplinary projects that feature live performances only. Projects that evoke the history or ethos of Marcus Garvey Park and/or its surrounding neighborhoods in Historic Harlem will be given special consideration.
Applicants must submit a proposal compatible with the organization or group’s mission and document a history of creative programming, sound administrative practices, professional production capabilities, and a viable strategy for attracting audiences to the proposed program(s).
Applicants may propose one or more programs that will be free to the general public. The program(s) must be performed at the Richard Rodgers Amphitheater and must be produced between the months from June to September in calendar year 2012 or 2013. The maximum audience capacity of the Richard Rodgers Amphitheater is approximately 3,000.
Budget and Eligible Expenses
The grant will provide up to 75% of the eligible expenses, which the presenter or group must match with a minimum of 25% contributed income.
Applications may request funds from $5,000–$10,000 for such eligible expenses as talent fees, travel, and accommodations; production personnel and equipment; and marketing and publicity expenses for the proposed programs(s).
In the written application, the presenter or group must itemize a project budget that includes expense and income projections with an explanation of each budget item. Income projections must indicate whether contributed revenues are confirmed, pending, or yet-to-be requested at the time of application. Presenting organization applicants must also summarize annual operating and program presenting budgets and provide hard copies of an audited financial statement (or IRS Form 990, or IRS Form 990EZ) from the most recently completed fiscal year, including the organization’s operating budget for the year in which the proposed project will take place.
Work Sample
Applicants must submit a CD-R / DVD work sample for consideration by the review panel. The panel typically reviews a minimum of 3-5 minutes of the work sample. The work sample should demonstrate the highest caliber of work from the presenter or group.
The work sample:
- must be in CD-R format or DVD format; no mp3s or CDs
- must have the applicant’s name on the CD-R face
- must feature content recorded within the past three (3) years and performed by the personnel named on the application form
- must include at least fifteen (15) minutes of content
- may contain content from a live performance, studio/home recording, or a commercial disc
Panel review
A panel of professional arts presenters from a variety of disciplines will review the applications.
The panel evaluates the written application based on:
- the relevance of the project to the applicant organization or group’s mission
- the organization or group’s history of presenting
- the proposed program
- the project and organizational budgets
- the marketing plan for reaching audience(s)
- the applicant’s capacity to successfully accomplish the project
- the relevance of the project to the community of Historic Harlem
The panel evaluates the work sample based on:
- overall artistry, fidelity and cohesiveness
- originality of the work(s)
- the quality of the production
Support
For questions regarding the application, e-mail: ArtsGrants@CityParksFoundation.org