fiscal sponsorship 2017 -...
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Fiscal Sponsorship 2017
Midwest Artist Project Services (MAPS)
Co-Founders: Brigid Flynn & Liz Deichmann
Providing artist consultations, professional development education, and fiscal
sponsorship for artist projects since 2012.
MAPS is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit that serves and empowers individual artists, collectives,
and emerging arts organizations in the Midwest region by promoting new and
sustainable growth through fiscal sponsorship, consultation, education, and providing
access to best solutions for the current issues that affect artists.
MAPS offers free or low-cost resources for working artists in all disciplines—visual
artists, musicians, creative writers, craft artists, theater and dance artists, filmmakers,
and other originating artists— in the St. Louis region and beyond.
This program offers individual artists, collectives, and emerging organizations the ability to solicit tax
deductible contributions and grants for individual projects.
Fiscal Sponsorship
The core of fiscal sponsorship is the signed agreement by which your project becomes a “project” of
MAPS, falling under our 501(c)(3) “umbrella.” You retain all creative control and intellectual property rights.
I’m writing to request support for
Kids Rock Gongs, a fiscally sponsored
project of MAPS, a 501(c)(3)
organization...
However, organizations with a dedicated fiscal sponsorship program should be committed to providing project management support, bookkeeping services, fundraising guidance, and other assistance for their projects.
Technically, any organization with 501 (c)(3) status can provide fiscal sponsorship.
Benefits of Fiscal Sponsorship:
Validation from an established organization
Access to grants and other funding not available to individuals
Support and guidance in fundraising, project management, promotions, evaluation from MAPS co-founders, board members, or other professionals
Bookkeeping services to keep track of your project income and expenses
Project income and expenses are kept SEPARATE from your personal income and expenses
Ability to being programming or project activities without the administrative pressure of organizational management.
• Fiscal sponsorship is for artistic projects that have an end point and defined outcomes; not an ongoing artistic practice. Emerging organizations must provide an annual calendar of activities and operating budget.
• Sponsored artists are responsible for managing their project, marketing, evaluation, and fundraising. • MAPS will offer guidance and assistance, but the project manager is solely responsible for raising funds
for the project.
• All projects must be accepted through a panel-reviewed application process. No projects will be accepted on an ad-hoc basis.
• Project budgets must be a minimum of $5,000 and a maximum of $49,999.
• Sponsored projects must have a strong artistic component, a defined public benefit, and have goals that align with the mission and values of Midwest Artist Project Services.
MAPS FISCAL SPONSORSHIP POLICIES
• MAPS charges a 6% fee on funds raised to cover costs of bookkeeping and other support services
MAPS FISCAL SPONSORSHIP POLICIES
• Projects must be responsive to requests for meetings, submit drafts of grant applications for review before submission, and attend an annual assessment meeting each August.
• Projects must remain in compliance with contract agreement throughout the lifespan of the project
Current Projects with Fiscal Sponsorship from MAPS:
Blue Heron Community Art Studio is located in the rural community of Cedar Hill Lakes, Missouri.
Construction of this earth friendly arts space started in August 2009, using the Cordwood Masonry technique.
The studio will serve as an arts incubator for the community, offering local artists a space to create work and
for community residents to engage in arts activities. Blue Heron Studio’s goal is to create and strengthen this
rural Missouri community through the completion of the Studio in the Village of Cedar Hill Lakes, and to use
the arts to bring neighbors together and foster individual creative expression.
Museum Blue is an artist-run project space in St. Louis, MO. It serves as a platform to support and further
the exploration of contemporary art practices and is run collectively by practicing artists: Michael Behle,
Lauren Cardenas, Gina Grafos, and Carlie Trosclair.
Current Projects with Fiscal Sponsorship from MAPS:
YourWords STL is an after-school, volunteer, tutoring organization, dedicated to teaching St. Louis
youth how to amplify one’s voice through writing. We hope to provide resources for bridging
educational, socioeconomic, and interracial divides in our community. It is our belief that one-on-one
guidance facilitates a child’s growth, and that the effective use of language equips individuals with one
of their most powerful tools for positive change
Dysfunctionalware is a set of illustrated dishes used to bring about dialogue on racial privilege and white
supremacy particularly among “white” people at a series of dinner parties. The set is a collaboration among
local artists whose artworks of everyday white privilege are applied to the surface of the dishes. Local
interested individuals and groups will also have a chance to attend free workshopping/community input
dinners to devise and suggest further content, illustrations, relevant histories to be printed on cloth napkins,
resources to make available for attendees, and ideas for facilitation of the dinners.
(on hiatus through fall 2017)
How do I sign up?
• Applications Open Now through May 30
• Visit http://midwestarts.org/fiscal-sponsorship/
• Read FAQs, Policies & Procedures, and Sample Budget, Agreement, and Questions BEFORE you begin!
Application Process & Timeline
May 30: All applications received. Incomplete or Ineligible applications will not be considered.
June-July: Applications sent to independent, three-person panel for review.
Mid-July: Panel convenes to select final slate of recommended projects (no more than three selected)
Late July: Selected projects contacted to confirm eligibility and agreement to contract
August: MAPS Board Meeting to approve and accept recommended slate of projects
MAPS meets with projects to sign agreements and create project accountswith bookkeeper
Kat Reynolds is based out of Saint Louis, MO creating conceptual portrait and architectural photography. Kat has
exhibited work within many spaces and institutions around Saint Louis, including the Pulitzer Arts Foundation, Fort
Gondo Compound for the Arts, and Reese Gallery. From receiving her B.A in Dance from Webster University,
movement comes second nature and is thoroughly integrated into her practice.
Carlie Trosclair (b. New Orleans, Louisiana) is an installation artist based in St. Louis, Missouri. Trosclair earned an
MFA from the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis, and a BFA from Loyola
University New Orleans. Trosclair has completed artist residencies at MASS MoCA; Oxbow School of Art and Artists
Residency, MI; and The Luminary Center for the Arts, MO. She is the recipient of the Great Rivers Biennial. Trosclair is a co-director and cofounder of Museum Blue, an artist run gallery in St. Louis.
Brandon Anschutz received his MFA with a concentration in printmaking and drawing from Washington University in
St. Louis in 2002 and his BFA in painting and drawing from Louisiana Tech University in 1997. Past solo exhibitions
include Below Horizon at Regards, in Chicago, Suddenly Last Summer at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis; Pacer
at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis. Past residencies include ACRE in Steuben, Wisconsin, and the Cite International Des Arts in Paris, France.
2017 Fiscal Sponsorship Panelists
Review Criteria for Fiscal Sponsorship Applications
Artistic Merit: Does the applicant have a history of producing artistic work? Did they submit any compelling work samples that demonstrate a clear artistic vision?
If not, are they collaborating with an artist to meet the arts component requirement? Is the artistic portion of the project key to its implementation?
Project Organization: Has the applicant submitted a reasonable, achievable timeline? Have they wisely delegated the workload? Have they identified all the related tasks required to implement the project? Is the project ambitious enough to merit fiscal sponsorship? (i.e. would it be better served by a single crowdfunding campaign?)
Project Thoughtfulness: Did the applicant identify clear outcomes for a successful project? Did they build in any type of evaluation or documentation? Will they be able to provide a sound final report to a potential funder? Are they able to articulate or demonstrate the community benefit of the project?
Budgeting & Fundraising Plan: Does the budget seem realistic and reasonable? Did they cite the sources of their projected costs? Did they get competitive bids or find ways to do things in an economical way?
Does their fundraising plan show diverse income sources? Did they identify a plan for any crowdfunding campaign? Did they identify any potential grant sources specifically?
Review Criteria for Fiscal Sponsorship Applications
Marketing & Promotion: Did the application submit a thorough plan to market or promote the project? Did they identify an audience and how they would reach that audience? Did they include promotional expenses in their budget? Did they submit any examples of past press they received?
Application Components
• Create Submittable Account: Email, Name, Address, etc.
• Project Name
• Name of lead artist, collective, or organization producing the project.
This project is being produced by: (select one)• Individual Artist• Multiple Artists (more than one individual working on just this project)• Artist Collective (multiple artists working on many projects)• Organization with 501(c)(3) status• LLC
Application Components
• Project Lead Name (must be an individual), phone, and email
• Project Website (if applicable)
• Please provide a summary of your project. (200 word limit) *Provide a concise, clear vision for your project. What makes your project unique? Why is now the right time for your project?
Application Components
Project Timeline (200 word limit) *Please give a timeline for your project, with beginning and ending dates, and milestones for when project steps will be completed along the way.
Project Supporters (200 word limit) *Who is assisting you with the project? Please list your volunteers, stakeholders, associates, or other supporters and their roles. Provide names and credentials.
Application Components
Project Outcomes & Impact (200 word limit) *What are the outcomes of your project? What new artwork or arts-related work will be produced/presented? What is the impact your project will have on your community? How will you make your project engaging and accessible?
Project Success (200 word limit) *How will you know your project has been a success? (What kind of attendance totals, participant feedback, critical reception, audience participation, or actual change do you hope to achieve?) What is your evaluation plan?
Application Components
Project Fundraising (200 word limit) *What is your fundraising strategy for this project? BE SPECIFIC. If you plan to use a crowdfunding campaign, please give a timeline of your plans. If you plan to apply for grants, please give the funder name, next deadline, and amount of your request.
Project Audience and Promotion (200 word limit) *Who is the audience for your project? What is your marketing and promotional strategy? (Make sure these are included in your project budget)
Application Components
Project BudgetEnter the single total of all of your project expenses.
Detailed Project BudgetView Sample Budget at http://midwestarts.org/fiscal-sponsorship/
Application Components
Detailed Project Budget Tips:
Break out and detail expenses as much as you can“Supplies: $500” – not clear“10 hours of studio rental at $50/hour” - very clear
Paying professionals/contractors/consultants – show a fair hourly ratehttps://www.wageforwork.com/certification/2/fee-calculator
Don’t forget Marketing, Promotion, Documentation (photography, etc.) and Evaluation!
Application Components
Support Materials
• Letters of Support (essential for any stated collaborations or partnerships)
• Preliminary Grant Application or Crowdfunding Promotion and Plan
• Work Samples• Images of visual work, renderings, scripts, first chapter, audio files, video,
links to websites…anything that supports your application.
If you are selected:
• Schedule Contract Meeting and Bookkeeping Setup
• Monthly or As-Needed Check-in Meetings
• On-Demand support via email
• Grant Application Reviews, Marketing Plan Assistance, Budgeting, Project Management, etc.
• Supported Assistance from Other Professionals: Evaluators, Documentation, Video Production, etc.
