Grantwriting Tips _ Glossary of Terms - Washington State Arts

							Grants to Organizations

General Grant Writing Tips
   Deadlines are firm. Late applications will not be accepted.
   Incomplete applications are ineligible. Complete each form page.
   Read the guidelines; they change each year.
   Don’t try to write the grant from the forms alone. Read the guidelines as they provide
      the instructions for the forms.
   Artistic work sample. The sample should convey your best artistic effort within the past
      two years. A poor quality work sample can negate a well-written narrative; a great work
      sample can help a mediocre application. Indicate the track that best shows your artistic
      quality. Please note that a performing arts sample should include an artistic segment
      with the original music, not one piece of music over several video segments.
   Review Panel. Don’t assume that the review panel is familiar with your organization’s
      programs, services or artistic work—describe them where applicable. The grant process
      is extremely competitive. The number and quality of grant applications have a major
      impact on the final grant awards.
   Be Succinct. Answer the questions with relevant and succinct details and examples to
      support your claims. You can use lists of short statements with bullets. Statements
      without factual support, actual data, supporting evidence, or specific examples are
      considered incomplete responses.
   Call or email the Grants staff with application questions!



Grants to Organizations
Glossary of Terms

Accumulated Fund Balance: An organization’s long-term, accrued surplus or debt, over a series
of fiscal years. See Total Liabilities and Net Assets, the current terminology.
Administrative Expenses: Costs for general operating overhead not included in other
categories on the Financial Information budget, such as phone, postage, insurance, supplies, etc.
Admissions: Income derived from the sale of admissions, tickets, subscriptions, memberships,
etc. for events attributable or prorated to the organization or project.
Appeal: Any request by an applicant to the Commission for reconsideration of a previous
decision on a program application.
Applicant Cash: Funds from applicant’s present and/or anticipated resources that applicant
plans to provide to proposed project or organizational budget not accounted for by other
income sources.
Artists, numbers of: The artists involved in the organization’s activities or services. Include
living artists with work in an exhibition regardless of who provided the work, the artist or an
institution.
Audience Participants: The number of persons, viewers, attendees, or workshop participants
that benefit from an arts activity. Do not include artists, or staff/board of the organization.
Audit: A systematic investigation, by an independent Certified Public Accounting (CPA) firm,
of the financial statements and of the underlying accounting records for the purpose of
determining whether these financial statements give a fair and dependable picture of financial
position and the results of operations. A compilation or review is not acceptable.
Authorizing Official: Name of person designated by the board with the authority to legally
obligate applicant. Usually Executive Director or President of the Board.
Award: The financial assistance committed through a contract or paid to an eligible applicant.
Budget Year: The one-year time frame which the applicant organization uses to record, project,
budget, and track and monitor the applicant organization’s income and expenses. The
applicant’s budget year does not have to match the Arts Commission’s fiscal year or Grants to
Organizations (GO) grant contract dates.
Capital Expenses: For the purposes of WSAC grants, capital expenses include purchase of
equipment over $5,000, property, renovations and construction.
Commission: The Washington State Arts Commission, a state agency.
Complimentary Tickets: Any free admissions provided by arts organizations to Commissioners
or staff for evaluation purposes.
Congressional District: Designated voting area for representatives to Congress. Contact county
elections office, county auditor for these numbers and voter registration information.
Contracted Services: Income derived from fees earned through sale of services. Include income
from workshops paid by other community organizations, government contracts for specific
services, performance or residency fees, tuition, etc. Include foreign government support.
Corporate/Business Support: Cash support derived from contributions given by businesses,
corporations, and corporate foundations, or a proportionate share of such contributions
allocated to this organization or project.
Current Year Expenses/Income: Total estimated expenses/income of applicant’s current or
present fiscal year, excluding capital expenses and depreciation.
Deficit: Amount of expenses in excess of income for the year.
Events and Event Days: What best describes the number of arts opportunities available to the
public. A single concert is an event; two concerts are two events. An art exhibition is a single
event, but it takes place over more than one event day. A one-day festival has one event day,
but it may include over thirty distinct events on that single day.
Expenses: What did it cost and what did you spend?
Demographics: The characteristics of the people that live in a city, county or region, i.e., ethnic
background, average annual income, age distribution, use of social services, and resident versus
transient populations such as students or tourists. (For more information, contact your local
library documents section, for the Forecasting Division of the Office of Financial Management
handbook, Population Trends for Washington State.)
DUNS Number: The Dun & Bradstreet D-U-N-S Number is a unique nine-digit identification
sequence that provides unique identifiers of single business entities.
FEI Number: Federal Employee Identification Number for applicant organization (tax exempt
IRS number).
Financial Assistance: Money provided to applicants from federal, state, or private funds of the
Commission.
Fiscal Agent: Organization with a Washington state nonprofit incorporation and tax-exempt
status under IRS code 501 (c) (3), that serves as the legal applicant to WSAC for an
unincorporated group or organization. The WSAC contracts with, and sends all grant
payments to the Fiscal Agent.
Fiscal Year (FY): The period beginning July 1 and ending June 30 of the following year. This is
the state of Washington budget year, and the time frame for GO grant contracts. The applicant
organization’s budget year does not have to coincide with the state’s fiscal year.
Foundation Support: Cash support derived from grants given by private foundations, or a
proportionate share of such grants allocated to this organization or project.
Fundraising Expenses: Costs incurred to procure goods, food, or services, directly related to
specific fundraising or benefit events such as auctions, raffles, dinners, etc.
FTE: Full-time-equivalent. Used to count staff. 40 hr./wk. = 1 FTE. 20 hr. = .5 FTE, etc.
GO: Grants to Organizations
GOVERNMENT SUPPORT: (other than this grant request)
   County/City: Cash support derived from grants or appropriations for this organization or
project by city, county, in-state regional, and other local government agencies, or a
proportionate share of such grants or appropriations allocated for this organization or project.
   Federal: Cash support derived from grants or appropriations given for this organization or
project by agencies of the federal government, or a proportionate share of such grants or
appropriations allocated for this organization or project.
   Regional/State: Cash support derived from grants or appropriations given for this
organization or project by agencies of the state government, tribe and/or multi-state consortia of
state agencies (i.e. Western States Arts Federation) or a proportionate share of such grants or
appropriations allocated to the organization or project.
    Other WSAC Funds: Funds received from other WSAC programs for this organization or
project (e.g., Arts in Education, Community Arts Development, Folk Arts or Art in Public Places
programs.)
Grant: Award or financial assistance.
Grant Contact: The person the GO office will contact for additional information about the
application, and the recipient of all GO written correspondence regarding the application or any
subsequent grant.
Grantee: An institution, organization, arts group, or individual receiving a grant.
Grants to Organizations (GO): The primary grant-giving division of the Washington State Arts
Commission. GO distributes financial assistance to arts organizations through four distinct
programs: Large Institutions, Mid-sized Arts Organizations, Project Support, and Cooperative
Partnerships.
IMLS: Institute for Museum and Library Services, a federal agency.
Income: Funds you earned in order to pay your expenses; also called revenue.
Income Subtotal: Total of applicant organization’s cash, including all income, but not including
WSAC grant award.
Individual Support: Revenue derived from cash donations from individuals.
In-Kind Contributions: The fair market dollar value of non-cash contributions to the
organization or project, which are provided to the applicant by volunteers or outside parties at
no cash cost to the applicant. Volunteer time is calculated at minimum wage unless the
volunteer is donating services which he/she provides as part of his/her profession in which case
time is calculated at that person’s professional rate. Donated materials should be calculated at
fair market value. Only donated items that are directly received by the applicant should be
included. Items or services unrelated to a project or program, even though received by the
applicant, are not acceptable.
Interest: Income from investments, savings accounts and/or endowment funds.
IRS Number: Same as FEI NUMBER.
Legislative District: Designated voting area for state legislative and elected offices. Contact
county elections office, county auditor for these numbers and voter registration information.
Marketing/Advertising: Costs for marketing, publicity, and promotion identified with the
organization or project, such as media, brochures, flyers, posters, etc. Do not include payments
to individuals or firms, which belong under PERSONNEL or OUTSIDE FEES AND SERVICES.
Matching Component: An amount of money or the value of materials or services provided by
the applicant.
Memberships: Donations to an organization that convey in part some benefit or privilege, such
as a discount on admission charges or gift shop purchases.
Mission: A broad statement of why the organization exists and the specific, unique function it
performs, usually adopted by the Board of Directors.
Most Recently Completed Budget Year Actual Income/Expenses: Total income and expenses
from the organization’s most recent fiscal year for which the books are closed, the final audit is
completed, and both are approved and accepted by the board. This term excludes capital
expenses and depreciation.
NEA: National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
NEH: National Endowment for the Humanities, a federal agency.
Nonprofit: Incorporation under the nonprofit laws of the state of Washington or another state,
and determination by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that the incorporated entity is exempt
from taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code.
Nonprofit Corporation Annual Report (NAR): This one page form is filed annually at the
anniversary month of the organization’s date of nonprofit incorporation with the State of
Washington. The filing is required by state law in order to keep nonprofit status; failure to file
will result in the dissolution of the nonprofit organization by the Secretary of State. The pre-
printed form is sent each year to the registered agent for the organization. The completed form
and the filing fee are mailed to the Corporations Division, Secretary of State’s Office. [This is not
the Charitable Contributions Report.] For more information, or to obtain a copy of the
organization’s most recent NAR filing, contact the Secretary of State’s, Corporations Division, in
Olympia at (360) 753-7115 or www.secstate.wa.gov/corps.
Occupancy Expenses: Costs for office, production, exhibition, storage and event space and
facilities, whether incurred as facility rental charges, user fees or mortgage payments.
Other Revenue/Earned Income: Income derived from sources other than those listed. Include
catalog sales, advertising space in programs, gift shop income, concessions, parking, etc.
Other Private Support: Cash donations other than those listed for corporate, foundation, or
government contributions and grants. Include gross proceeds from fundraising events.
Outside Fees and Services Artistic: Payments for services by artists not normally considered
regular employees of the applicant.
Outside Fees and Services: Other payments to firms or persons for non-artistic services such as
legal, financial, etc.
Panels: Those individuals from which the commission, as a part of its regular practice, may seek
advice in order to provide a comprehensive professional perspective in the decision-making
process, and may include Commissioners.
Personnel:
   Administrative: Payments for salaries, wages, fees and benefits for administrative staff,
program directors, managing directors, business managers, clerical staff and support personnel.
    Artistic: Payments for salaries, wages, fees and benefits for artistic directors, conductors,
curators, composers, choreographers, designers and other artists, that are regular employees of
applicant.
   Technical/Production: Payments for salaries, wages, fees and benefits for technical directors,
wardrobe, lighting, sound designers and crew, stagehands, video and film technicians, exhibit
preparators and installers that are regular employees of applicant.
Postmark: The date affixed to letters or packages by the United States Postal Service (USPS) or
by private delivery service.
Production/Exhibition Expenses: Expenses (not including personnel) associated with
producing events, exhibits, performances, including scripts, scores, sets, exhibition fees, lumber,
paint, equipment rental, etc.
Professional Artist: A person generally recognized by critics and peers as a professional
producing high quality work on a regular basis: payments to individuals with more than one
year of independent professional experience beyond training. Other indicators of
professionalism include frequent or consistent exhibitions, performances, readings,
publications, purchases by museums, commissions, honors and awards, payment for services
and art training.
Project Period: Period during which funds will be expended. This time frame falls within the
WSAC grant period and the state fiscal cycle of July 1 through June 30.
PSP: Project Support Program.
Remaining Expenditures: All expenses not entered in other categories and specifically
identified with the project or programs. Includes electricity, telephone and telegraph, postage,
non-technical production costs, rentals, insurance, interest charges, fundraising expenses,
storage, trucking, shipping and hauling expenses not entered under Travel, etc.
SASE: Self-addressed, stamped envelope.
Senior Citizen: Age 65 and over.
Space Rental: Payments specifically identified with the project for rental of office, studios,
theater, hall, gallery and other such spaces.
Subscriptions: The advance purchase of admission to more than one event, usually for an entire
season of performances or concerts.
Surplus: Amount of revenue in excess of expenses for the year.
Technical/Production: Expenses (not including personnel) associated with producing events,
including scripts, scores, lumber, equipment rental, etc.
Total Expenses: Total of applicant expenses. Note that the Total Expenses does not include In-
Kind Contributions.
Total Income: Total of applicant cash and grant request. The Total Income must equal or exceed
the Total Expenses of the budget.
Total Liabilities and Net Assets: The balance of funds and value of all assets declared by the
organization at the close of each budget year, such as cash-on-hand, cash reserve funds,
endowments, investments, etc. This is calculated after the net loss or gain for the year, and
includes the overall financial position of the organization. Confirm this with your organization’s
accountant or financial advisor to verify what your organization includes in this figure.
Touring Season: Artistic ensembles, such as dance and theater company tours to other
communities to perform, away from their home city. To cut expenses, events are blocked into a
scheduled time frame of a week or more on the road. This does not include dates performed in
the home city, or single-day run-outs to an area near the home city.
Travel: All costs for travel directly related to the travel of an individual or individuals and
specifically identified with the project. For transportation not connected with the travel of
personnel, see Remaining Expenditures. Include fares, hotel, and other lodging expenses, taxis,
gratuities, per diem payments, toll charges, mileage allowances on personal vehicles, car rental
costs, etc. For trucking, shipping, or hauling expenses, see Remaining Expenditures.
Traditional Artist: The authentic practitioners of the folk and traditional arts, usually who have
been brought up within a traditional community, learning the repertoire from their own seniors
and absorbing the style as they live the life that the style and the repertoire represent.
Underserved: The organization serves a community that is:
1) geographically isolated;
2) economically disadvantaged;
3) ethnic; or
4) person with disability
Unified Business Identifier (UBI): Your State of Washington business number. Required by
law for all businesses. If you cannot locate this information in your files, contact the state’s
Department of Revenue at 1-800-647-7706.
WSAC: Washington State Arts Commission, an independent agency of the State of Washington,
established in 1961.