Registration deadline: January 22, 2010
Application deadline: April 12, 2010

The purpose of General Program Support (GPS) is to offer unrestricted support for specific Folk Arts programming. GPS is designed to support qualifying organizations that demonstrate a consistent track record of artistic achievement, public service, and managerial competence. GPS support reflects NYSCA's recognition of the artistic and programmatic capabilities of qualified arts and cultural organizations, and is awarded on a multi-year basis.

General Program Support is intended to serve:

Arts and cultural organizations that have significant activities in this Program and receive GOS from another Program. Example: an art museum with an established folk arts department

Organizations that are not primarily arts or cultural organizations but have significant cultural programming. Example: a library with an ongoing folk arts program.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible to apply for GPS, the organization must meet each of the following conditions.

Eligibility for Other NYSCA Funds

Organizations receiving GPS support from the Folk Program are not eligible for other support in the Program with the exception of the Folk Arts Apprenticeships category. Organizations may receive GPS from more than one NYSCA program.

Application Instructions

The on-line application form includes the following questions, and a project budget. Please complete the Events Schedule form as part of this application, if applicable. Required support materials are listed below.

First-time GPS applicants are expected to contact Program staff well before the January registration deadline.

Funding awarded for General Program Support will generally not exceed fifty per cent of project expenses.

Application Narrative Questions

Artistic/Programmatic

1. Program Overview
Describe your organization’s ongoing folk arts projects, services, and/or field research activities.  

2. Changes/Developments
What new programs and/or initiatives are planned for the next three years?  Include any new services, and field research relating to new project development.  What are your goals in undertaking these activities and expected outcomes?

3. Educational and Interpretive Programming
Provide an overview of your folk arts program’s educational and interpretive programming, and the interpretive components typically used in its presentations to the public.

4. Collections of Field Research Materials
If your organization’s folk arts program has carried out field research to document folk arts traditions, describe the archive receiving field research materials, including materials in the collection, storage equipment, accessibility, location, description and cataloguing methods, and policies pertaining to access by the public.

Managerial/Fiscal

5. Staff
Who are the principal artistic and administrative staff responsible for planning and implementing your folk arts program?  Describe their experience, training and qualifications in the folk arts and folklife field.  Have there been any changes of key folk arts staff members?  If so, what has been the impact of those changes? 

6. Organizational Context
How does the folk arts program relate to your organization’s mission?  Describe the relationship of the folk arts program to other programmatic areas in your organization.   Indicate any relevant changes or developments in your organization’s management, governance or programming since your last review by the Folk Arts Program, and any changes expected for the proposed grant period.  

7. Facilities
Briefly describe the facilities used for folk arts programs. 

8. Finances
How is the current financial landscape affecting your folk arts program?  What are your plans for meeting current and future expenses of your folk arts program, including any new fundraising projects and initiatives?  Describe the organizational fundraising efforts undertaken on behalf of your folk arts program. 

Service to the Public

9. Current Audience
Who are the audiences and communities served by your folk arts program?  Describe the impact of your folk arts programs and services on the artists and communities you serve.

10. Expanding your Audience
Indicate the new communities you are planning to serve in the next three years.  Summarize strategies to expand and diversify audiences for the folk arts program.  Provide specific examples of audience development efforts, including promotion and marketing initiatives.

11. Online Resources
How do you use the Internet and social media to better serve the public?   Include any current or projected digitization initiatives, and access through the internet for field research materials collected by your organization.  Please include the URL for your folk arts program.

12. Assessment and Planning
Describe the involvement of the folk arts staff, board and folk arts advisory group (if any) in planning and ongoing assessment of the folk arts program.  If you have a folk arts advisory group, list their names and organizational affiliations.  How is your folk arts program incorporated into your organization’s long-range plan?

Support Materials

Support material must be postmarked or hand-delivered to the Program by the application deadline. If you want support materials returned, provide a self-addressed stamped envelope.

1. Sample brochures or other printed materials used for public programs (2 copies per item)

2. Resumés of the folk arts program director, and any new key personnel

3. Audio and/or visual examples representing recent public programs, presentations and/or exhibitions, on a Windows compatible CD, DVD, or reference to a website. If your organization undertakes field research of living traditions, provide audio and/or visual examples of documentation activity, and sample release forms used for interviewees. Complete a visual support materials script to accompany your audio or visual examples. Audio or video documentation samples should be cued to the excerpts you would like the panel to see or hear. The total length of the samples may not exceed 5 minutes. See the NYSCA Digital Media/Work Samples Technical Instructions for tips on providing support materials on CDs or DVDs.