Colgate Arts Council Guidelines and Request for Proposals

The Colgate Arts Council (CAC) supports the arts at Colgate University, including music, theater and dance, creative writing, visual art, and film and media. The CAC seeks to raise the profile of the arts on campus and in the surrounding region, and welcomes proposals from faculty in all divisions initiating art events taking place during the academic year.

Fall 2024 Grants

We invite new proposals for grants of up to $10,000 for high-impact, interdisciplinary projects that intersect with the arts.

These projects should have the potential to engage students, faculty, and staff from multiple departments, programs, and offices on campus, encourage experiences of the arts that reach beyond the curriculum and engage students outside of the classroom, and inspire new creative and scholarly thinking among participants. Projects may facilitate the collaboration and involvement of both local and regional artists and arts organizations and/or the local community in ways that support Colgate’s liberal arts curriculum. Projects most often take place on campus, but proposals with off-campus components will be considered, if they are accessible to and will have a demonstrable impact on the campus community. While we encourage in-person events as is possible, the CAC will consider events with virtual components. To be eligible, proposed projects should satisfy the following criteria. Projects should:

Be centered on the arts and clearly articulate interdisciplinary or inter-arts elements and goals.
Be beyond the scope of normal academic department or program events.
Have an impact beyond the lifetime of the award for students, faculty, and/or the campus community.

We also welcome proposals for events with budgets of less than the maximum award of $10,000; the CAC has often funded significantly smaller projects. We encourage you to be in touch with us to discuss your ideas and the scope of your proposal in advance of the deadline. Additional funding for projects should be requested from readily available internal sources (departmental/program, divisional, etc.) before submitting your CAC grant proposal. Clearly note both the requests made and any secured contributions in the budget and/or text of project description. Proposals may be submitted by full-time tenure-stream faculty, Category I faculty, visiting faculty, senior lecturers, postdoctoral fellows, and museum curators.

Additional funding for projects should be requested from readily available internal sources (departmental/program, divisional, etc.) before submitting your CAC grant proposal. Clearly note both the requests made and any secured contributions in the budget and/or text of project description.

The deadline for major grants (up to $10,000) is Monday, July 1, 2024, with proposals for discretionary grants up to $3,000 accepted on a rolling basis thereafter as funds allow. Proposals for discretionary grants must be submitted at least six weeks before the proposed event.

Application

CAC Fall 2024 Grant Proposal Application

The online application will ask you to upload a .pdf of your grant proposal. The grant proposal should contain:

A description of the project that addresses how it meets the criteria listed above.
A brief discussion of the project’s intended impact on the arts at Colgate and the Colgate community more broadly; this might include curricular resonances or innovation, meaningful artistic experiences for students, inspiration for future research and creative work for faculty and students, etc.
A brief discussion of how the project will be made available to the Colgate community.

You will also be asked to upload a detailed budget including honoraria, artist fees, minor equipment and supplies, per diems, etc., as well as any additional supplemental material (artist bios, work samples, or other supporting documents) that you would like to share.

Please note that the application includes a number of questions about your project. In order for the council to consider applications equitably, narrative answers to these questions are required. You are welcome to cut and paste your answers in this section from appropriate parts of your proposal, but it is not sufficient to direct us to your proposal.

Additional Information for Grant Recipients

Grant recipients are encouraged to request administrative support from their departmental or program assistants for such tasks as gathering information for the proposal and organizing artist travel and accommodations, receptions, publicity, etc.
Grant recipients should refer to the Colgate Arts Council event checklist, which includes helpful information and an event checklist template.
Grant recipients must include public acknowledgement of Colgate Arts Council sponsorship or co-sponsorship on all printed and electronic publicity and other materials as well as in announcements and introductions to the event.
Grant recipients are encouraged to document their event with photographic images, video or sound recordings, if appropriate. The CAC may, at its discretion, include such documentation in promotional materials and annual reports.
Grant recipients must provide a final budget report, a brief summary of the funded event, and a candid appraisal of its success within 30 days of the event. This final report includes a summary of the impact of the event (classes in attendance, general audience numbers, and value to departments and programs). This brief self-evaluation will be used in the CAC’s annual report and website archives.