Overview
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For further information regarding the Fund, please direct inquiries to Program Officer Deepa Gupta.
Chicago is a global city that benefits from relationships between its citizens and organizations and their counterparts outside of the United States. It supports a thriving arts and culture community that has received international attention due to the quality of the work and the breadth of its artistry.
To encourage a greater sharing of experiences and international learning, the MacArthur Foundation has established a $1 million fund to help eligible non-profit arts and culture organizations advance their work by collaborating with peer organizations abroad.
The following are the guidelines for the Fund that address eligibility, application, information required, reporting and expense rules.
For further information regarding the Fund, please direct your questions to icf2011@macfound.org with “Question” in the subject line.
Eligibility
The following organizations are eligible to apply for funding from the MacArthur Foundation under this initiative:
- A nonprofit organization* in the Chicago area that has received a grant payment directly from the MacArthur Foundation between 2007-2011, or
- A nonprofit organization* in the Chicago area that has received a grant payment between 2007-2011 from the MacArthur Funds established at the Driehaus and Prince Foundations (including the Small Dance and Theater Fund) or grantees under the New Communities Program umbrella directed by the Local Initiatives Support Corporation ("LISC") that received funding because they are an arts organization or have robust, long-term arts programming within a non-arts organization.
* Eligible nonprofit organizations are those with 501(C)(3) designations that are not private foundations.
Process of Application
Eligible organizations seeking support from this Fund should submit an application via email between June 1, 2012 and July 1, 2012 to the attention of Deepa Gupta, Program Officer, Media, Culture & Special Initiatives, at icf2011@macfound.org. The deadline is at 11:59pm on July 1.
Please include “ICF 2012 Proposal: [YOUR ORG’S NAME]” in the subject line of your email submission (e.g., ICF 2012 Proposal: Genesis Theatre Company”).
Applications should be no more than five pages and contain the following information:
- Brief description of organization, its work and the purpose of the grant.
- Specific activities to be supported by the grant funds.
- How the planned activities will meet the goals of fostering lasting international collaboration.
- What the grantee hopes to learn or accomplish by the grant – both for individual participants and the organization.
- A project budget and an overall organizational budget; please indicate on the project budget what MacArthur Funds are intended to support and other sources of revenue.
- Year, amount, and source (i.e., MacArthur, Prince, Driehaus, or LISC) of most recent MacArthur Foundation grant.
- Applications that make connections to any country will be considered.
- Preference will be given to new projects and projects.
- Preference is given to projects that are ready to implement rather than for planning and exploration.
- Preference is given to reciprocal exchanges.
Applications should not be solely to support travel or the presentation of artistic work here or abroad. The intention is to foster lasting, collaborative, international relationships.
The applicant should also submit the following:
- Current letter from the Internal Revenue Service showing the organization has current 501(C)(3) status
- For grantees from the Prince Foundation, the Driehaus Foundation or LISC, the most recent audited financial statements of the organization
Process of Approval
Individual grants will range from $5,000 to $50,000. Applications are due to the Foundation between June 1, 2012 and July 1, 2012. The deadline is at 11:59pm on July 1.
The Foundation will evaluate applications annually in the fall and expects to award total grants up to $500,000 in 2011 and up to $500,000 in 2012.
For regrantees of MacArthur Funds, the Foundation will obtain a letter of reference from Driehaus, Prince or LISC demonstrating that the proposed grantee is in "good standing" and has performed well under the terms of the relevant grant. Regrantees do not need to take any additional steps to obtain this letter — the MacArthur Foundation will obtain this letter directly from its funding partners.
Evidence of Grant
Successful applicants will be expected to sign a grant agreement.
Reporting
At the conclusion of grant period, a successful applicant will be expected to submit a written report up to five pages describing the activities funded by the grant and what was learned or accomplished through the use of the grant funds. In addition, we encourage the submission of any audio, video, photos, or press related to your exchange.
Restrictions on Use of Funds
- Grant funds must be used in accordance with applicable law.
- Any travel or expenses associated with the grant including hotels and other accommodations, must be reasonable and necessary to accomplish the grant purpose(s).
- Additional expense guidelines will be made available to successful applicants.
Updated December 21, 2011
Phone: (312) 726-8000