Congratulations on receiving a Creation and Presentation (C&P) grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board this year! It's particularly significant as it comes to you during the WI Arts Board's 50th Anniversary Year.
In celebration of its 50th Anniversary, the Wisconsin Arts Board has created a special Mark, to be used in all printed and online materials related to your artistic work this year. You'll find it easily in the 50th Anniversary Media Kit resource, where you can access all versions of the celebratory Mark and usage guidelines. In addition to the resources linked below, we've also created a Sample 50th Anniversary Program Ad to be used by grant recipients in this 50th anniversary year.
What Comes Next?
1. Notify your stakeholders (board, staff, members, etc.) - this is something we strongly recommend
2. Notify your government officials (governor/senator/representative) - this is something we require
- Write a letter of thanks to the Governor. Explain the importance of state support and how that support not only helps you/your organization but also the state as a whole.
- Write a letter of thanks to your state senator and state representative. Explain the importance of state support of the arts and how this grant will affect you (individual) or your organization.
3. Notify your local media - this is something we strongly recommend
- Send out a media release announcing your grant award. Explain the importance of state support of the arts, how this will impact your community and the significant role the Wisconsin Arts Board plays in the states artistic health.
- Issue a photo release of yourself/your team with the check you received. Share the enthusiasm and great need to continue to have state arts support.
4. Market the award on your website/print collateral/signage - this is something we require
- Place the Wisconsin Arts Board logo on your site and explain who they are and that you have received support for your work
- Insert the Wisconsin Arts Board logo on all print collateral of the project supported by the grant. Share that funds were received from the State of Wisconsin to support your work.
- If you have signage at your business, share your grant success with your customers/visitors/patrons. Use the Wisconsin Arts Board logo and have a one-sheet available on what the Wisconsin Arts Board does for you and your community.
5. Track the impact of your grant - this is something we require
- Throughout the year, track the number of people that your organization serves, including youth.
- If possible, track the social/economic impact of this grant within your community (including its impact on youth, elders, within communities of color, within the disability community, etc.). Here's a helpful tool for tracking this data: https://ww2.americansforthearts.org/explorer
- Track exactly where the funds were used (personnel, marketing, production costs, etc.). This information will be required for your final report.
- Document people engaging with your artistic work
- Share photos and media and also explain that this is supported through a grant of the Wisconsin Arts Board.
- Share photos online and link/tag the Wisconsin Arts Board
- Gather credit information, when available.
- Keep track of program successes or areas where improvements could be made.
Grant Recipient Quick Links
- The Wisconsin Arts Board is the state agency which nurtures creativity, cultivates expression, promotes the arts, supports the arts in education, stimulates community and economic development and serves as a resource for people of every culture and heritage. For more information on the Wisconsin Arts Board, please visit artsboard.wisconsin.gov.
- Wisconsin Arts Board Fast Facts FY 24
Government Contact Resources
FAQs
Where do the funds for this grant originate? The C&P Program is funded with money from the state of Wisconsin (approved by the Legislature and the Governor), and from the National Endowment for the Arts. Your specific grant award might include funding from one or both of these sources. If it contains federal funds, you'll have received information about that in the grant award letter that was emailed to you recently with your completed grant agreement in SmartSimple.
How does the Creation & Presentation application cycle work? C&P grants are generally on a four-year cycle. Once you're in the Full Year application cycle with the rest of your arts discipline peer organizations, then over the next three years you just submit Interim Year applications – a much simpler process. This four-year cycle lightens your application load over time and allows you to project with some confidence what your grant amount will be for your three Interim Year grants.
Why do we ask that you involve your board members? There are two main reasons that we require one of your board members to take on the role of leading the rest of the board in communicating with legislators and the Governor about this grant. This practice engages the board more closely in this process of articulating your organization's value to the broader community, and it lightens the staff workload for organizations that have staff. Sample letters are linked in the Government Contact Resources section above for you to consider as you write your own. They focus on thanking the legislators and Governor for their support of the WAB and for investing public funding in the arts; and they describe the important impact of your organization's work within the community that you (and your legislators/Governor) serve.