Creative Communities Grant Recipient Resources

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​​​​​​​Congratulations on receiving a Creative Communities grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board this year!  We have sent an award letter​ to the primary contact listed in your application through the Smart Simple grant platform. 

Your award is particularly significant as it comes to you during the WI Arts Board's 50th Anniversary Year.​

In celebration of its 50th Anniversary, the Wisconsin A​rts 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.

If you wish to view the panel’s discussion of your application, you will find that recording under the Grant Review Panel Meetings section of the Arts Board's YouTube channel. Contact staff if you need assistance: artsboard@wisconsin.gov.

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To activate your grant award, follow the steps outlined below: ​​

What Comes Next?

1. Complete your grant agreement.

  • Log in to SmartSimple.
  • Access your grant agreement by selecting In Progress under the Requires Attention section of your SmartSimple home page.
  • Open the item that says Grant Agreement in the Activity Type column.
  • If your grant award is less than your original requested amount by more than $100, click the Open Grant Revision Report to complete, scan and upload this report.
  • Complete, scan and upload the Credit Line and Logo Use Form​.
  • Click the Open Grant Agreement button. Print and sign the grant agreement, then scan and upload the signed document as a PDF file. Upon receipt, we will add our signature and upload a copy of the final completed contract back to that site for your records.

2. Notify your stakeholders (board, staff, members, etc.) - this is something we strongly recommend 

3. Notify your government officials (governor/senator/representative) - this is something we require (sample letter below)

  • At the bottom of this resource page under "Government Contact Resources," you'll find a link to a sample letter.   
  • 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. 

  • If your legislator is on the Joint Committe on Finance, plea​se send them a letter of thanks, explaining the importance of state support of the arts and how that support benefits not only you/your organization but also the state as a whole. 

4. 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 state's artistic health. 
  • Issue a photo release of yourself/your team with th​e check you received. Share the enthusiasm and great need to continue to have state arts support.

5. 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 what the Arts Board is and that you have received support for your work. Access the logo here: https://artsboard.wisconsin.gov/pages/AboutWAB/DownloadWABLogo.aspx
  • Insert the Wisconsin Arts Board logo on all print collateral of the project supported by the grant. 
  • Insert the National Endowment for the Arts logo on all print collateral of the project supported by the grant. Access the logo here: http://arts.gov/grants/manage-your-award/nea-logo. 
  • The credit line language to use is: "This [project/program] is supported in part by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts."​​

6. Track the impact of your grant - this is something we require

  • Throughout the year, track the number of people that your project serves, including youth.
  • 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 photo credit information, when available. 
  • K​eep track of program successes or areas where improvements could be made.​​
  • 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.). Americans for the Arts has developed a helpful tool for tracking this data: https://ww2.americansforthearts.org/explorer.

7. Submit your final report for this project by the date specified within your grant agreement - this is something we require​

  • After you login, you will see the home screen with two sections. The top section titled Welcome… shows the in-progress and approved/declined applications.
  • The section titled Requires Attention shows the in-progress and submitted activities associated with your applications. The final report is one of these activities.


Grant Recipient Quick Links