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Upcoming Grant Writing Workshops, Grant Tips, Staff & News!
Upcoming Grant Writing Workshops
The Iowa Arts Council will offer a series of grant writing workshops across the state for Iowa artists, educators, communities and organizations seeking funding support for arts-related activities that benefit Iowans.
Workshop participants will hear from grant program managers on what review panels expect to see in grant proposals, new granting programs and changes to program guidelines.
IAC staff also will discuss the outcome of a weeklong kaizen process
that cut six weeks out of its previous 10-week review process for major grant
applications. The move is critical because it gives grant applicants more control
over their project plans and greater flexibility in seeking additional funding
sources.
Kaizen is a business model Iowa state government is finding increasingly
helpful in standardizing and streamlining complex processes. "Kai"
is a Japanese word indicating change, and "zen" means for good of all.
Workshops are scheduled for:
• November 14, 2005, 1-4 p.m. at the Octagon Art Center in Ames
• January 30, 2006, 1-4 p.m. at the Sioux City Public Museum in Sioux City.
Iowans interested in attending a workshop can register on-line or they can sponsor a grant writing workshop in their local area by visiting the IAC Web site and completing a request form. For more information, please call the Iowa Arts Council at 515-281-5111.
Nevinski Joins IAC Staff
An already-familiar face to the Iowa Arts Council has now joined its staff! Staci Nevinski, who serves as the part-time executive director of the Iowa Cultural Coalition, began in August as the IAC’s grants panel manager. Her duties include creating and maintaining a pool of potential grant panelists that IAC staff can draw from each year for major grant reviews.
“So far this year, I’ve had interest from over 80 people who would like to sit on a panel for either the upcoming review in October or the one in April,” Nevinski said. “From that group, I helped the IAC choose the 12 people who will attend a 3-day retreat to read and discuss the grant applications and make their recommendations.”
Nevinski has been active with the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs and volunteers her time to assist with department projects and special events, and was involved with the Young Iowans Cultural Council. In 2003, she worked with the Iowa Historical Foundation as its membership and facility rental coordinator. She has a degree in computer science/mathematics and art from Buena Vista University.
Nevinski can be reached most easily by e-mail at Staci.Nevinski@iowa.gov.
September Grant Writing Tip – Save a Staple, Save Time
One of the important guidelines to follow when submitting grant applications to the Iowa Arts Council is not to use staples, report covers or any other kind of bindery for your proposal. Because of the volume of applications received by Iowa Arts Council staff, having to take time to remove all staples, clips or covers from applications only slows down the process. If you have questions about grant submittal procedures, please contact Linda Lee, grants manager, at Linda.Lee@iowa.gov or 515-242-6194.
Want an IAC Grant? It’s Now Easier Than Ever!
As a result of the Iowa Arts Council’s recent efforts to simplify funding, several positive changes were implemented in August:
• A simplified mini grant process;
• earlier notification;
• checks in the mail sooner; and
• a streamlined review process.
For details, visit the list of changes available on the Web site.
Anyone interested in being a panel reviewer should contact
Staci Nevinski at Staci.Nevinski@iowa.gov.
