NALAC Fund for the Arts (NFA)

The NFA marks its fifth funding cycle in 2009 and is made possible with major support from the Ford Foundation, the JPMorgan Chase Foundation, City of San Antonio Cultural Collaborative, Heineken USA and Southwest Airlines. 

The purpose of the NFA is to provide financial support to Latino working artists and small and mid-sized Latino arts organizations* in communities across the country.  Additionally, NALAC strives to strengthen Latino artists and Latino arts organizations through direct training and technical assistance.

The NALAC Fund for the Arts grant program aims to:

 •   Encourage the creation and presentation of works by independent Latino artists and ensembles;

•    Provide operating support to help build the internal capacity of small to mid-sized Latino arts organizations;

•    Recognize community-based projects that exhibit a high level of artistic excellence; and

•    Strengthen communities by investing in the cultural assets and human and social capital of Latinos in the U.S.

New requirement in the 2009 Funding Cycle:

Artists and organizations who received NFA funding in the 2008-2009 cycle must wait one year before applying to the NFA again. These grantees will be eligible to apply in 2010.

All funding requests must be submitted in accordance with NALAC Fund for the Arts Guidelines.

Whom and What We Fund

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) Latino arts organizations*

*A Latino arts organization is defined as one whose mission is focused on Latino art and culture, whose executive or artistic director is Latino and/or has a board of directors that is at least 51% Latino. In order to apply, an organization must

Be a member of NALAC;                (Not a member? Become one NOW )

Be in existence for at least one fiscal year before applying;

Have operating budgets of $1,000,000 or less; and

Have professional staff, paid or unpaid, able to devote the time necessary to accomplish the proposed objectives.

Latino arts organizations meeting these requirements may apply for:

•    General operating support

•    Support for capacity-building initiatives

•    Project support

Organizations that received NFA grants in the last funding cycle (2008-2009) cycle are not eligible to apply in 2009.

NOTE:

The term "project" is used in these guidelines to refer to specific projects as well as general operating support, capacity-building initiatives, professional development and project research.

Latino artists

Artists interested in applying for an NFA grant must

Be a member of NALAC; and         (Not a member? Become one NOW )

Be at least 18 years of age.

Whether working solo or as ensembles,  Latino artists in the U.S. may apply for support for:

•    Professional or career development

•    Creation, development and presentation of work

•    Project research and project support

Artists who received NFA funding in the 2008-2009 cycle are not eligible to apply in 2009.

Master Artist Grant

The NALAC Fund for the Arts Master Artist Grant was created to recognize an established Latino artist for his/her work in their community and to provide support that enables the Master Artist to serve as a mentor to another artist in the community.

An award for $20,000 will be given to one Master artist to support their project and enable them to mentor another artist. The award will also be used to provide a small grant to the mentee.

Eligibility
The Master artist must:

•    Be an established artist with at least ten years working in his/her artistic capacity

•    Provide a grant from the award amount to a mentoring Latino artist

•    Demonstrate recognition within his or her community as an exemplary practitioner in their work.

•    Be a member of NALAC. Visit the membership page for more details

   
ARTISTIC DISCIPLINES

            Dance
            Interdisciplinary arts
            Literary arts
            Media arts
            Multidisciplinary arts    
            Music
            Performance art
            Theater arts
            Visual arts



What We Do Not Fund

>Grantees from the 2008-2009 NFA cycle are not eligible to apply for this year’s grant.  
> Social functions, parties and receptions
> Retroactive funding
> Debt reduction
> Capital campaigns
> College and University projects/groups
>Student work or an academic supported artist/project/program

Range of Grants

Latino artists and organizations: $2,500 to $10,000

Master Artist Grant: $20,000

Project Dates

Projects must begin after November 1, 2009 and must end by September 30, 2010

Please note: According to the NFA Timeline, notification of awards will be mailed out in December 2009. Although your project may begin in November 2009, you will not receive notification until December as to whether or not your project will receive NFA funding.

Availability of Funds
 
Awards will be sent by certified mail January 2010

The Application and Selection Process

Organizations
Artists

Applicants are required to upload their application and most of their work samples. Hard copies must also be mailed to the NALAC by July 13, 2009. Once the application has been submitted electronically, a confirmation email will be automatically sent to the email address provided in the Basic Information Form. Further instructions are included in the email as to how to submit the hard copies. If you do not receive a confirmation email, then your application was not successfully submitted to NALAC. Please do not call the NALAC offices to confirm if your application was received. It is highly recommended to send your application package using a delivery confirmation to ensure delivery. Due to the number of materials submitted, NALAC staff cannot assist in confirming if your materials are received.

Application Review Process

•    NALAC staff will do a preliminary review of the application packages to ensure they are complete before submitting them to national peer review panels of Latino artists and arts professionals.

•    The multidisciplinary review panels will make their recommendations to the NALAC Board of Directors for formal approval and authorization.

Review Criteria

The following review criteria will serve as a guide for making funding decisions.

Artists

Artistic Merit

+ Artistic significance of the proposed activity
+ Demonstrates artistic and creative excellence
+ Uniqueness of project and/or opportunity

NOTE: For the purpose of these guidelines, the term "project" is used to refer to specific projects as well as general operating support, capacity-building initiatives, project research and professional development.

Funding Impact

+ Potential to enhance professional development
+ Participation of and /or connection to local Latino community
+ Potential to broaden and/or deepen knowledge, understanding & appreciation of Latino arts and culture
+ Representation of under-served populations and/or diverse geographic regions

Capability
+ Reasonable budget for scope of project
+ Ability to effectively evaluate goals and outcomes



Organizations
Artistic Merit

+ Artistic significance of the proposed activity
+ Demonstrates artistic and creative excellence
+ Uniqueness of project and/or opportunity

NOTE: For the purpose of these guidelines, the term "project" is used to refer to specific projects as well as project research and professional development.

Funding Impact

+Potential for creating long-term tangible benefit for the organization
+Ability to use the NFA award to leverage further funding
+Participation of and /or connection to local Latino community
+Potential to broaden and/or deepen knowledge, understanding and appreciation of Latino arts and culture
+Potential to reach under-served populations and/or diverse geographic regions

Capability

+ Financial and administrative ability to carry out the proposed objective
+ Reasonable budget for scope of project
+ Ability to effectively evaluate goals and outcomes


NALAC Mission

The National Association of Latino Arts and Culture (NALAC) is dedicated to the preservation, development and promotion of the cultural and artistic expressions of the diverse Latino populations of the United States. Through this effort, NALAC is committed to continuing struggle for the elimination of racism, sexism, ageism and discrimination against gay, lesbian and physically challenged populations. The objective is to recognize and support the varied standards of excellence grounded in the aesthetics and traditions of our root cultures.