I am calling from ... Ohio, Mississippi, Florida, etc. Am I eligible to apply to the Jerome Foundation?
The Jerome Foundation funds artists and not-for-profit arts organizations located in Minnesota and the five boroughs of New York City. The address of the applicant must be a permanent legal address. Some organizations have multiple office sites. For the Jerome Foundation's purposes, the primary business office of the organization must be located in New York City or Minnesota. The artists who benefit from Jerome Foundation funded program must be residents of New York City or Minnesota.
When is the deadline for applications?
In the Jerome Foundation's General Program, there are no deadlines. Applications are processed on a first come, first served basis and scheduled for review in one of five Board Meetings each year. The Foundation does not fund retroactively, so proposals should take that into account.
How long does it take to review my application; and what is the process for reviewing it?
It takes the Foundation four to five months to review and take action upon a request. Many people begin the process by contacting the Foundation via telephone, email, or letter to present their program and their organization. Staff often meets with prospective applicants to discuss their proposals either before or after submission. Once a proposal is received by the Foundation, it takes several weeks for the Foundation staff to complete its initial review. Applicants will hear from a Foundation staff person regarding questions the Foundation has about the proposal and additional information required.
This process of questioning and submission of information may take four months. Jerome Foundation staff is responsible for doing independent research on the proposal, checking references, and analyzing its with the Foundation's mission. Once that process is completed, the proposal is forwarded to the Board of Directors of the Jerome Foundation, along with a staff recommendation. The Directors receive these materials two weeks in advance of their meeting. When they come together to make decisions, they may decide to fund the proposal, decline to fund the proposal, or table it pending submission of additional information. If a grant is approved, it takes the Foundation at least three weeks to issue the first payment. There is a letter of agreement that must be signed and returned before that first payment is issued. If a proposal is declined, staff notifies the applicant within two weeks of the Board meeting.
How do I set a meeting with a foundation staff person; and how do I have a representative from the foundation attend one of my performances, exhibitions, or events?
Contact one of the Jerome Foundation's Program staff members to set an appointment time. Send notice of upcoming events to Foundation staff. The Jerome Foundation staff cannot see everything an organization produces, but staff will try to see work on a regular basis. If any of your programs can be seen during the day, as opposed to the evening, please make certain that Jerome staff is aware of those dates and times.
The definition is contextual. The Foundation seeks to support those artists who have significant potential yet who are under-recognized and have not received acknowledgment as established creators from fellow artists and other arts professionals. Examples of recognition and acknowledgment include exhibitions, reviews, commissions, performances, grant awards, residencies, fellowships, publications and productions.
The Foundation understands that such factors as race, gender, and geography play a role in determining whether or not an artist is emerging. In some cases, the definition will be tied to career progression, as it has been commonly understood; in other cases, it will follow a more community-based, individually determined progression in an artist's development. The term emerging refers to artistic development, professional accomplishment and recognition, not to stylistic evolution within an artist's work. Students are not eligible for Jerome Foundation subsidy.
If I do receive a grant, how quickly can I get the money?
Each grant requires completion of a signed contract. The paperwork necessary to release the funds must then be processed. This takes a minimum of three weeks. In most cases, payment dates are flexible. If a suggested payment schedule doesn't fit a grantee's plans, the Foundation will make the necessary adjustment.
If I receive a grant, how often must I report on the progress of the project?
Grantees are required to submit interim and/or final reports, established by the Foundation in its grant notification letter.
May an individual or group of artists apply for support?
The General Program is open to not-for-profit organizations; however, the Foundation will accept proposals submitted by fiscal sponsors on behalf of artists, groups of artists, and new organizations.
