General Queens Arts Fund (QAF) Questions

When is the deadline for the QAF grant applications?

 All 2012 grant deadlines have passed. Grant applications for projects happening in 2013 are due Thursday, October 11, 2012 for NYSCA and DCA funded grants and Tuesday, October 4, 2012 for JP Morgan Chase funded grants.

How do I apply for a QAF grant?

Please review all grant guidelines carefully to determine eligibility and take note of application assistance, video tutorials, and other available resources. All eligible QAF applicants must fill out and submit their grant application online using the CueRate e-grant system.

What resources are available to me as I prepare my application?

Arts Fund Coordinator Katie Tuss is available to answer questions and read application drafts. You may contact her at ktuss@queenscouncilarts.org or (347) 505-3019. All requests for review should be made at least two weeks in advance of the deadline. Applicants may also attend a grant application workshop or one-on-one appointment with a QCA staff member, watch the QAF video tutorials or download the additional grant resources.

How much time do I have to complete a QAF funded project?

QAF funding is for the calendar year. All proposed projects must be completed between January and December of the year you receive the grant.

What happens after I turn in my QAF application?

QCA staff will review your application for completeness and contact you via email if your application is incomplete. Please check your email regularly after submitting your application as you will have a short amount of time to fix any application problems. A panel comprised of 5-7 art administrators, community leaders and artists will review the QAF applications and decide on funding recommendations. The QCA executive board will review the recommendations and NYC DCA, NYSCA, and JP Morgan Chase will provide final approval.

When will I find out if I received a QAF grant?

Letters of notification will be sent before the end of December of the application year.

When is the QAF money awarded?

Checks will be handed out at the awards ceremony in mid-January.

Can I find out what was said about my application in the panel review?

Yes, please email or call Katie to receive your panel comments. It is helpful to review panel comments even if you received funding, as they provide applicants valuable information for future grant applications.

Questions About Fiscal Sponsorship

Does my fiscal sponsor have to be based in Queens?

Organizations and individual artist applicants to the NYSCA DEC grant for organizations must have a Queens-based fiscal sponsor. Organizations and individual artist applicants to the DCA GNYADF grant for organizations may use a fiscal sponsor based outside of Queens such as The Field, NYFA, or Fractured Atlas.

If I am using a fiscal sponsor, whose contact information should I use on the application?

List information for the fiscal sponsor under the “Organization Information” section of the application. Under the “Fiscal Sponsorship” section, mark yes and list the sponsored organization’s information.

If I am using a fiscal sponsor, whose budgetary and financial information should I use?

Use financial information for the sponsored organization, not the fiscal sponsor. Do use the fiscal sponsor’s proof of non-profit status.

May I use a non-arts organization as a fiscal sponsor?

Yes, any 501(c)3 organization may serve as a fiscal sponsor. Applicants for the NYSCA funded QAF grant must have a Queens-based fiscal sponsor.

Questions About the QAF Organization Grant Guidelines

What is the difference between the NYSCA and DCA funded QAF grants for organizations?

An organization can apply for up to 3 different projects totaling no more than $5,000 for the NYSCA funded QAF grant. The DCA funded grant for organizations is for only one project totaling no more than $5,000. If you apply for a NYSCA funded grant for more than one project, it is required that the projects serve distinctly unique audiences.

What if my non-profit is based somewhere outside of the borough but the proposed project will take place in Queens?

Organizations with non-profit status must be based in Queens. However, if your organization is not a 501c3, you may apply with a Queens-based fiscal sponsor.

Can an individual artist or an organization apply for more than one grant?

If you meet the guideline criteria, you may apply for more than one grant. However, QAF is a competitive process and not all requests are funded. Applicants are encouraged to select the grant which best suits their needs and submit a complete and detailed  application. Please keep in mind that organizations that have never been funded will be given priority in the panel meeting.

Can my organization apply for the NYSCA and DCA funded QAF grants for the same project?

Yes, but it is important that the organization shows that at least 20% of the project total expenses is funded by non-QCA sources. This additional funding should be listed on the grant application under the Budget-Income section.

Can my organization apply for the JP Morgan Chase funded grant if it is not strictly an arts organization?

Yes, but applicants that are arts organizations will be given priority in the panel meeting.

Questions About the QAF Individual Artist Grant Guidelines

Does the NYSCA and DCA funded grants for individual artists fund performances of other artist’s work?

No, this grant is intended to fund the creation of new work by composers, choreographers, playwrights, non-fiction and fiction literary artists, poets and spoken word artists.

Can musicians, dancers or actors apply for the individual artist grant for performing artists?

You may apply if you are submitting an original piece of work. The individual artist grant for performing artists is intended to fund composers, choreographers, playwrights, non-fiction and fiction literary artists, poets and spoken word artists. This grant is not for musicians, dancers or actors performing pieces created by other artists.

Questions About the QAF Application Requirements

Do I have to attend a grant application workshop?

If you are applying to QAF for the first time it is mandatory that you complete a QAF application orientation prior to the application deadline. There are three ways you can fulfill this requirement. You may attend an application workshop, view the video tutorials on our website, or attend a one-on-one meeting with a QCA staff member.

Does it diminish my grant application to include other donors in the budget income page?

No, including other donors is not only required (see question below) but encouraged. Having other support for the proposed project strengthens the proposal.

The guidelines state that I must show 20% of my project income from other sources. What does that mean?

20% of the money used to cover the project total expenses must be from a source other than QCA. This 20% should be included in the Budget-Income portion of the application. For instance if the total budget expenses for the proposed project is $3,000, then in the Budget-Income you must show that at least $600 (20% of $3,000) is funded by a source other than QAF grants.

Can I list another QAF grant as this 20%?

No. Additional support must be from a non-QCA source.

Can the total project expenses exceed the grant award amount? If it does, should the additional expenses be included in the project budget

Yes, your proposed project should exceed the grant award amount since you are responsible to fund 20% of the project from non-QCA funds (see question above) Include all of the expenses and all of the income for the proposed project in the application. If you are applying for $3,000 from QAF, but the entire project will cost $6,000, complete the budget for the full $6,000.

What is considered an in-kind donation?

An in-kind donation includes donated services, materials or venues.

How do I find out my legislator district numbers?

To locate your NYC Council number, NYS Senate number, NYS Assembly number, and US House of Representatives number, enter your address into the search on the League of Women Voters of the City of NY website.

To locate your Community Board number visit The NYC government website. In the upper left hand corner there is a drop down menu. Use this drop down menu to choose “Community Board List.”

Do I need to have a letter of agreement from the venue where my proposed project is going to be?

You are not required to include a venue letter of agreement in the attachment section of your application. You are required to list the venue or venues you plan on using in the body of the grant application and explain why the venue is appropriate for your project.

Questions About CueRate

What is CueRate?

CueRate is an online e-grant application system. All components of the QAF grant application are submitted through CueRate.

What if I forget my CueRate password?

You do not have to call QCA to get your CueRate password. The CueRate sign in page has a “click here” button to prompt the system to retrieve your password.

I am not good with computers, can I mail my attachments?

No, QCA will not accept any mailed materials. Please contact QCA well in advance of the deadline with questions or find a technology savvy friend to assist you.

What is the maximum size for attachments to the CueRate application?

Attachments can not exceed 2MB per each attachment.

I am having trouble uploading attachments to the CueRate application. Am I doing something wrong?

It is important to remember that attachments can not exceed 2MB in size and attachment file names should be comprised of letters and numbers ONLY. No spaces, punctuation or symbols. File type should be .pdf, .jpg or .doc.

How do I attach a video work sample to my CueRate application?

All video work samples should be embedded in the CueRate application. You can begin by uploading your sample to a video sharing site like Vimeo or YouTube. Please do not create a password for your video as QCA can not access password protected videos. Once your video is uploaded to a video sharing site, copy and paste the unique EMBED code into the CueRate application. Click here to watch the video upload tutorial for Vimeo. Click here to watch the video embedding tutorial.

Questions About Serving as a Panelist

How do I get selected to serve as a QAF or Queens Arts in the Schools panelist?

 Email your resume to Katie Tuss, ktuss@queenscouncilarts.org, with a short paragraph explaining why you are interested in serving as a panelist and what your connection is to the arts and the Queens community.