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2012 Edward & Sally Van Lier Arts Fellowships Request for Proposals

Advancing the Professional Development of Disadvantaged Young Artists at the Pre-College Level in All Artistic Disciplines


Overview
The Edward and Sally Van Lier Fund in The New York Community Trust provides support for talented, culturally diverse, economically disadvantaged young people who are seriously dedicated to a career in the arts. Grants from this fund will provide assistance to arts groups in all disciplines that identify, train, and support young artists in their pre-college years. 

Grants will be made to a small number of organizations to provide fellowships to talented young people for training and related costs for up to three years. The purpose of the fellowships is to help young artists to achieve a significant career development milestone, such as acceptance into a conservatory, a professional company, or another advanced training program. Grants will range up to a maximum of $60,000 for each organization, depending upon the number and size of fellowships covered. The amount that the Fund will contribute to an individual fellowship will be up to $7,000 a year. A limited amount of organizational costs also will be covered.

Proposals are due at The Trust no later than 12 noon, April 30, 2012. Only complete proposals as specified in this Request for Proposals (RFP) will be considered.  Grants will be announced in October 2012.

Background and Purpose of the Van Lier Fund
    Two major goals of The Trust’s Arts and Culture Program are:
  • Promoting diversity, equity, and access in the arts; and
  • Developing talented young, culturally diverse, and disadvantaged artists.
The Edward and Sally Van Lier Fund, created by the will of Sally Van Lier, has provided The Trust with the opportunity to establish a fellowship program for younger artists to further these goals. Sally Van Lier was a theatrical performer in the New York theater in the 1920s and appeared in the original production of Showboat. Throughout their lives, she and her husband, Edward, were avid visitors to the City’s museums, concerts, and plays, and introduced many young people to the arts. The purpose of the Fund, which will perpetuate their generosity, is to provide educational assistance, training, and support for gifted young people of limited financial means who aspire to a career in the arts.

Grants are made to arts organizations and training programs for the following purposes: to provide education, training, or other support for gifted, culturally diverse, disadvantaged young people from New York City, who have a commitment to professional arts careers. Support is provided at two critical stages of development:
  • Pre-College—The period of training and self-development to prepare for college, conservatory, or advanced professional training.
  • Post-College—The first few years after completion of formal training when the artist seeks to establish a professional career.
Separate RFPs are issued yearly for each level of development. This RFP requests applications only from organizations serving young artists at the Pre-College Level.

Qualifications of Organizations
Grants will be made to tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) organizations that provide training and support to talented youngsters from New York City in all artistic disciplines. Priority will be given to small and mid-size groups with minimum budgets of $250,000. Applicants should offer a comprehensive set of classes and support services to prepare youngsters from families with limited resources to compete artistically, academically, and personally for scholarship places in advanced training programs. The quality of instruction should be of the highest order and, to the extent possible, provided by mature artists whose careers offer inspiration and who can be role models to young artists. Fellowships may cover appropriate services needed to ensure artistic development, such as: individual and small group classes; repertoire development; audition training; and funds for special clothing, equipment, and instruments, as well as for travel, and costs associated with parent involvement.

The fellowship activities and support may be provided directly by the sponsoring organization or in cooperation with another group. In all cases, the grantee organization will be responsible for: recruiting and selecting fellowship recipients; assuring that resources are provided; monitoring the artists’ progress over the term of the fellowship and tracking professional career developments after its completion. 

Terms of Award
Grant awards of up to $60,000 per organization, for up to three years, will be made to each selected organization to provide fellowships to at least three specifically identified youngsters. Grants will cover fellowship costs and a limited amount of other organizational costs. Funds may be used to enrich or expand an existing effort, or to begin a new program. The program should be of sufficient duration and intensity to ensure that participating youngsters will attain a significant career advancement milestone, such as admission to a college, conservatory, or other form of more advanced training, or acceptance into a professional company. Since the intent is to assist individual students over a period of several years, except in special circumstances, fellowship funds may not be shifted to other students during the term of the grant.

The Trust will require grantee organizations to submit periodic reports on the program as a whole and on the status of each fellowship recipient; and to establish procedures for tracking recipients’ artistic development for a minimum of two years after the fellowship is completed.

Review Criteria
Factors considered in selecting grantees include:
  1. Quality of instruction offered in the arts.
  2. History of achievement in identifying and training talented minority and economically disadvantaged youngsters.
  3. Depth of understanding of the support and services needed for youngsters to obtain admission to professional level programs—e.g., college, conservatory, or professional company. 
  4. Soundness of the organization’s management and the qualifications of its staff.
  5. Effectiveness in involving the families of participating youngsters.
  6. Completeness of monitoring and tracking procedures.
  7. Organizational plan for continuing and maintaining the fellowship program after Van Lier Fund support has concluded.

Proposal Specifications and Support Material
Proposals should not exceed 5 pages exclusive of budget and support materials, and should cover at least the following topics:
  1. The organization’s current programs for talented, economically disadvantaged youngsters, including: history; purpose; identification and recruitment procedures; disciplines offered; numbers of students; measures of success; ethnic groups, ages, and special populations served; and geographic areas covered.
  2. The methods used to determine the level of talent, interest, commitment, and financial need of potential Van Lier fellowship recipients.
  3. The number of youngsters who will be provided Van Lier fellowships, and length of expected support. Name and describe the fellowship recipients, or provide descriptions of potential recipients or prototypes. (Note: Youngsters who have previously received Van Lier fellowships from your organization or another arts training organization are not eligible.)
  4. A detailed description of the activities, resources, opportunities, and support services to be provided to fellowship recipients, including any direct financial support. If another organization will be involved, describe its role and provide information on its qualifications for this role.
  5. The organization’s approach to helping fellowship recipients select and apply to higher education and professional training institutions. 
  6. The organization’s plan for monitoring each youngster’s progress and for tracking their artistic achievements after the fellowship concludes.
  7. The organization’s plan for how to continue and support the fellowship program after Van Lier support has concluded.
  8. Previous Van Lier grant recipients should include a description of how Van Lier support has affected the organization overall. For example, did the Van Lier program help attract new, non-Van Lier culturally diverse students or help reinforce the organization’s commitment to diversifying its student body?
  9. Budget. Provide an overall budget for the fellowship program that includes The Trust’s contribution, along with other sources of support, if applicable. Please indicate if other funds are pending or confirmed. The expense budget should show the total cost of the fellowship program, including minimal organizational costs, and provide an itemization of the program costs per individual fellow that includes, for example, stipend, space rental, supplies, mentor honoraria.

Support materials should include:
  1. A cover letter requesting support from the Edward and Sally Van Lier Fund of The New York Community Trust for Pre-College fellowships, on your stationery and signed by your director.
  2. New York Community Trust proposal cover sheet:
  3. 501(c)(3) letter.
  4. Most recent organization flyer, brochure, or annual report (if available).
  5. Annotated list of Board of Directors.
  6. List of current funders.
  7. Most recent Audited Financial Statement.
  8. Agency operating budget for the current year; and projected budget(s) for the period of the grant request.
  9. Affirmative Action Policy.
  10. Brief bios of the organization’s artistic and professional staff.

Proposals must be delivered by 12 noon, April 30, 2012, to the office of The New York Community Trust. Faxed and emailed proposals are not acceptable. Please note that this is not a postmark deadline. Proposals received after the deadline will not be considered.

Contact and Program Administrator
Representatives of organizations interested in responding to this call for proposals may telephone The New York Community Trust for further information and answers to questions. All inquiries and applications should be addressed to:

                Ms. Kerry McCarthy
                Program Officer for Arts and Historic Preservation
                The New York Community Trust
                909 Third Avenue, 22nd Floor
                New York, NY 10022

                (212) 686-0010 x520

A Legacy of Nurturing Creativity

Sally Van LierSally Van Lier left her estate to The Trust to "provide educational assistance and training to gifted young persons who aspire to a career in the arts." Read how The Trust continues to carry out her wishes.

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