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by Meleia Williamson, Grants Director

Writing a grant for your arts program may seem like a daunting task, but I have encouraging news. From organizations that have been making requests for years to first-time applicants, the Oklahoma Arts Council is here to provide aid in your grant application process.

Did you know that we are able to offer a ‘fresh set of eyes’ for applicants who provide us with a rough draft weeks prior to their deadline? We will review your draft and offer suggestions on how to improve the application prior to your submission. This is a wonderful opportunity for organizations to advance their grant application efforts.

For those organizations in the Major Grant Support category, we are accepting drafts of your grant applications through December 1. By submitting a draft to us we can help you avoid some common flaws often seen in applications, and we can offer tips to correct them.

Here are two common flaws we often see with grant applications:

1) The budget does not match the narrative.

Tip: Take time before you submit your application to see if your narratives are giving the proper detail about the expenses and income included in the budget. Let?s say your marketing narrative only details using social media and a PSA radio spot, but your marketing expense is listed at $1,000. The authenticity of your budget will come into question when the application goes before panel review.

2) The evaluation section of your program is not obtaining information that demonstrates the effectiveness of the program.

Tip: Evaluations allow you, as an organization, to identify information about the extent to which you have (or have not) reached your intended audience. Just asking if an audience member liked the show is not going far enough; why did they like the program, or where did they hear about the program? Providing these types of questions in your evaluations will offer greater clarity to determine if your program worked as you had planned.

I encourage you to consider how these changes will not only bolster your applications but also put your organization in a position to intensify the role the arts plays in your community now and for the future. If you have questions regarding this information or would like to discuss your application with an OAC staff member, please call Meleia Williamson at (405) 521-2040 or email meleia.williamson@arts.ok.gov.