Application Instructions

Below are guides to some portions of the Grant Application Form for Community Arts Access, Institutional Support, Professional Development, and Special Projects. 

Some general guidelines:

• Copy application forms as needed. Copies submitted to the Council on the Arts must be single-sided. 
• Please complete all spaces on the form. If an item does not apply to you for this particular grant, place “N/A” (not applicable) in the space. 

Applicant Name

• This is the legal name of your organization or your own legal name if applying as an individual. In either case, use the name that is used on your state and federal tax forms. 
• If you are a parent-teacher association or organization operating under your school or school district’s name (for example, Olson School District pays the bills for Olson Parent Teacher Association, write “the legal name of school/school district” d.b.a. (doing business as) “name of association/organization,” such as “Olson School District d.b.a. Olson Parent Teacher Association.” 

Federal Employer ID Number

• This is the nine digit number issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to all business entities. 

North Dakota Nonprofit ID Number

• This is the identification number issued by the North Dakota Secretary of State's office. Non-North Dakota applicants should use the appropriate equivalent identification number issued by your state. Schools should use their tax-exempt number issued by the State Tax Department instead of the North Dakota Nonprofit ID Number.

IRS 501(c)(3) Determination Date

• This is the date your organization was granted tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service. North Dakota public schools are tax exempt by law.

State Legislative District

• This is the state House of Representatives district number in which the applicant is located.

Organization’s Fiscal Activity

• Organization’s most recently completed fiscal year (ending): this refers to the fiscal year your organization operates on. 
• Total expenses for most recently completed fiscal year: this is the total of your expenses for the most recently completed fiscal year and includes all of the organization’s expenses, not only those related to the activity. (Parent Teacher Associations and Organizations should submit the figure for the organization's expenses not the school's.)
• Total income for most recently completed fiscal year: this includes all manner of actual cash income into your organization during the most recently completed fiscal year. It includes ticket sales, memberships, donations, grants, etc. as well as funds from government entities (including the Council on the Arts). This does not include in-kind contributions.

Activity Beginning Date/Activity Ending Date

• Time period of activity for which you are seeking Council support. An activity’s beginning and ending dates must occur within the same Council fiscal year (July 1 through June 30). 
• Applicants to the Institutional Support program may leave this section blank.

Anticipated Beneficiaries

• This is an estimated number of persons (artists, children/youth, and total number of individuals) expected to benefit from your activity. These numbers must be based on some verifiable figure such as season ticket sales, single ticket sales, or organization memberships. Actual number benefiting must be verified on final reports. 

Authorization

• The authorizing official is the person responsible for the administration of any grant funds that may be received. 

Grant-Writer

• The grant-writer is the person who prepared the grant for submission, that is filled in the forms, wrote the answers to the narrative questions, and assembled the other necessary documents. Complete this section only if the grant-writer is an individual other than the “contact person” in the “Applicant” section of the grant application form.

Proposed Activity Expenses

• If applying for Community Arts Access, Lewis and Clark, Professional Development, or Special Projects, expenses should cover only those costs directly associated with your proposed activity and, if necessary, be prorated for that activity. 
• Costs for Institutional Support should include the entire fiscal year.

Costs for lines 1 through 6 must only represent items for which actual cash is paid. Volunteer services must be listed under line 8 “In-kind.”

1. Organization Personnel: any administrative, artistic, technical/production, and arts education members of your organization’s staff. 
2. Outside Professional Services: any outside services, artistic and otherwise, with which your organization must contract. Any services which are not artistic (such as administrative or janitorial) must be listed on a separate sheet of paper.
3. Space Rental: office, rehearsal, and performance spaces.
4. Travel: for any travel, lodging, and subsistence costs. Currently, the state reimbursement rate is $0.375 per mile for travel, $50.00 (plus tax) per day for lodging, and $25.00 per day for subsistence. Contact the Council on the Arts at 701-328-7590 for current rates.
5. Marketing and Advertising: includes production and distribution costs of any publicity materials.
6. Remaining Operating Expenses: any expenses not covered by the above five lines.
7. Capital Expenditures and Acquisitions: any permanent acquisitions, construction, or remodeling; non-expendable items.
8. Total In-kind Contributions: any donations which have cash value. This includes any expenses that would be listed in the above lines 1-6, but for which actual cash is not paid. Cash value of these expenses should be based on fair market value of the items, services, etc. donated. These in-kind contributions must be listed along with their estimated cost on a separate sheet of paper.
9. Total Operating Expenses: The total of lines 1 through 8; must equal "Total Operating Income" (line 20 below).

Proposed Activity Income

• If applying for Community Arts Access, Lewis and Clark, Professional Development, or Special Projects, income should cover only those costs directly associated with your proposed activity and, if necessary, be prorated for that activity. 
• Income for Institutional Support should include the entire fiscal year.

Income for lines 10 through 17 must be actual cash. Volunteer services must be listed under line 18 “In-kind.”

10. Admissions: ticket revenue, free will offering, etc.
11. Contracted Services Revenue: any revenue produced as a result of services you provide to an outside entity. List specific sources and income on a separate sheet of paper.
12. Other Revenue: any revenue not covered by either the above 2 lines or by lines 13 through 16 below. List specific sources and income on a separate sheet of paper.
13. Corporate Support: donations from corporations and other businesses. List specific sources and income on a separate sheet of paper.
14. Foundation Support: donations/awards from private foundations. List specific sources and income on a separate sheet of paper.
15. Other Private Support: any revenue not covered in lines 13 and 14. Includes memberships, individual donations, sponsorships, etc. List specific sources and income on a separate sheet of paper.
16. Government Support: Using the categories below, list specific sources and income on a separate sheet of paper.

• Federal: do not include grants from the National Endowment for the Arts
• State/Regional: include actual grants awarded by the Council on the Arts for fiscal year 2004 here. List the Council grant request for fiscal year 2005 on line 19, not here.
• Local: city/county commissions and agencies, school boards, etc.

17. Applicant Cash-on-Hand: actual cash applicant already possesses and has reserved for activity.
18. Total In-Kind Contributions: must equal line 8 in “Proposed Activity Expenses.”
19. Council on the Arts Grant Amount Requested: see specific program guidelines for maximum amounts allowed.
20. Total Operating Income: The total of lines 10 through 19; must equal "Total Operating Expenses" (line 9 above).

Applicant Profile

• Fill in all of the blanks with the appropriate letters or numbers. Select only one in each category unless otherwise stated.