Project Support Program

Project Support provides a full program of guidance and services, including continuing education, networking opportunities, access to consultants, and resources for fundraising. We also offer fiscal sponsorship and managerial support to artists and arts organizations which lack administrative experience and infrastructure, so that they may produce temporary projects or begin to develop on-going organizations.

Through fiscal sponsorship in particular, the Project Support Program encourages funding agencies and contributors to fund new projects and emerging artists by ensuring that funds are well-managed and spent according to their guidelines.

Project Support is not a grant-making program. However, having a fiscal sponsor allows an individual to apply to many potential funders who do not accept applications from individuals. It also allows individual artists and small arts organizations to receive tax-deductible contributions.

As a fiscal sponsor, TRASA urban arts collective acts as the non-profit tax-exempt umbrella organization for specific projects, and accepts and administers contributions. This does not mean that we are the producers, fundraisers, or in any way connected to the content or actual production of these projects. All artistic and proprietary rights, title, interest in and to the completed project will belong to the Project Director and may be copyrighted in Project Director’s name.

Click here for a printable version of these guidelines.

Services

TRASA prefers to work closely with each sponsored project and to analyze its ability in terms of quality of work, programs and management. As a Project Sponsor, TRASA urban arts collective will provide:

  • General guidance regarding possible funding sources and guidelines.
  • Fiscal sponsorship of charitable grant applications and tax-deductible contributions, including monetary and in-kind donations.
  • Staff consultation on grant applications and reports to funders.
  • Formal acknowledgment to funding sources, including tax deduction letters to donors for cash or in-kind contributions (as permitted by IRS code).
  • Administration and management of all funds deposited with TRASA to ensure expenditures are in accordance with original proposals and contracts. This includes bookkeeping, IRS reporting, check-writing, and quarterly account statements.
  • Tracking of fees paid to individuals and administration of 1099 tax forms.
  • Information about securing liability insurance and Worker’s Compensation insurance.
  • Promotional assistance, including links from our website.
  • Priority access to TRASA's facilities and technical equipment.

Submission Guidelines

Proposals for Project Sponsorship must include the following information in the following order (please do not staple, package, or bind material):

1. Title Page. Include a one or two sentence description of the project, the length and format of the project, and contact information for the project director(s).

2. Project Narrative. (No more than 3 pages). Describe your project in detail. Include project goals, a timeline, a description of the intended audience and marketing strategy, and a statement describing what makes your project unique compared to others in your field.

3. Budget Information. Your budget must include all project costs for artistic as well as administrative personnel, fringe benefits (if applicable), travel, accommodations, materials, equipment, etc. Please include a budget narrative when necessary to explain how you arrived at certain figures (i.e. $10,000 for salaries = 5 artists @ $500 per week for 4 weeks). Contributed funds and earned income must be listed separately and contributed income should be listed as either committed or projected. Committed funds are funds that have already been secured and projected funding is funding for which you intend to apply. Income and expenses must balance.

4. Fundraising Strategy. Include a one-page plan of how you intend to raise money for your project. List specific foundations, corporations, individuals and government agencies to which you will be applying and corresponding deadlines. Applications without a clear fundraising plan will not be considered.

5. Samples of work. If new work will be created for the proposed project, send images of past work. Also include supporting materials such as media reviews and previous promotional materials (cards, flyers, posters) if available.

10 to 20 Slides or Prints
Standard slides organized in a plastic slide holder page or standard prints. All slides must be labeled with your name, title, medium, date and dimensions. Please mark top and front of each one and number them corresponding to a slide list. Include a brief description of the work (less than 50 words per slide).

OR

Video: VHS or DVD format
Video segment should be no longer than 5 minutes and cued to the appropriate segment for panel to view. Only moving images (time based media, video art or documentation of performance art, etc.) should be submitted on VHS or DVD. Please do not submit videos of still artwork or documentation of artistic process. Include title, date, and a brief description of the work (less than 250 words).

OR

Audio CD (for Musicians/Sound Artists only)
Application should include at least four tracks that are each longer than one minute. Full-length CDs are preferred.
Do not send original artwork

6. Information concerning principle staff. Include brief biographical paragraphs and resumes for principal artistic and/or administrative staff.

7. References. Please provide the name, email address, telephone number, and address of three people who know you on a professional level and can comment on your recent work and artistic development.

8. Self-addressed Stamped Envelope with sufficient postage for the return of your materials. Material sent without an SASE will not be returned and will become property of TRASA urban arts collective.

9. Self-addressed Stamped Postcard. Please include a self-addressed stamped postcard with your application if you would like to have notification that your materials have been received.

Submit application to:

TRASA urban arts collective
attn: Project Support Program
PO Box 406
Salt Lake City, UT 84110

Contact: info@thepicklecompany.org

A sponsorship application fee of $40 payable to TRASA urban arts collective is due at the time a contract is signed between the TRASA and the project.

A sponsorship renewal fee of $25 is due annually. As an administrative fee, TRASA reserves the right to retain 10% of all funds deposited with us. The sponsorship fee is lowered to 5% of secured funds for project activity over $25,000 in a given year.

Requirements

Contracts are signed for the duration of one year, at which time a renewal form must be submitted and new contract signed. Sponsored projects are required to:

  • Inform TRASA about the intent to submit any funding proposals, including grant applications, at least two weeks prior to their submission. This ensures that each project is formally eligible for TRASA sponsorship.
  • Submit a draft of any proposal or application one week prior to the deadline (two weeks prior if feedback or supporting material is being requested). Approval must be obtained.
  • Thereafter, TRASA must receive copies of any applications or correspondence with funders.

In addition, sponsored projects are required to:

  • Spend funds deposited with TRASA only for purposes of the charitable project, in accordance with the approved project budget.
  • Acknowledge TRASA urban arts collective as a sponsor on the project’s website and all printed material including mailers, posters, programs and publications.
  • Inform TRASA urban arts collective promptly regarding any changes in the project’s plan, the project’s tax status, or the project’s leadership.
  • Retain TRASA as the only fiscal sponsor throughout the duration of the contract.
  • Keep TRASA informed of all activities, and include TRASA in all announcements of public events.
  • Secure liability insurance for all events, covering both participants and spectators.
  • Provide drafts of any letters to potential donors for approval.
  • Report income from projects to the IRS.
  • If it is a group project, file for a separate Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) on behalf of the project. Call the IRS at (800) 849-4933 or click the links below:
    SS-4 form
    SS-4 instructions

If sponsored projects receive in-kind contributions, these are also tax-deductible for the donors. TRASA does not expect to receive a percentage of an in-kind gift, but requires that:

  • The in-kind gift is used only for purposes related to the project.
  • When the project has finished using the in-kind gift for the purposes for which the gift was made, it offers to contribute it first to TRASA urban arts collective before disposing of it or donating it to another non-profit project.

Sponsored projects must comply with all restrictions or requirements imposed on funds by their donors. Funds are available for disbursement one week after funds are deposited with TRASA.

Funds may be released for expense reimbursements, payment to vendors, or payments to individuals for services rendered. (Please note that TRASA does NOT advance lump sums to projects.)

In order to receive disbursements, the project must submit to TRASA a Request for Payment form along with appropriate receipts or invoices. Checks are issued twice monthly.

Selection Process

TRASA urban arts collective will consider projects for sponsorship if they serve community needs, show potential for future development, and are:

  • Non-legislative.
  • Serious in intent and well-planned.
  • Responsible about proper reporting to funding sources and to the IRS.

A panel of professionals will review applications and select projects as space allows. For all projects, a letter will be sent informing you of the Curatorial Committee’s decision, and any further action you need to take, if any.

Please be aware that it will take up to six months for TRASA's staff to review your proposal.