2012 GUIDELINES
The Musical Grant Program offers awards to musicians and presenters living and working in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area for projects of the highest artistic quality. The purpose of the program is to give a small but significant amount of financial assistance for chamber music, including all genres from early music through classical, contemporary, jazz and improvisation. San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music is interested in supporting musicians who, through the MGP, can impact their careers, and in enabling presenters to advance the visibility of chamber music in Northern California.
Download application here: Application
GRANT AMOUNT
The program offers awards up to $3,000.
WHAT DOES THE PROGRAM SUPPORT?
The program supports two types of funding requests: Artistic, and Organizational and Career Development, and can support the following costs:
Artistic
- Artist rehearsal and/or performance fees
- Concert production costs, including promotion
- Recording costs
- Composer fees
Organizational and Career Development
- Consultant fees
- Professional training expenses
WHAT DO WE MEAN BY "CHAMBER MUSIC PROJECTS"?
Applicants and their projects must satisfy SFFCM's definition of chamber music: music for two or more performers, in which the performers play one on a part, without a conductor. Ensembles, presenters, and composers are invited to apply. Note: Composers may only apply to the MGP as part of an application that includes an ensemble, and may only appear in one application per program cycle.
We welcome applications from eligible ensembles in all genres of music.
WHAT DO WE MEAN BY AN "ENSEMBLE" OR A "PRESENTER" PROJECT?
Applications will be accepted in two categories, “Ensemble” and “Presenter,” which are defined in the following ways:
Ensemble
- Applicants to this category must be a pre-formed ensemble that satisfies SFFCM's definition of chamber music. Individuals are not eligible to apply.
- An Ensemble applicant must demonstrate a high level of musical ability and potential and show a nucleus of consistent membership.
- Eligible Ensembles must have been formed prior to February 15, 2010
Presenter
- A presenter may be an individual or organization with at least a two-year demonstrated history of presenting music performances to the public.
- Presenters may apply for artist fees and other direct costs to present an ensemble.
- The proposed performances must take place in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area.
Please note that all involved parties must meet the eligibility requirement of residing and working in the 15 counties of the Greater San Francisco Bay Area. Also, funding can only be given for projects that will be presented in the Greater Bay Area.
ELIGIBILITY
See Eligibility page
REVIEW PROCESS AND SELECTION CRITERIA
Decisions will be made by an independent panel of four experts from the San Francisco Bay Area music community. The decisions of the panel will be final. Applicants are welcome to obtain panel comments on their application by sending an email to SFFCM's Executive Director Mr. Dominique Pelletey.
TIMELINE
1. Grant Application Deadline - Applications must be postmarked no later than Wednesday February 15, 2012.
2. Grant Period - The earliest eligible project start date is July 1, 2012. Projects must be completed by June 30, 2014 (a two- year grant period).
3. Notification - MGP Awards will be announced in mid-April 2012.
4. Application Feedback - Feedback about your grant application will be available from SFFCM's Executive Director Dominique Pelletey beginning April 23, 2012. Please send an email to mgp@sffcm.org to make an appointment for a phone conversation.
HOW TO APPLY
Please follow the instructions in the Application section, which are also available there as a PDF document. In addition, please make sure to download and complete the required supplemental forms. The workshops will be presented by SFFCM Grant Coordinator Nicole Lungerhausen.
Seven hard copies of your application and one CD should be mailed to:
Musical Grant Program
San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music
135 Main Street, Suite 1140
San Francisco, CA 94105-1815
We do not accept electronic submissions. Applications must be postmarked no later than Wednesday February 15, 2012. We do not accept hand delivery. Please use USPS First-Class or Priority Mail. (Express Delivery, UPS, Fed-Ex, or other costly services are not necessary.)
INFORMATION WORKSHOPS
SFFCM will host two information workshops to provide detailed information about the Musical Grant Program, eligible projects and applicants, the application process, and the review process. The sessions are also opportunities to ask and have answered any other questions.
INFORMATION WORKSHOPS TIMES AND LOCATIONS
January 19, 2012 - 7:00 - 9:00 pm
Crowden Music Center
1475 Rose Street (at Sacramento) - Berkeley, CA 94702-1255 (directions)
January 20, 2012 - 7:00 - 9:00 pm
Intersection for the Arts
925 Mission Street, Suite 109 - San Francisco, CA 94103 (directions)
Please arrive no later than 6:45pm
(Note: Attendance at an information workshop is NOT required to apply for the Musical Grant Program. Information workshops are optional and FREE to all who attend.)
INQUIRIES
For a list of answers to Frequently Asked Questions, please consult the MGP FAQs.
If you have any other unanswered questions or concerns, please contact the Musical Grant Program Coordinator, Ms. Nicole Lungerhausen.
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