Peer panels of artists, arts administrators, educators, art enthusiasts and other experts are selected from a pool of submitted questionnaires and resumes. Consideration is given to creating teams with demographics appropriate for each category and reflective of the City including artistic expertise, gender, geographic knowledge and cultural understanding. Peer panels are charged with reviewing all eligible proposals, discussing project worthiness, making comments and assigning numerical scores. Individually, each panelist considers the applications in relation to Cultural Affairs’ goals and criteria and in comparison to other applications. Panelists use DCA’s score-sheets for consistency and score each application up to 100 points. After individual review and consideration, the panelists gather for collegial discussion at one or more group meetings, wherein average scores are computed and final rankings determined.
Administrative Capability: Maximum of 25 points
The strength and quality of administrative capability is determined by the preparation and articulation of the submitted application, the business skills evidenced in the project narrative and resumes, the proposal of a fair and accurate budget, as well as realistic and specific goals that correspond to DCA’s grant-making objectives.
Ideas and/or Innovation: Maximum of 25 points
The creation of new works with new ideas or new methods, a new interpretation, or the targeting of a new audience. The panel is asked to judge how creative, how feasible and/or how strategic are the proposed services. For Traditional/Folk applications and projects created in a “classical” or a “historical” manner, the panel judges the service goals in relation to the artist’s/organization’s adherence to an artistic lineage and authentic practice.
Impact and Relevance: Maximum of 15 points
The panel’s consideration of whether the proposed services: broaden geographic access to the arts, serve underserved cultural constituencies, provide impactful educational experiences, will provide relevant quality in relation to cost per participant, and include appropriate strategies for evaluation.
Quality and Community Partnerships: Maximum of 25 points
The capacity to serve the stated needs of the participants, target audience and/or the community at the proposed host organization, ideally demonstrating an alignment of project-responsibilities between the teaching artists and partnering host organization. Extent to which proposed services would galvanize community inclusion/collaborations, foster community pride, provide job and/or volunteer opportunities, or generate local attendance or regional tourism. Extent to which prior experience, merit and quality of talent outlined in biographies/resumes, of past work submitted on sample documentation, and of community support suggested in supplemental printed materials is competitive against other proposals.
Geography and Demographics: Maximum of 10 points
Geographic location of proposed arts and cultural services in combination with the community/population served.
Role of DCA Program Staff & Approval of Panel Recommendations
The staff conducts informational workshops to review grant-writing basics, communicate timely/new information, and offer contemporary advice. The staff audits and compares incoming applications in accordance with government information and processes such as: the Regional Alliance Marketplace for Procurement (RAMP), Census data, and DCA administrative review files. The Grants staff coordinates and facilitates panel meetings, wherein the panelists evaluate DCA’s grant process. The Grants Director reviews all grant policies and procedures with the General Manager. Lastly, the staff carries all panel recommendations forward for approval by the Cultural Affairs Commission. Awards are contingent upon the City’s adopted budget and are not official until a legal contract is fully executed.
Determination of Outcomes
Applicants should be advised that the City’s budget for the Department of Cultural Affairs is not determined until the February-March following the submission of proposals. The DCA budget will rise or fall depending upon economic and social factors. Therefore, DCA reserves the right to cancel this RFP at any time. Alternatively, DCA may award larger or smaller grants depending upon its available budget. An artist’s proposed work may be reduced or increased accordingly. Proposals to DCA shall not be considered proprietary to any artist, venue, or source of funding. In the situation where DCA decides not to become the primary or sole funder of an artist’s new Fellowship or Residency project, applicant artists may seek to fully execute their proposed project with any other funding source(s).