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Scandinavian Folk Arts and Cultural Traditions in the Upper Midwest
GRANTS FOR PUBLIC PROGRAMS AND COMMUNITY PROJECTS

Grants for public programs and community projects are awarded to nonprofit (501(c)3) organizations. These grants encourage the perpetuation of Scandinavian cultural traditions through the support of community events such as festivals, celebrations, and heritage events as well as workshops, performances, classes, and demonstrations. Grants for public programs and community projects range from $5,000 to $50,000.

CLICK HERE TO BEGIN AN APPLICATION

APPLICATION DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 1
DECISIONS ANNOUNCED: DECEMBER 1
PROJECT START DATE: JANUARY 1 OR AFTER

APPLICATION COMPONENTS
The online application is structured into 3 parts:

Organizational Contact: The first section of the application will ask you to provide the following:

  • Your organization’s contact information: primary contact name, phone number, email address, website, and mailing address;
  • Your organizational description: a brief history or background of your organization and its experience in presenting similar projects; and
  • Proof of non-profit status: upload a letter from the IRS certifying your organization’s nonprofit status or enter the contact information of your fiscal sponsor. If you have a fiscal sponsor, you can provide this information in this section.

Project Information: The second section of the application will ask you to provide the following pieces of information:

  • Project Info: Your project title and project start and end dates.
  • Project Summary: Provide a brief project summary (200 word max) with reference to the objectives of the grant program. In this description you should specify how your public program or community project will do the following:
    1. Perpetuate an interest in and understanding of traditional arts and/or skills;
    2. Encourage a broad public awareness of folk cultures and traditions; and
    3. Add a new dimension to improve ongoing programs.
  • Full Project Description: Provide a full description of your project description (max 1200 words) that outlines the activities that will take place during the project period. Your description should answer the following:
    1. Who will be involved?
    2. What will they do?
    3. How will you know if you are successful?
    4. Please consider including a timeline for planning and a schedule of events in the “Upload Samples” field located at the end of the submission form.
  • Biographical Information: Provide biographical background information on the project’s key project staff members, volunteers, performers, or producers.
  • Audience Information: Describe the audience for this project by answering the following questions: 
    1. ​​​​​​​Who is your audience?
    2. How will you promote the program?
    3. How large do you expect the audience to be?
    4. How will the audience benefit from the project? For example, what skills or knowledge will they learn and what will they experience?
  • Samples: Photographs, music, videos, or other documentation of the artists/performers’ work should be submitted with the application. You can combine up to 20 samples into a single PDF or PowerPoint Presentation. You may also include links to websites with images, music, videos, as well as links to your organization’s previous activities.
  • Letter of Support: You may either upload your letter directly, or you may choose to have us send an “Email Request” to your letter writer for him/her to submit his/her letter of support. If you choose "Email Request," please provide your letter writer's name and email address.

Project Budget: The third section of the application will ask you to upload your project’s budget or to enter your proposed budget into the provided auto-calculating template.  Please make sure to provide the total estimated project expenses and project income in the application’s provided budget template. For a reference on per diem costs, please refer to https://www.gsa.gov/travel

ADDITIONAL NOTE: We appreciate the appeal of Sami-inspired craft; however, the American-Scandinavian Foundation respects the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, particularly Article 31, which states: Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain, control, protect and develop their cultural heritage, traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions as well as the manifestations of their…oral traditions, literatures, designs, sports and traditional games, and visual and performing arts. They also have the right to maintain, control, protect, and develop their intellectual property over such cultural heritage, traditional knowledge, and traditional cultural expressions. 

CONTACT INFO:
For general inquiries, please contact the Grants Office: grants@amscan.org
For questions about the application process, please contact Folk Arts Consultant Anne Pryor: anne@amscan.org