How do you apply?

How to apply for a Charitable Arts Foundation Grant

You may apply for a grant by submitting an online application.  The Foundation receives electronic grant applications through our website only. Please do not send application forms by mail or e-mail. Using a series of prompts, the online grant application form will guide you through the submission process in detail, including uploading supporting documents.

CAF grants are typically in the range of $1,000 to $3,000.  In exceptional circumstances, higher grant amounts may be considered. 

Before applying, please:

  1. Be aware of the application schedule;

  2. Ensure you are eligible to apply;

  3. Understand the selection process;

  4. Prepare a grant proposal following the prescribed guidelines;

  5. Familiarize yourself with additional application requirements;

  6. Review FAQ’s; and

  7. Begin Online application.



1. APPLICATION SCHEDULE

You may submit an application to The Charitable Art Foundation at any time throughout the year.

Applications will be reviewed quarterly. You will be informed about the status of your application according to the following guidelines:

A.    If you apply between January 1 - March 1 - you will be informed by March 10th

B.     If you apply between March 1 - June 1 - you will be informed by June 10th

C.     If you apply between June 1 - September 1 - you will be informed by September 10th

D.     If you apply between September 1 - January 1 - you will be informed by January 10th


2. APPLICATION ELIGIBILITY

A. Grants are only considered for fine art, dance, theatre, music, film, writing, curating and design.

B. The applicant must be a Bahamian citizen, a person eligible to apply for Bahamian citizenship, a Bahamian Permanent Resident, a Bahamian organization, or an international program or event that can demonstrate meaningful cultural benefit to Bahamians.

C. The grant must be in aid of:

  1. A creative endeavour within The Bahamas; or

  2. Tertiary education (and beyond) tuition assistance at an accredited college or university or recognized creative institute.

  3. Participation in a short academic program or creative workshop in The Bahamas or internationally, that will reap meaningful benefits for the participant and the Bahamas cultural community; or

  4. An international program in The Bahamas that is expected to bring a significant cultural exposure to a broad spectrum of Bahamian society; or

  5. An endeavor abroad that showcases Bahamian creative and cultural accomplishments on the world stage.


    ​D. When making an individual application previous accomplishments such as exhibitions, published works, performance history or festival participation will be taken into consideration.

    E. The size of the grant is determined by the specific circumstances of the individual or organization.

    F. The Foundation does not make grants to pay for past debts, legal fees or personal travel.

    G. College/university tuition grants are usually considered only for students entering their junior year at college (i.e. year three in a four-year programme). Exceptions may be made in extraordinary circumstances or of if the degree in question is a 2-year only program. Bahamian students are strongly encouraged to consider completing basic first- and second-year required courses at the University of The Bahamas (UB), whose credits are usually transferable to US and Canadian institutions.

    H. A consistent GPA score that demonstrates strong work ethic and high achievement is required to be considered for a tuition grant.


3. SELECTION PROCESS

The Grants Committee is comprised of members of the CAF Board. Every application will be subjected to the following questions:

A.    Has the applicant included all required information and properly submitted their application?

B.     Is the applicant eligible for consideration?

C.     Is the project achievable?

D.    Is the project ambitious and outstanding?

All decisions made by the CAF Grants Committee are final. 

There is no restriction on the frequency of applications made by any individual or organization.


4. WHAT TO INCLUDE IN THE GRANT PROPOSAL

A crucial part of the application process is how well you communicate the nature of your grant request to the CAF Grants Committee. The committee must understand the project or program proposed. Consider the following questions when writing your Grant Proposal:

    • For projects, clearly state and explain what your project is.

    • For educational pursuits, clearly state what the program is that you are currently or will be attending.

B.     If you receive a grant, how will you and the larger Bahamian community benefit from your accomplishments?

    • You can mention any past accomplishments, awards or projects that show your skills and strengths in relation to your proposal.

    • For projects, it is important to disclose the overall cost of your project so that your proposal can show the overall picture of what it will take to execute your project.

    • Furthermore, for projects it's important to also disclose how much funding is pending or has already been provided to the project.

    • For students, it is important to state the overall cost of the semester that you are applying for. Furthermore, if there are other scholarship or grant funding you are receiving, you can mention these as well.

E.     Should you receive a grant will you be able to carry out the project or endeavor effectively or are you seeking additional funds in addition to this grant?

    • For students, please provide a breakdown of your associated semester costs and please state the amount you are asking for from The Charitable Arts Foundation.

    • For projects, it is essential to provide a clear breakdown of all costs associated with your project. In your budget, please state the overall associated costs of the project and show what costs would be covered by the amount you are requesting from The Charitable Arts Foundation. Furthermore, if you have other funding sources (such as pending grants, etc) that are helping to cover the cost of your project, please show what overall costs are covered by other sources in your budget as well.

 

5. OTHER APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Requirements for consideration are:

A.     A completed online application form;

B.     A Grant Proposal per the guidelines in section 4;

C.     If you are applying as an individual, you must submit a current curriculum vitae/resume.  For fine-artists, film-makers or designers this may include artists bio and exhibitions list, a listing of your professional experience and/or performances or exhibitions record, grants, awards, residencies and other professional activities, including dates and locations. Please be sure to include your name on this document. Please use the following format for the file name: LastNameFirstNameCV.pdf;

D.    If you are applying for an academic grant, please include a letter of acceptance from the University or College or Program; and

E.     If you are applying for a fine-art project or you think it will assist your application, you may upload up to 5 images.  The Foundation will accept only images of work completed within the past 10 years.  Each image must be formatted as a JPG and must be 2 MB or smaller.  Each image must use the following format for the file name: YourLastName_YourFirstName_ImageNo.jpg (see below to further explain).

F.     Image Identification List - This list must include your name, the image number corresponding to the digital file, the year the work was executed, title, dimensions and medium used for each image. (For example, Smith_John, image1, 2010, Abstraction, 20 x 30 inches, oil on canvas.)

The Foundation receives electronic grant applications through our website only. Please do not send application forms by mail or e-mail. Using a series of prompts, the online grant application form will guide you through the submission process in detail, including uploading supporting documents.

 

6. APPLICATION FAQ

A.    I have a paper application form from previous years. Can I use it?   We no longer accept paper applications. Grants can only be submitted online following the guidelines above.

B.     Is my information kept private when I apply online?  The information you submit will be shared only among the CAF board and staff.  

C.     What will I be required to submit with my application form?  Sections 3 and 4 above detail the components of the application. All supporting documents should be sent as PDF files.  Digital images must be sent as JPG files.





7. APPLY

To apply please click on the following link and follow the instructions: Apply online