Grant Guidelines

General Eligibility Criteria

Organizations:

1. Must be in existence and active in the V.I. for a minimum of two years at time of application
2. The project must be V.I. based
3. Must have current, non-profit status registered in the office of the Lieutenant Governor
4. Must have a Tax Exemption Identification number
5. Must have submitted Final Report if previously funded by VICA

NOTE: Organizations which have not received non-profit status (or are pending confirmation of non-profit status) may apply under an “umbrella” non-profit agency for a maximum of three years.

Individual Artists

1. Must be in residence and active  in the V.I. for a minimum of two years at time of application
2. Must provide a resume when applying for funding
3. If project is to take place in or on a school campus, a letter of endorse-ment from school Principal must be submitted with grant application.
4. Department of Education applications must be endorsed by the Insular Superintendent of applicant’s school district
5. Must have submitted Final Report if previously funded

VICA does not fund:

• Completed or in progress projects
• Grantees who have not submitted Final Reports
• Building renovations or capital expenditures
• Bad debts
• Entertainment costs
• Fines and Penalties
• Scholarships
• Legal Fees
• Purchase of instruments/equipment
• Rental of instruments

Matching Funds

All grants must be matched with a combination of cash and in-kind services.  In-kind services may be a percentage of the following:

• space rental
• loan of equipment
• contribution of services
• contribution of materials

In-Kind Services must be based on fair market value and have direct value to the project.

Application Deadlines

There are two application deadlines:

January 31st - Mini Grants
August 31st - Annual Grants

Applications with required supporting materials must be received in VICA’s St. Thomas/St. Croix offices by 4:00 p.m. on deadline date(s).

How to Apply Workshops 

All applicants are encouraged to attend VICA’s “How to Apply” workshops which are offered on each island each summer. Please contact VICA for locations and dates of workshops.

What Happens to your Grant Application

Applications and supporting materials are integral to the grant award process. They are reviewed for completeness and submitted to the Board of Directors within two weeks after the deadline. The Board meets within 30 days to review applications and determine funding.

When Awarded a Grant

Grantees will receive a package that includes:

• Grant Award Letter for your files
• Payment Voucher – must be signed by you and returned to VICA immediately for processing grant.
• Grant Award Contract – initial as applicable, return original to VICA and keep one for your files.
• VICA Logo Page – Use for promo- ting your project as required.
• Final Report - to be completed and submitted along with cancelled checks and/or receipts on or before August 1st Vouchers and other documents are submitted to the Department of Finance for processing of checks. Pursuant to federal and local procedures, the entire process takes approximately three to four months.

Grant Review Criteria

Funding decisions are made based on, but not limited to, the following:

• Submission of Final Report for previously funded project
• Artistic merit and quality of project
• Professional nature and stability of organization or individual
• Applicant’s ability to match funds
• Demonstration of sound financial planning, management, and allocations of funds
• Community interest in and/or demonstrated need for project
• Accessibility of project to the elderly and disable
• Completeness and clarity of grant application form.  
• Submission of prototypes and supplemental materials

Appeal Process

Applicants who are denied funding may appeal the Board’s decision by:

1. Submitting a written request for an appeal directly to the Executive Director with copies to each Board member.
2. The written request must be submitted within 30 days of receipt of denial notification. 
3. The appeal must clearly demonstrate why the Board’s decision should be reversed.
4. The Board will convene upon receipt of applicant’s appeal request.  

Credit and VICA Logo Requirement

Grantees are required to include the following on all promotions, publicity, advertising and press releases.

“This project is funded in part by Virgin Islands Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.”   

In the event there is no printed material for the project, it is the grantee’s responsibility to make a verbal announcement of credit. 

Failure to credit VICA and the National Endowment will jeopardize future funding.

On-site Review & Evaluation

The Board and staff of VICA will conduct on-site evaluations of grantee’s projects to assess the quality of operations and caliber of artistic presentations.

Grantees are required to provide the Board and staff with free admission to presentations and fully cooperate with VICA by providing schedules of rehearsals and performances.