Creative Work Fund Grants

Overview

Creative Work Fund Grants

The Creative Work Fund invites artists and organizations to create new art works through collaborations. It celebrates the role of artists as problem solvers and making of art as a profound contribution to we-making and artistic innovation that strengthens communities. Artists are encouraged to collaborate with organizations of all kind: nonprofits, fiscally-sponsored collectives, schools, and public agencies.

In June 2024, the Fund will award approximately $775,000 in grants to organizations and collaborating artists. Grants will range from $25,000 to $50,000 and be paid to the nonprofit partner in the collaboration. Grantees receive the maximum amount of funds requested. Projects are expected to be completed within two or three years, but those of longer duration are considered.

We Seek Projects Where

* the creation of an artwork is central
* the artist functions primarily as an artist, not as a teacher, an art therapist, or in another capacity
* an active, authentic working partnership between the artist or artists and the organization is central to the work’s development
* the organization’s constituents are engaged in the artist’s work
* artists’ creativity and problem-solving abilities are central to the collaboration
* the making of art can strengthen a community, draw attention to an important issue, or engage audiences in new ways
* artistic imagination and organizational thinking are challenged
* final presentations take place in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, or Sonoma County
* at least two-thirds of the grant funds are paid to the principal artists and their direct expenses for creating the work

2024 Invitation: All Disciplines

Artists from all artistic disciplines are welcome to apply in collaboration with a nonprofit organization. Lead artists will be asked to identify primary and secondary artistic disciplines in which they have strong track records of accomplishment.

Projects may culminate in any form. Artists and organizations should plan projects and prepare and authorize their letters of inquiry together. If a project will use a fiscal sponsor, that sponsor also must review and sign off on the letter. Read the list of disciplines and their short definitions.

Eligibility

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* Who Can Apply?

* Creative Work Fund projects feature one or more artists collaborating with 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations.
* Fiscal sponsors are allowed.
* The Fund encourages the artists and organizations to “come together” for the sake of this collaboration:

* An artist should not submit a request to collaborate with an organization while serving on the organization’s staff or board of directors.

* Residency Requirements

* The principal collaborating artists must live in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, or Sonoma County and have lived there for at least two years prior to submitting a letter of inquiry.
* Collaborating organizations also must be based in one of the 11 counties.

* Artists and organizations may submit one proposal per category per deadline and may receive no more than one Creative Work Fund grant every three years.

Ineligibility

* We do not seek:

* commissions of new works by artists in which the applicant organization and artists are not collaboratively engaged in creating those works
* projects in which the specified lead artist is an employee of or board member for the applying nonprofit organization (artists who were previously commissioned or contracted by an organization may still apply)
* multiple letters of inquiry for projects featuring the same artist or submitted by the same collaborating organization
* projects in which the lead artists and collaborating organizations are not based in the eligible counties or those with multiple artists, most of whom are based outside of the 10 counties
* projects that do not feature the artist(s) centrally in the project descriptions and budget allocations
* projects from lead artists or organizations that were awarded Creative Work Fund grants in 2020, 2021, or 2022
* projects from artists or organizations that have not completed projects and final reports for previously awarded Creative Work Fund grants

Application Details

2024 GUIDELINES

A Fund for New Work and Collaboration
Responding to several years of declining support for artists and new art works, four Bay
Area foundations launched the Creative Work Fund (CWF) in September 1994. Today,
CWF is a program of the Walter and Elise Haas Fund that also receives generous support
from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Since its inception, CWF has awarded
$17 million in funding.
This program awards grants for artists and organizations to create art works
through collaborations. It celebrates the role of artists as problem-solvers and the
making of art as a profound contribution to we-making and artistic innovation that
strengthens communities. Artists are encouraged to collaborate with organizations of all
kind: nonprofits, fiscally-sponsored collectives, schools, and public agencies.
FOUR PRINCIPLES GUIDE CWF
• Artists’ creativity merits philanthropic support.
• Individual creativity is the source of cultural richness, diversity, and belonging
• The arts can be a powerful vehicle for problem-solving and community renewal
• Collaboration among artists, organizations, and their communities can generate
productive exchange and bring the arts to new and intersectional audiences
In June 2024, CWF will award approximately $775,000 in grants to organizations and
collaborating artists. Grants will range from $25,000 to $50,000 and be paid to the
nonprofit partner in the collaboration. Grantees receive the maximum amount of funds
requested. Projects are expected to be completed within two or three years, but those of
longer duration are considered.
The Application Process Is Changing for 2024
Applicants are invited to a new one-stage, streamlined application that allows
collaborators to describe their idea and answer a few questions, then upload a project
budget, lead and collaborating artist resumes, and a work sample.
The applications are reviewed by a group of community readers who forward about 50 of
the submissions to a panel for further review and for award recommendations.
ON THE COVER
2022 Grantee Dance Brigade collaborating with Sarah Crowell
Photo by Robbie Sweeney
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Who Is Invited?
CWF projects feature one or more artists collaborating with 501(c)(3) nonprofit
organizations and unincorporated collectives using a nonprofit fiscal sponsor. Artists and
organizations come together for the sake of this collaboration, and don’t always have a
deep history of previous collaboration. A lead artist should not submit a request to
collaborate with an organization while employed as the organization’s paid staff or
serving on its board of directors. The lead artist must live in Alameda, Contra Costa,
Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, or Sonoma
County, and have lived there for at least two years. Collaborating organizations also must
be based in one of these 10 counties.
Artists from all artistic disciplines are welcome to apply. Lead artists are asked to
identify primary and secondary artistic disciplines in which they have experience and
accomplishment. For a list of disciplines and their short definitions, visit
creativeworkfund.org/grant-guidelines.
Artists and organizations should jointly plan their projects and prepare their application
together. If a project will use a fiscal sponsor, that sponsor also must review and authorize
submission of the application.
Artists and organizations may submit one proposal per deadline and may receive no more
than one CWF grant every three years. For 2024 consideration, artists and organizations
that received Creative Work Fund grants in 2021, 2022, and 2023 are ineligible to apply.
CWF grant recipients who received grants before 2021 must have finished their projects
and had grant reports approved before applying again.
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Please apply if your collaboration
• centers the creation of a new artwork
• is an active, authentic working partnership between the artist or artists and the
organization is central to the work’s development
• engages the organization’s constituents in the artist’s work
• centers artists’ creativity, expertise, and passion in the collaboration
• demonstrates that the making of art can strengthen a community, draw attention to an
important issue, or engage audiences in new ways
• challenges artistic imagination and organizational thinking
• is rooted with artists, organizations, and final work in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin,
Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, or Sonoma County
• pays at least two-thirds of CWF funds to the lead artist and their direct expenses for
creating the work
Please pause if your collaboration
• is not rooted with artists, organizations, and final work in Alameda, Contra Costa,
Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, or Sonoma
County
• commissions new works by artists when the applicant organization and artists are not
collaboratively engaged in creating those works
• features a lead artist who is a current paid employee of or board member of the
collaborating organization
• does not feature the artist(s) centrally in the project descriptions and budget
allocations
• is one of multiple proposals for projects featuring the same artist or submitted by the
same collaborating organization
• involves a lead artist or collaborating organization that were awarded Creative Work
Fund grants in 2021, 2022, or 2023
• involves a lead artist or collaborating organization that have not completed Creative
Work Fund projects and final reports awarded before 2021
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2024 Program Overview
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5
Application window opens
FEBRUARY & MARCH
Lead artists and organizational collaborators check their eligibility at
creativeworkfund.org/grantseeker. If eligible, they complete a form to receive grantseeker
credentials. Applicants use a one-stage, streamlined application that allows collaborations
to describe their idea and answer a few questions, then upload a project budget, lead and
collaborating artist resumes, and a work sample.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12 | 12PM
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21 | 12PM
Applicant Session: How We’re Changing & How to Apply
Application sessions allow potential applicants, both individual artists and nonprofit
representatives, to learn about CWF’s history and focus, guidelines, new application
process, and deadlines. We navigate the online application and talk about what makes a
strong proposal.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13 | 12PM
Applicant Session: Ask Us Anything
Ask Us Anything sessions are open hours for potential applicants to ask specific
questions about the program guidelines, eligibility, the online application portal, and the
practical parts of the proposal. We share frequently asked questions and connect
applicants to resources.
TUESDAY, APRIL 2 | 6PM PACIFIC TIME
Submission deadline for applications
APRIL–MAY
Three to seven community readers review and score each application. Based on their
feedback, we select approximately 45-50 applications for panel review.
FRIDAY, MAY 17
Notification of Advancement to Panel
Applicants receive an email on the status of their application. A summary of reader
comments is provided to applicants whose applications not being forwarded to panel.
JUNE
A multidisciplinary panel, composed of artists and other arts professionals, reviews the
applications and recommends projects to be funded.
The Creative Work Fund collaborating funders consider panel recommendations and
approve the final awards.
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MONDAY, JUNE 28
Grant awards announced via email. Funded collaborations receive award letters for lead
artist, head of the collaborating organization, and fiscal sponsor (if used) signature.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 24 | TIME TBA
Grantee workshop on the design of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between
lead artist and organization.
This workshop allows CWF grantees to learn how to prepare, sign off, and submit a
MOU that allows artists and organizations to spell out shared responsibilities, copyright
assignment, distribution rights, and royalty payments for the new work.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 27
Deadline for MOU
THROUGH SEPTEMBER 16
Grant awards are paid via electronic fund transfer to the collaborating organization (or its
fiscal sponsor) as soon as signed grant agreement and MOU are received.
THREE MONTHS AFTER PROJECT END DATE
Final reports are due. Grantees must submit two final reports (one prepared by the artist
and one by the organization) reflecting on the project and collaboration. Final reports
include documentation of the finished projects and a financial report.
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How to Apply
FIRST, TAKE A MOMENT TO REFLECT
• IS THIS THE RIGHT KIND OF GRANT FOR YOUR PROJECT?
CWF awards grants that range in size from $25,000 to $50,000 for projects in which
artists and nonprofit organizations are working closely together to create new art
works. Any kind of organization is eligible to apply to collaborate with an artist. The
Fund takes the idea of a close working relationship between the artist and the
organization very seriously and funds project at any stage, with attention paid to the
creation stage for a new artwork.
You can browse examples of previously funded applications at
creativeworkfund.org/search.
• DOES YOUR PROJECT FIT WITHIN THE TIME FRAME FOR THIS FUNDING OPPORTUNITY?
Grants will be awarded in June 2024. If a project already has begun by that time, the
artist and the organization should still be actively involved in the new work’s creation
and collaborating with one after the grant awards are made.
CWF encourages projects to be completed in two to three years, but projects of longer
duration are eligible and welcome.
THEN CHECK YOUR ELIGIBILITY
1. Both the lead artist and the organization need to complete a brief grantseeker
eligibility quiz and request/update grantseeker accounts at
creativeworkfund.org/grantseeker
2. You will receive your username and password for the Fluxx Grantseeker portal via
email from “haassr@fluxx.io” within one or two business days. If you complete the
quiz after hours or on weekends it may take longer to receive your login information.
Thanks for your patience.
3. Be sure to check your spam and junk filters for this email and add the
“haassr@fluxx.io” address to your address book to ensure delivery of future
notifications.
4. If you encounter difficulties with the Fluxx Grantseeker portal or aren’t sure if you
are eligible, read the FAQ below.
REVIEW THE SAMPLE APPLICATION
• A sample application in Microsoft Word format is available for download at
creativeworkfund.org/applicationpreview.
• Some parts of the application allow you to pick from a list of prepared options or
click to upload instead of cutting and pasting.
• You are welcome to draft the application in a Word or Google document, but we’ve
learned that cutting and pasting from those applications may result in unexpected
characters in our grantseeker portal. Check your work!
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Application Review Criteria
Application screening and award decisions are based on
• QUALITY. The Fund wants to be enthusiastic about the quality and potential of the
artists’ work and encourages artists from all career stages to apply. Reviewers explore
work samples, reflect on whether ideas are fresh and interesting, and whether the
artist and organization seem well-suited to the project they have described.
REVIEWER PROMPTS
What is your sense of the project’s overall quality?
Is it an interesting idea?
Are they accomplished partners?
Does it have other distinctive qualities?
• COLLABORATION. Collaboration is a defining theme for Creative Work Fund.
Collaborations are realized through many different approaches. The Fund seeks
projects in which there is a genuine depth of interaction among the participants.
Strong projects generally include a balance of tenacity and flexibility, vision, and
open mindedness. Added values may be engaging an organization’s constituents in
the artists’ work, reaching new audiences, strengthening a community, or drawing
attention to a critical question or need.
REVIEWER PROMPTS
Does the project seem to be truly collaborative?
Is the proposed process appropriate and thoughtful?
Does the proposed project connect the artist’s passion and the organization’s work in
this moment?
Does the collaboration seek to reach new audiences, strengthen a community, draw
attention to a critical question or need?
• PROJECT PHASE. These grants support the creative process at any stage. If a project is
in its later stages, readers should ask themselves whether active, collaborative art
making would be continuing after June 2024 when these grants will be awarded.
REVIEWER PROMPTS
Is it a new work?
Is there a vision and plan for developing the project?
If it has already been developed, would the artist and organization still be
collaborating on its creation if they received a grant in June 2024?
Is there a vision and plan for the presentation of the work at the end of the process of
making it?
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• FEASIBILITY. The project should have a reasonable plan. The Fund is flexible about
allowing organizations and artists to have as much time as they need to finish the
work. The time needed to complete projects has ranged from two months to seven
years. Most have been developed over two or three years.
REVIEWER PROMPTS
Does the budget seem appropriate to the scale and ambitions of the project?
If other funds are needed, is it reasonable to assume the artist and the organization
could raise or earn them?
• ORGANIZATIONAL STRENGTH. The Fund does not have a rule about the size of
organization that may apply, instead focusing on whether organizations are strong
partners with collaborating artists. Reviewers gain some information about the
history, mission, and goals of the collaborating organizations from the application.
Staff research the financial health for the collaborating organizations that readers
forward to panel review so reviewers can focus on other indicators of organizational
strength.
REVIEWER PROMPTS
Does the organization appear to have the capacity to undertake this project?
Is the form and process of the proposed project in alignment with the organization’s
mission?
Does the organization’s presence bring insight, expertise, and relationships to the
project?
Does the organization’s community/constituents benefit?
• POSSIBILITY. In our experience, creative collaborations express their potential in
different ways. Both a “polished” and a “rough” proposal can dream big, forge new
paths, innovate, and reimagine the current reality in ways that benefit us all. We are
on the lookout for potential.
REVIEWER PROMPTS
Are collaborators stretching to create something neither of them can create alone?
Are collaborators dreaming big? Being innovative?
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Application Instructions
PREPARE THIS INFORMATION FOR THE FIRST PART OF THE APPLICATION
1. Who is collaborating?
Enter information about the lead artist, organization, and the fiscal sponsor (if used),
including
• Organization location and budget size (and the fiscal sponsor, if used)
• Lead Artist name, county of residency and artistic discipline(s)
• Names of additional collaborating artists
We use this information to start understanding the quality and potential of the artists
and organization involved. We also check to see if the lead artist and organization are
eligible to apply to this program, and whether the organization (or its fiscal sponsor)
is qualified by the IRS as an exempt organization.
2. What do you want to do together?
Enter the project start and end date, a description of the new work, information about
where and when it will be presented, and how much money you are requesting from
the Creative Work Fund.
We use this information to understand what the project is, its feasibility given the time
frame and request amount, and begin to connect how the lead artist and organization
seem well-suited to the project. We reflect on this section through the lens of the
Creative Work Fund guidelines.
PREPARE RESPONSES TO THE APPLICATION QUESTIONS
3. Why this why now?
Provide the reasons for the collaboration between the lead artist and organization, and
why the project is appropriate now.
We use your response to go deeper into the project’s goals and motivations. Is the
collaboration seeking to reach new audiences? strengthen a community? draw
attention to a critical question or need? Are the collaborators dreaming big? forging
new paths? innovating? reimagining the current reality in ways that benefit us all? We
reflect on this section through the lens of the Creative Work Fund guidelines.
4. A QUESTION JUST FOR THE LEAD ARTIST:
How does this collaboration connect to your passion in this moment?
We use the lead artist’s response to understand the potential of their presence in this
project and the context, insights, expertise, questions, and aspirations they bring to the
collaboration. The response provides an additional layer of insight to the Why This
Why Now response, highlighting the point of view of the lead artist themself.
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5. A QUESTION JUST FOR THE COLLABORATING ORGANIZATIONE:
How does this collaboration connect to your organization's work in this
moment?
We use the organization’s response to understand the potential of their presence in
this project and the context, insights, expertise, questions, and aspirations they bring
to the collaboration. The response provides an additional layer of insight to the Why
This Why Now response, highlighting the point of view of the organization itself.
We don’t allow embedded links to personal websites or channels, project sites, or
reviews in this section. Instead, we will focus deeply on responses and how they
resonate with the intentions of the CWF program.
SHARE THE PROJECT BUDGET
Upload a complete project budget using your own format or our template available at
creativeworkfund.org/budget. The CWF request may be part of a larger budget or used to
cover all costs.
We learn most when you include
• Major sources of income, both pending and committed
• Major expenses for the project
A minimum of two-thirds of the CWF request must be spent on the lead artist fee and
their direct expenses. The program values artists being paid sustainably.
We use budget information to understand the feasibility of the project, where it is in its
project phase, and how CWF dollars will be used, checking especially to see if two-thirds
of the CWF dollars are allocated to the Lead Artist and their direct expenses.
If the proposal is forwarded to panel review, we research the financial health of the
collaborating organization (or their fiscal sponsor) using publicly available documents
from the charity databases at the State of California, the Internal Revenue Service, and
Guidestar.
When we research organizational financial health, we use trend information to answer
specific questions:
• Is the organization likely to be stable through the end of this project?
We scan for new or longstanding debt that could negatively affect the flow of funds to
the project as the organization does their best to maintain programs and operations.
• Is the artist likely to be supported by their collaborating organization without a
stress to systems?
We look at the capacity of the collaborating organization to track special programs,
additional partners, and restricted CWF dollars.
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ADD ARTIST RESUMES
• The lead artist resume, biography, or CV is required. It can be no longer than two
pages. Please format as a PDF.
• If other artists are collaborating, optionally add a single PDF document that provides
a one-paragraph biography for each artist..
We use this information to learn the history of the lead artist (required) and any
collaborating artists (optional). The information provides an additional layer of insight to
the Why This Why Now response and the lead artist’s response to How Does This Project
Connect to Your Passion in This Moment?
ADD THE WORK SAMPLE (AS A LINK OR AN UPLOAD)
You may provide up to three work samples, including videos up to 5 minutes. Work
samples can be provided by using online links (video or audio), or uploading JPGs
(images), and PDFs (documents).
• Up to five minutes of audio and video
• Up to ten images
• Up to 15 pages of manuscript
Include information about the work sample in the area provided, including how the
sample relates to your request.
We use this information to briefly experience the work of the lead artist, which is
especially important since we don’t allow embedded links to personal websites or
channels, project sites, or reviews. The information provides an additional layer of insight
into quality and potential of the artist involved, and the entire project proposed.
TELL US WHAT YOU WANT US TO KNOW AND WE DIDN’T ASK
We use this information to learn what is additionally important to artists and
organizations, and to think how we can make future editions of this application even
more supportive of grantseeker stories and priorities. Responses are truly optional, so
there’s no need to respond if nothing comes to mind.
SUBMIT THE APPLICATION BY 6:00PM PACIFIC TIME ON TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2024
Check the approval boxes when all collaborators (artist, organization, and fiscal sponsor,
if used) agree to submit the letter, then click Submit.
You can be confident your submission has been received upon receipt of a confirmation
email. Save this email for your records.
No email? Check spam and junk folders, and your blocked and safe sender lists.
Still no email? Call 415-402-2793 for assistance.
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Application Checklist
☐ Lead Artists and collaborating organizations visit
creativeworkfund.org/grantseeker to complete their eligibility quizzes and request
grantseeker credentials
☐ Collaborators receive grantseeker portal credentials from haassr@fluxx.io
(Check spam and junk folders!)
☐ Collaborators log in at haassr.fluxx.io and click to create a CWF application, or
continue one in progress
☐ Share who is collaborating, what you want to do together, and why this why now
☐ Lead artist responds to their question
☐ Organization responds to their question
☐ Fill in Project Budget section
☐ Upload project budget
☐ Upload lead artist resume
☐ OPTIONAL Upload bios of additional collaborating artists
☐ Upload or link to work sample of
☐ Up to five minutes of audio/video
☐ Up to 10 still images
☐ Up to 15 pages of manuscript
☐ Complete work sample information sections
☐ Click to submit by 6:00PM Pacific Time, Tuesday, April 2, 2024.
☐ Watch for your confirmation email to arrive.
Call (415) 402-2793 if it is not received.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT GRANTSEEKER ACCOUNTS
What if I am an artist who previously Take the eligibility quiz, complete the Fluxx
applied to the Creative Work Fund and Grantseeker registration, and contact
already has a grantseeker account? grantsmanager@haassr.org. A member of the team
will connect your existing grantseeker account to
your new collaborating organization.
What if I’m currently or previously was Possibly. Reach out to us at cwf@haassr.org and
a contractor for my collaborating we will talk through the specifics of your situation.
organization? Can we apply together?
What if, due to COVID-19, I am an artist We hope you are safe and well. Please complete
temporarily relocated outside the 10 the Fluxx Grantseeker registration answering “Yes”
counties the Creative Work Fund to the residency question and providing a few
supports? details about your situation. We’ll be in touch to
confirm your eligibility.
What if I work at a nonprofit that That’s fine. If you are representing the nonprofit
receives grants from the Walter & Elise partner, complete the Fluxx Grantseeker
Haas Fund and I already have registration with your nonprofit account email and
credentials for entry into the we’ll tie your accounts together. If you are the lead
application portal? artist, complete the Fluxx Grantseeker registration
with your individual email.
What if I am an artist or a nonprofit No problem. Complete the eligibility quiz and
organization leader who does not yet complete the Fluxx Grantseeker registration at any
know who my collaborating partner will time. When you know who your collaborating
be? partner will be, that partner must complete their
eligibility quiz and register for a Fluxx Grantseeker
account. When that’s all done, contact
grantsmanager@haassr.org. A member of the team
will connect the collaborators.
What if I change my mind about the It happens. Ask your new partner to complete the
artist or the organization with whom I appropriate eligibility quiz, register for a Fluxx
want to collaborate? Grantseeker account, and contact
grantsmanager@haassr.org. A member of the team
will connect the new collaborators.
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Additional Information
WEBSITE
In addition to the application information provided in these guidelines,
creativeworkfund.org includes descriptions of previously funded projects and frequently
asked questions. To receive announcements and reminders about webinar and seminar
dates and future deadlines, sign up on creativeworkfund.org/contact.
APPLICANT INFORMATION SESSIONS
To assist applicants, CWF presents webinars and conducts online sessions allowing
potential applicants to learn about the program, learn how to apply, and ask specific
questions.
Applicants are not required to attend a session but are encouraged to do so, especially if
they are unfamiliar with the program.
To register for these programs, visit creativeworkfund.org/applicant-seminars
GENERAL INFORMATION
For additional information email info@creativeworkfund.org or call (415) 402-2793.
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