Evaluation and Selection Process
EVALUATION CRITERIA
Applications should accurately describe the project, target audience, and plans for community engagement. Eligible applications are scored by peer review panels based on the following evaluation criteria:
- Creativity and Artistic Merit – A competitive application’s artistic or organizational mission is highly aligned with the proposed project or program’s goals, and is reflected in the quality of their submitted work samples.
- Clarity of Project Proposal – A competitive application is cohesive and both the project concept and logistics are clearly described. Key participating artists and collaborators are identified and their roles are clearly defined.
- Community Engagement – A competitive application clearly identifies the project’s intended Queens-based audience and provides an engaging, culturally-relevant arts or cultural experience that is reflective of the diversity of Queens. Competitive applications demonstrate evidence of long-lasting, sustainable relationships between the applicant and members of their target audience.
- Project Feasibility – A competitive application is able to clearly demonstrate its ability to successfully complete the proposed project. The timeline and budget are clear and realistic in relation to the project’s scope.
FUNDING PRIORITY
Priority will be given to individual artists and nonprofit arts organizations whose primary mission is to provide arts and cultural programs at the community level in Queens as well as (in no particular order):
- Artist-driven projects that are collaborative between artists and/or organizations
- Cultural activities that provide cultural access for under-resourced communities
- Cultural traditions and/or contemporary creative expression of cultural ethnicity
- Projects that demonstrate uniqueness/non-duplication of comparable existing programs in the same geographical area
- Geographic diversity and distribution across neighborhoods throughout Queens
PANEL REVIEW TIMELINE
November 19, 2024
Deadline to submit an application for the 2025 grant cycle.
November-December
NYFA staff will review all applications for eligibility and completeness following the application deadline. Ineligible or incomplete applications will be eliminated from consideration and will not be reviewed by panelists.
December-February
Panelists will carefully review and pre-score assigned applications based on their artistic discipline. Panelists will then participate in virtual panel review sessions to discuss each application they have reviewed as a group, assembled by artistic discipline. This peer review process determines the distribution of grant funds to QAF applicants.
Please note: Only the information and materials contained within the application will be considered during review. Any additional information presented after the application deadline will not be accepted or considered.
March
All applicants will receive a notification regardless of the outcome.
April-May
Recipient contracting, payments, and public announcement. An exact payment and announcement timeline will be provided after recipient notification.
January 1-December 31, 2025
2025 recipient projects can take place at any point within the 2025 calendar year.
PANELIST NOMINATIONS
Panelists are an integral part of the Queens Arts Fund grant-making process. Panelists are artists, cultural workers, educators, and community leaders are based in and/or familiar with Queens and care about the people who live there. Panelists carefully review and score applications and participate in a (virtual) panel review session, and receive a small honorarium for their time and service.
Interested in serving as a panelist? Or interested in nominating someone to be a panelist? Visit the link below to learn more!
Panelist Nomination FormPanel Nomination Deadline: November 12, 2024, 11:59PM ET*
*Early submissions are encouraged. If all spots are not filled by the deadline, nominations will remain open.
Image Credit: Sui Park; PomPom; 2018; hand dyed cable ties, monofilament
