Special Awards in the Arts

Created in 1987, Gerbode Foundation’s Special Awards in the Arts Program has supported the development of new works in dance, theater production, and music composition. These nationally respected awards have helped underwrite acclaimed new works that are culturally and aesthetically diverse, by emerging, mid-career and legacy artists. These grants have supported artists at critical junctures in their careers; enabled local nonprofit arts groups to produce and premiere original works; and enriched Bay Area audiences by showcasing the region’s most promising new works.

The Gerbode Foundation is pleased to announce a $300,000 fund for the creation and development of new dance and movement-based projects by California choreographers, culture bearers, traditional and tradition-based artists, and movement-based artists. The new dance works will be commissioned and produced by Bay Area nonprofit artist-centered organizations that can apply for grants of $50,000 each.

1. Recognize the exceptional contributions of innovative choreographers, culture bearers, traditional and tradition-based artists, and movement-based artists.

2. Support projects that are diverse in gender-identity, race, ethnicity, and geography.

3. Encourage and deepen the engagement between the lead artist(s) and the producing organization.

4. Support artist-centered organizations in their commitment to commission, develop, and produce new work by California artists.

5. To support organizations and companies that are deeply rooted in culturally specific communities and have a positive impact within these communities.

The Common App is a collaboration between funders and grantmakers with unique histories and objectives. The 2024 Dance & Movement Awards is a part of the Common Application for the Arts – Bay Area (“Common App”) – an initiative in which participating funders use standardized questions to help create greater efficiency for grantseekers.

The information requested in our application form aligns with the Common App. While the intent of the Common App is to provide an easy copy-n-paste option for applicants, be mindful of our program’s goals and criteria. Consider making minor revisions to ensure responses address the specific nuances of the 2024 Dance & Movement Awards program.

You are not required to complete the Common App to apply to Gerbode Foundation. If you are not using the Common App, please simply ignore the notations in parenthesis in our application form.

Thursday, June 6th at 4pm (PST)

• Application Deadline.

• Application materials emailed to: special.awards@gerbode.org

Wednesday, March 20th at 10am
Tuesday, April 9th at 5:30pm
Thursday, May 9th at 3pm

• Application Info Webinar – registration required; sign up here.

• 1-hour webinar – Program Director will provide an overview of the Program Guidelines and walk participants through the Application Process. Great for first-time applicants and seasoned applicants to learn about any changes from past rounds.

Friday, March 1st at 10am
Tuesday, March 12th at 5pm
Monday, March 25th at 11am
More times TBD – check here

• Office Hours – registration required; sign up here

• 1-hour Zoom session – drop in any time during this hour to ask questions about eligibility or our application process. It is important for all applicants to attend either an Application Info Webinar or Office Hours.

Wed., May 1st – Monday, June 3rd

• Follow-up Call with Program Director – sign up here

• 30-minute phone call with Program Director - This is a follow-up to discuss specific questions about your application or project. Please make sure to attend either an Application Info Webinar or Office Hours before scheduling a follow-up phone call.

September 2024

• Recipients notified

Eligible applicant organizations (suggestions below):

• Dance companies

• Festivals

• Organizations that produce and present dance

• Interdisciplinary arts presenters

• Community-based arts organizations

• Organizations with a history of working with dance and movement-based artists

Note on fiscal sponsorship: We require involvement and partnership for the proposed project. Fiscal sponsors serving only as a fiduciary bridge are not eligible. Please contact the Gerbode Foundation at 510-915-8048 or special.awards@gerbode.org to confirm eligibility.

The applicant organization must:

1. Be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has been in operation for at least 2 years.

2. Be located in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, San Mateo, Solano, or Sonoma County.

3. Have an organization budget between $60K and $3M.

4. Commit to developing, producing, and fundraising for the proposed project.

5. Pay a minimum fee of $12,500 to the commissioned lead artist(s) or a minimum fee of $10,000 for each artist if the project is a collaboration.

6. Have a strong proven track record of producing and/or presenting dance or movement-based projects and paying its artists.

7. Not have an open grant in Gerbode’s Special Awards in the Arts program.

8. Not be a current recipient of a Creative Work Fund award for the same project or lead artist.

9. Submit only one application.

Individual artists may not apply directly and must be commissioned by an eligible applicant organization.

Lead artists at any career stage – emerging, mid-career or legacy – are eligible (suggestions below):

• Choreographers

• Dancers

• Movement-based artists

• Movement directors

• Traditional and tradition-based artists

• Culture bearers and master artists

The proposed lead artist(s) must:

1. Meet one of the following criteria: (1) be a current California resident or (2) have had California-based artist residencies for the development of their work in the last 5 years. If you have had significant artist residencies in the last 5 years, but live out of state, please contact Gerbode Foundation at 510-915-8048 or special.awards@gerbode.org.

2. Be a choreographer or movement-based artist who is the creative lead in the development of the proposed project.

3. Consider a project that will have significant impact on the producing organization if they are a founding choreographer of the applicant organization or company.

4. Have had at least two works developed and produced (this includes online experiences).

5. Not be a recipient of a previous choreographer or dance commissioning grant from the Gerbode Foundation. (Unfortunately, past individual artist recipients of the Special Awards in the Arts program are not eligible.)

6. Be proposed as the lead artist for only one application.

• All dance and movement-based genres, traditional and tradition-based forms will be considered.

• Proposed projects must meet the following criteria:

  • Proposed projects must be new and original dance or movement-based projects that are developed and produced by the applicant organization.

  • The project must be completed/presented between August 2025 and December 2027.

  • Project budgets must include either:

    • a minimum lead artist commissioning fee of $12,500; or

    • a minimum commissioning fee of $10,000 to each lead artist if the project is a collaboration.

  • Proposed projects can be at any stage of development except in rehearsal.

• The following projects and final presentations are eligible (this list is suggestive but not exhaustive):

  • Live dance performances

  • Film festivals

  • Dance festivals

  • Dance films

  • Interactive media experiences

  • Dance installations

• The following projects are ineligible:

  • Revisions of previously presented work, unless it is substantially revised.

  • Work-in-progress that is currently in rehearsal.

  • Commissions solely for students and student ensembles.

Deadline to submit application: Application materials must be received by Thursday, June 6th at 4pm (PST). Application materials must be emailed to special.awards@gerbode.org. Late or incomplete submissions will not be eligible. Gerbode Foundation staff will confirm receipt of all applications once received so there is no need to follow-up.

For fiscally-sponsored projects, with the exception of the IRS letter, materials should relate to your organization/company and not the fiscal sponsor.

Attach the following application materials to an email as PDF files unless noted – please label numerically as listed. You may send multiple emails if attachments exceed 25MB.

1. IRS determination letter establishing the applicant organization’s nonprofit 501c3 status.
   If a fiscal sponsor is the applicant, in addition to its IRS letter, please include a short description of the partnership with the fiscal sponsor as it relates to the commissioned work.

2. Completed Application Form – Section 1 through Section 3 (submit as a Word doc)

3. (Optional) Detailed project budget.

4. Staff & Board list.

5. Balance sheet and profit & loss statement for the last two completed fiscal years.

6. Year-to-date information: Balance sheet and profit & loss statement as of 4/30/24.

7. Current organizational budget.

Gerbode Foundation Program Team will conduct the initial review of applications. Then, a national advisory panel of peers and advisors in the dance field will review the applications and work samples and make recommendations. Gerbode Foundation staff will present the recommendations to the Board of Directors who will make the final selection of grantees. Recipients will be notified in September 2024.

To achieve the program goals listed on page 1 of the Guidelines, the advisory panel will be asked to consider the following criteria in their evaluation:

1. Lead Artist’s Creative Process & Artistic Experiences
   The lead artist’s approach, unique style, and creative process is articulated clearly and has the potential to make a significant contribution to the field of dance. The lead artist’s creative methodology and vision for the proposed work is represented in the work samples. The project will involve the lead artist’s artistic growth or have an impact on creative practice. There is an urgency to support this project at this time. Please note that the panelists will use the work samples and artistic experience submission as a key component of their review for this section.

2. Diverse Representation
   The artist involved in the project is deeply rooted in and/or has intimate knowledge of a specific cultural or tradition-based practice or community. The proposed project involves community engagement. The lead artist and producing organization represent the Bay Area’s diverse communities, neighborhoods, and cultural districts. Gender identity, race, ethnicity, and geography will all be considered in determining diverse representation.

3. Partnership
   The proposed project reflects partnership with the producing organization that is essential to the realization of the proposed new dance work. The partnership may be a new, first-time collaboration or a project involving a founding choreographer or artistic director. The lead artist has creative leadership in the project and their vision and process will be supported by the producing organization.

4. Project Feasibility
   The applicant organization has the ability to raise funds for, develop and produce the proposed project.

Recipients of the 2024 Dance & Movement Awards must produce and present the commissioned work in one of the ten San Francisco Bay Area counties for in-person performances, film screenings, virtual presentations or other online experiences.

An interim report specifying production plans must be received by the Gerbode Foundation before all funds can be disbursed. If the production plan or schedule changes from what is proposed at the time of the application, the Gerbode Foundation must be notified, and the changes must be approved in writing.

Recipients must also submit final narrative and financial reports and acknowledge this grant in outreach materials and other forms of recognition with the following language:

[Project] was made possible by the Gerbode Foundation’s Special Awards in the Arts program.

This program is administered by the Gerbode Foundation. All applicants are encouraged to attend an Application Info Webinar or drop-in during Office Hours. Olivia will be available to answer any questions regarding the application process:

Olivia Malabuyo Tablante
Special Awards in the Arts Program Director
Gerbode Foundation
1791 Solano Avenue, #F15
Berkeley, CA 94707

Phone: 510-915-8048
Email: special.awards@gerbode.org
RSVP to Webinars and Office Hours: click here

When is the deadline for the 2024 Dance & Movement Awards?

• Application materials must be received by Thursday, 6th at 4pm (PST). Please email applications to special.awards@gerbode.org. Late or incomplete submissions will not be eligible. Hardcopy applications will not be accepted.

What do I need to do before submitting an application?

• All applicants and grantseekers are encouraged to attend either an Application Info Webinar or Office Hours before submitting an application. Program Director will also be available to answer any questions about the program by sending an email to special.awards@gerbode.org. Please make sure to read through the Program Guidelines and FAQs prior to contacting the Foundation.

Can I schedule a meeting with Program Staff to discuss an application or project?

• Please make sure to attend either an Application Info Webinar or Office Hours before scheduling a follow-up phone call. You can schedule a 30-minute phone call with the Program Director here.

I am a choreographer with my own dance company. Can I apply to propose my own work?

• Yes. If you are a founding choreographer of the applicant organization or company, please consider a project that will have significant impact on the producing organization.

Can we still apply if we have a fiscal sponsor?

• Fiscal sponsors are eligible to apply for a commission on behalf of a presenting organization on a case-by-case basis. Please contact staff at the Gerbode Foundation to ensure eligibility. You can send an email to special.awards@gerbode.org.

I am an artist that creates and produces California-based projects, but I live out of state. Am I eligible?

• Out of state residents may be eligible if the lead artist has had significant artist residencies in California in the last 7 years. Please contact staff to ensure eligibility. You can send an email to special.awards@gerbode.org.

Where can I download the Application Form?

• Download the Word version of the Application here and enter information directly into the document. Please do not use a font smaller than 10 pt. and save frequently!

What are the notations in parenthesis throughout the Application Form?

• The information requested in our application form aligns with the Common App. The notations in parenthesis refer to responses related to the Common App.
  
  While the intent of the Common App is to provide an easy copy-n-paste option for applicants, be mindful of our program’s goals and criteria. Consider making minor revisions to ensure responses address the specific nuances of the 2024 Dance & Movement Awards program.
  
  If you are not using the Common App, please simply ignore the notations in parenthesis in our application form.

What is the Common App? Do I need to use the Common App to apply?

• The Common App is a collaboration between funders and grantmakers with unique histories and objectives. The 2024 Dance & Movement Awards is a part of the Common Application for the Arts – Bay Area (“Common App”) – an initiative in which participating funders use standardized questions to help create greater efficiency for grantseekers.
  
  You are not required to complete the Common App to apply to Gerbode Foundation.

Are there character or word limits for narrative sections in the Application?

• Yes, there is a suggested max word count noted each section.

For the Artist Statement on page 3 of the Application, can someone other than the proposed lead artist respond to this section?

• It is important for the lead artist to respond to the Artist Statement questions. Do not be overly concerned with “grant speak” or formal grant language in the response. However, we do suggest that you try to be as concise as possible in this section. Please feel free to include an outline or bullet points to convey your artistic process.

Can I submit my application in any other format than the application form?

• If the application form (narrative format) does not work for the lead artist or the producing organization, please discuss other possible options with the Program Director. While we do not have a formal process for doing so, we may consider a video recording of responses to the questions or a presentation deck as other possible options.

What should I submit for the lead artist’s work samples?

• You may provide up to 3 work samples totaling 5 minutes of material to review. Work samples can be provided below using online links. Please indicate necessary user/password info.

• Please note the following for each work sample submitted (in the body of the email):

  • Title, year of production, brief summary of the work, and mention any key collaborators.

  • For each sample, list cue starts and end times. You can provide a complete work but point the panelists to specific areas of a longer work that you would like them to review. Maximum review time for all work samples is 5 minutes total.

  • You may also include brief notes describing why the work sample is important as it relates to the proposed project or how it fits into your body of work.

Can I submit video files if I do not have media links for my work samples?

• You may submit MP4s or MOV files for video footage via Dropbox.
  
  Please email us at special.awards@gerbode.org so we can send you a Dropbox link to upload your files. (You will need to sign up for Dropbox with a username and password.) Please request this no later than Thursday, June 6th at 10am (PST).

When I am ready to submit my application, how do I send grant materials to the Foundation?

• Application materials must be received by Thursday, June 6th at 4pm (PST). Application materials must be emailed to special.awards@gerbode.org. Late or incomplete submissions will not be eligible. Gerbode Foundation staff will confirm receipt of all applications once received so there is no need to follow-up.
  
  For fiscally-sponsored projects, with the exception of the IRS letter, materials should relate to your organization/company and not the fiscal sponsor.
  
  Attach the following application materials to an email as PDF files unless noted – please label numerically as listed. You may send multiple emails if attachments exceed 25MB.

  • IRS determination letter establishing the applicant organization’s nonprofit 501c3 status.

    • If a fiscal sponsor is the applicant, in addition to its IRS letter, please include a short description of the partnership with the fiscal sponsor as it relates to the commissioned work.

  • Completed Application Form – Section 1 through Section 3 (submit as a Word doc)

  • (Optional) Detailed project budget.

  • Staff & Board list.

  • Balance sheet and profit & loss statement for the last two completed fiscal years.

  • Year-to-date information: Balance sheet and profit & loss statement as of 4/30/24.

  • Current organizational budget.

When will I be notified about the status of my application?

• Email notifications regarding the status of applications will be no later than September 2024.