LRAC Announces Changes Regarding the Definition of ‘Need for the Project’
Grants funded by LRAC bring art opportunities to rural communities within the 9-county region.
In the fall of 2022, the Lake Region Arts Council Board reviewed the language used to address “Need for the Project” in our Project and Legacy grant programs. An update to the language was considered based on feedback from applicants and the Board that indicated that the old needs questions were unclear, resulting in answers that didn't identify needs in a satisfactory manner.
In 2020, the LRAC Board changed the highest valued grant review criteria for our Project and Legacy Grants to Need for the Project, to encourage applicants to recognize the arts needs of their community and to think about the impact of their applications on their community.
How will the LRAC Grant Application Process be Affected?
LRAC offers grant funding for both organizations and individuals.
In order to further refine how organizations and individuals respond to these questions, LRAC is proud to announce the following changes:
New Definition of ‘Need’
The LRAC Board will now use the following definition to inform how the “Need for the Project” is approached: LRAC defines community need as a gap in programming, opportunity or resources for the community defined by the applicant.
New Application Questions
Five new questions will replace the old questions used to evaluate the project need. Our hope is that these new questions will better help applicants explain:
Who they identify as the community that will benefit
How the applicant knows their project will benefit that community
How the project might impact those outside that community
““We hope that by asking these questions of our applicants, we can award grants that show the community is asking for or sees value in the projects being proposed.””
New application questions will now include:
1. Tell us about the community that will benefit from this project.
Communities, as defined for your project, can be small or large, and can include information about demographics, a particular group of people (e.g. the elderly, homeless, elementary age children), geography, a shared culture, marginalized groups or groups formed around an interest or particular art form.
2. What is the lack of opportunity, access or knowledge that this project addresses for your defined community?
3. How is this project of value to your defined community?
4. What methods of involvement or listening did you use to determine the need or importance of this project with members of your defined community? (Examples could include, but are not limited to: listening sessions, public forums, interviews, surveys, focus groups, feedback from audiences/community etc.)
5. Have you considered if this project will impact others outside your defined community? Have you considered or sought input from underrepresented groups in your community about the need for your project? Underrepresented groups could include, but are not limited to: newcomers to the community, elderly, youth, people from different traditions/cultures, people with disabilities limiting their access to the arts, etc.
Suggested Approach to Addressing Need
Previously funded projects include a community mural for downtown Pelican Rapids.
As applicants familiarize themselves with the new project language, we anticipate a shift in how projects are proposed. The approach we suggest to address needs-centered projects includes 4 steps:
Identify the community to be served by your next project.
Consider the following: How did you become aware of the need for this project? Did you do listening sessions, public forums, interviews, surveys, focus groups, get feedback from audiences/community, etc.?
Expand your awareness by considering if this project might impact others beyond your identified community. Get additional feedback from others who may be impacted when applicable.
Gather and report your evidence (survey results, demographic data, letters of community support, etc.) in your "Need for the Project" narrative answers!
Learn More About Upcoming Grant Changes
Two virtual info sessions were held to introduce these changes in December 2022 and January 2023. A recording of the session can be found here:
Click the button below for a quick, step-by-step guide of LRAC’s recent grant changes:
To see additional changes the LRAC Board has made regarding Grant Programs, check out our recent blog post (current as of January 2023).
