THE GATSBY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION FUND APPLICATION

2009-2010 Gatsby Application Updates:

The Arts Initiative will review Gatsby Student Arts Support Fund Applications once per semester.

• The deadline for Fall 2009 applications is Wednesday, September 30th, by 11:59pm
• The deadline for Spring 2010 applications is Friday, January 22nd, by 11:59pm

If you are part of a student group that has applied for multiple projects throughout the year, we encourage you now to think of your multiple projects as a season of events. If you are an individual applying, you will be also be adopting a long-term planning strategy that will require you to conceive of your event at the start of each semester.

To jump to the eligibility requirements and FAQ, click here.

Want to produce a short film festival? Curate a photo exhibition from your journeys around the world? Showcase your culture through dance and music? Stage a musical? Create an arts-related marketing campaign for Columbia's green initiatives?

Gatsby Overview

Every year, Columbia engineering, medical, economics, and history students showcase their arts to the Columbia community... And every year, we enjoy helping students such as these and from the whole of Columbia bring their projects to life. Why not try your hand at being the next Spielberg, Leibowitz, Mamet, Lang Lang, or Hopper? Start now and give them a run for their money.

Maybe you’re brainstorming an idea for how to use the arts to build community among graduate and undergraduate Columbians? Past projects have included radio broadcasts, student television series, film festivals, photography exhibitions, musicals, cultural dances, websites and music videos. We are always looking for students who can think outside the box and reach all Columbians with their creativity.

For a full list of past recipients and projects, click here.

Student Arts Support Fund
Guidelines and FAQ

Eligibility:

• You must be a current Columbia student or a group comprised of at least 80% current Columbia students.
• You may apply as an individual student OR as the representative of a student organization.
• Neither you nor any other student involved in the project can receive academic credit from any institution or department for the project. This includes senior theses and projects.
• The final project must be accessible to all Columbians.

Application Guidelines:

• The application is an experience in grant-writing. Please do all your preparation and homework prior to submitting the form. Your application should be as detailed and precise as possible.
• Your application should demonstrate a clear connection to the arts and be open to the Columbia community.
• We strongly encourage multi-disciplinary and/or collaborative projects with other Columbia organizations and schools. Project leaders should reach out to their own colleagues, as well as students from other schools and departments to join in the project. Projects should also reach out to other departments for help with their area of expertise: Columbia Business School students for the marketing of the project, similar interest groups for networking opportunities and shared invite lists.
• The application should provide the full scope of the project: logistics, resources needed, and any details related to the project that have already been confirmed.
• If you are applying for the first time, we encourage an in-person meeting so that we can help you through the process and answer any initial questions or address any issues you may have. Meeting requests should be submitted to cuarts@columbia.edu. Chad Miller, Events and Outreach Coordinator, also holds on-campus office hours every Friday in the Lerner Piano Lounge from 2p-4p. Please email him for an appointment at cam2015@columbia.edu with "Gatsby Request" in the email subject header.

FAQ:

• The answer to the oft-asked "How much can we apply for?" is simply, "No more nor less than you absolutely need." Click here for guidelines of acceptable grant uses. Please note that if you are not a part of a student group but are applying as an individual that the maximum amount of funding you can receive is $500.
• The grant should not replace institutional funding (departmental, ABC, SGB, CCSC/ESC/SGA, GSSC, etc.), but rather supplement the total cost of the project.
• If you are requesting funding for a pre-existing project or publication, please explain in your application what new or extended endeavors necessitate a new funding source.
• A complete budget must include line-item accounts of all your projected expenses (and Expense Total), followed by line-item accounts of all your projected income (and Income Total) including ticket sales, grants, and the amount you are requesting from the Arts Initiative. Please highlight the line-item expense on your budget for which you are requesting Gatsby funds, or create a Gatsby-specific section for your budget that indicates how requested funds will be spent. These line items should reflect the exact cost and distribution of funds. For example, don't just list "Technical costs: $180"; list "Lerner Technician Fees ($18/hour for 10 hours): $180."
• Funds above $500 must be transferred to a campus account via IDI or a check must be cut for a Columbia University organization. They cannot be transferred to an individual student.
• We have information on several rehearsal and performance spaces available to students. Check here for a list of venues.
• The Gatsby award will be transferred to the student group, or a check cut to the individual after the pertinent receipts are submitted to the department administrator. 
• All funds awarded will be reimbursed after the completion of the project.

Download a sample Gatsby budget here.

To submit your application, click here.

If approved:

• You will need to make an appointment with Abigail Santner, ats2130@columbia.edu, to review the terms of the contract and to sign it.
• You must include the Arts Initiative logo on all printed materials and electronic materials, as well as language that will be provided to you in the contract. This includes websites, posters, programs, as well as Facebook. A failure to adhere to these requirements will result in your funds being revoked.

Thanks to the generous gifts of Lord David and Lady Susie Sainsbury, The Gatsby Charitable Foundation student arts support fund helps support student arts-related events. The guiding spirit of the grant is to inspire the creation of new and non-curricular student artwork and enrich students' endeavors in the arts.