CHALLENGE AMERICA: REACHING EVERY COMMUNITY FAST-TRACK REVIEW GRANTS

These application guidelines provide all of the information that you need to submit an application. We urge you to read these instructions in their entirety before you begin the application process.You may also wish to print a copy (see "Printing Tips").

Organizations are required to submit their applications electronically through Grants.gov, the federal government’s online application system. Applications in paper format will not be accepted. The application deadline for the Challenge America Fast-Track Review Grants category is June 2, 2008.

The Grants.gov system must receive your application no later than 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on the deadline date. The Arts Endowment will not accept late applications. We encourage you to apply well in advance of the deadline. In addition, you may have a better experience if you submit your application outside of Grants.gov’s hours of heaviest usage, generally 12 noon to 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time.

Please be aware that the Grants.gov Customer Service hours are 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday to Friday. Should you encounter any difficulty submitting your application right before the deadline, the Arts Endowment will not accept your inability to contact Grants.gov after hours as a valid excuse for a late application.

If you are unable to submit your application electronically, you may request a waiver from this requirement. A waiver will be granted for the following reasons only:

• Internet access is not available within a 30-mile radius of your organization's business office.
• Disability prevents the submission of an electronic application.

Your waiver request must be in writing and must be received (not postmarked) at the Arts Endowment at least three weeks before the application deadline. Click here for more information on waivers.

 Register with Grants.gov    [Back to Top]

 Renew/Verify Your Registration    [Back to Top]

If you have already registered with Grants.gov, renew/verify your registration with Grants.gov before you apply. Make sure that:

• Your registration with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR) -- part of the Grants.gov registration process -- is up to date. Your organization’s CCR Point of Contact must renew your organization’s registration with CCR every year or it will expire. If you let your registration lapse, you may delay your ability to apply using Grants.gov. You can check your registration status by entering your DUNS number at "Search CCR" at www.ccr.gov. CCR also will alert your CCR Point of Contact when it is time for renewal. You do not have to go through the entire CCR registration process again. Rather, this is an opportunity to provide updated information. If you have no changes, the annual renewal is as simple as logging on to "Update or Renew Registration" at www.ccr.gov with your DUNS number and TPIN (Trading Partner Identification Number) and clicking "Update/Renew" and "CCR Update -- TPIN."

• The individual who will be submitting the application is registered as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) with Grants.gov and can readily locate his or her Username and Password. Any new AORs must register and be approved by your organization’s Ebiz Point of Contact using the MPIN (Marketing Partner Identification Number).

Consult Grants.gov if you need additional information on renewing/verifying your registration.

 Download the Application Package    [Back to Top]

1. Verify your software

   You must have Adobe Reader (version 8.1.1 or higher), a small, free software program, installed on your computer before you download your application package from Grants.gov. Earlier versions of Adobe Reader or other Adobe products will lead to errors and prevent you from submitting your application. If more than one computer will be involved in the preparation of the application package, ensure that the same version of Adobe Reader is used.

   To verify that you have a compatible version of Adobe Reader installed, click on the test application package link below:

   Adobe Reader Version Test Application Package

   If you do not already have Adobe Reader (version 8.1.1 or higher) installed on your computer, please download and follow installation instructions.

2. Access the application package on Grants.gov by clicking on the link for your deadline:

   

   [Funding Opportunity Number 2008NEA01FT2]

   This will bring you to the "Selected Grant Applications for Download" screen.

   Download the application package and follow the instructions below. It is not necessary to download the instructions from Grants.gov as you will merely be directed back to the instructions in this document. You may find it helpful to print out these instructions so that you will have them available for easy reference as you complete the forms. You also may want to keep these instructions open in a window in your computer as they contain helpful links to information that you will need as you complete your application.

3. When you download the application package, the Grants.gov "Grant Application Package" screen will open. Click on the "Save" button at the top of the form and save the application package to a location on your computer or network where you can find it readily. Close the saved application package before you start to work on it for the first time. Always open and work on your application from this location. Save your changes each time you work on your application. You do not need to be connected to Grants.gov or the Internet until you are ready to submit your completed application.

 Navigate the Application Package    [Back to Top]

1. Open the application package that you have saved to your computer and the Grants.gov "Grant Application Package" screen will appear. In the "Application Filing Name" field, enter your organization's legal name.

2. In the "Mandatory Documents" box, you will see that there are four forms that you must fill out before you can submit your application. Move all of the forms in the "Mandatory Documents" box to the “Mandatory Documents for Submission” box. You must move the forms before you can open them. Once moved, the four forms merge into a single document. You can access each form by clicking on it to highlight it and then clicking on the "Open Form" box OR you can scroll down your screen and you will come to each form in succession.

   The forms are:

   • Application for Federal Domestic Assistance/Short Organizational Form
     (SF-424): This form asks for basic information about your organization and project. Complete this form first. Data entered here will populate fields of other forms where possible. See instructions for completing this form below.

   • NEA Supplemental Information Form: This form asks for some additional information about your organization and project. See instructions for completing this form below.

   • NEA Organization & Project Profile Form: In accordance with the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), the Arts Endowment will use the information gathered through this form to develop statistical profiles of the projects that it funds for reporting to Congress and the public. See instructions for completing this form below.

   • Attachments Form: This is not a form in the conventional sense, but rather a place to attach additional items as PDF (portable document format) files. These additional items (e.g., your application narrative and the Project Budget Form) must be included for your Grants.gov application package to be considered complete. See instructions for completing this form below.

3. Within a given form, you can move around either by scrolling or by clicking on the "Next" or "Previous" button at the top of the form itself. You can move throughout the full multi-form document either by scrolling or by using the small arrows at the bottom of your screen. Do not use the Back Button arrow at the top of your screen as this will take you out of the Grant Application Package altogether.

4. Clicking on the "Close Form" button at the top of a screen will capture your information and return you to the "Grant Application Package" screen. Before closing the "Grant Application Package" screen, click on the "Save" button to make sure that your most recent information is saved.

5. When you click the "Save" button you will get the message "The File already exists. Replace existing file?" Click “Yes” to ensure that the most recent version of your application is saved to the same location on your computer.

 Submit Your Electronic Application    [Back to Top]

1. In the top left corner of the Grants.gov menu screen you will see buttons for Save & Submit, Save, Print, Cancel, and Check Package for Errors.

2. When you have completed your application (i.e., the four Mandatory Documents have been completed and saved), click the Check Package for Errors button to double check that you have provided all required information. This will alert you if you have left any required fields on the forms incomplete. This will not check the accuracy of your information or whether you have attached all required documents. Correct any errors and click Save to save your application package again. When your required fields are complete, you will receive the message, "Validation Passed."

3. If you want a hard copy of your completed application for your files, clicking the Print button will print out all of the forms in the Mandatory Completed Documents for Submission box. For a hard copy of the items that you are attaching to the Attachments Form, you will have to print each of these out separately from your computer.

4. Click the Save & Submit button. [This button will not become active (and turn from light to dark gray) until you have saved your application with all required fields completed. Clicking this button will prompt you to save your application package one last time. When asked if you want to replace the existing file, click “Yes.” You will then be reconnected to Grants.gov and the Internet.] You will be prompted to provide your Grants.gov Username and Password that you obtained during registration. (REMINDER: You must have successfully completed the registration process in order to receive your Grants.gov Username and Password.)

5. Click the "Login" button. This will bring you to the "Application Submission Verification and Signature" screen, which provides a summary of the Funding Opportunity for which you are applying. If everything looks accurate, click the "Sign and Submit Application" button to complete the process. Be certain that you are satisfied with your application before you click this button. No revisions to your application are possible through Grants.gov once it is submitted.

   NOTE: If it appears that your submission is not being successfully transmitted to Grants.gov (e.g., you do not receive a confirmation screen), it is possible that your application actually was submitted. You can check if your submission was successful by seeing if you have received the e-mail notifications from Grants.gov detailed below or by calling the Grants.gov help desk. Do not try to submit your application again until you have verified that your submission was unsuccessful. If the application was not submitted successfully, close your connection to Grants.gov and resubmit. This can happen for a number of reasons, such as heavy usage on the Grants.gov system or security settings on your computer or your firewall.

   If you do not want to submit the application at this time, click the "Exit" button. You will be returned to the previous page where you can make changes in your material or exit the process.

   Grants.gov will put a date/time stamp on your application when you click the "Sign and Submit Application" button. Your application must be stamped no later than 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on your deadline date; the Arts Endowment will not accept late applications. Remember that Grants.gov’s Customer Service hours end for the day at 9 p.m., Eastern Time. Should you encounter any difficulty submitting your application right before the deadline, the Arts Endowment will not accept your inability to contact Grants.gov after hours as a valid excuse for a late application.

6. After you hit the "Sign and Submit Application" button, you will receive two notifications from Grants.gov:

   1. First, you will receive confirmation that your application was received by the Grants.gov system. This confirmation will include the Grants.gov Tracking Number assigned to your application. Print a copy of this notification to include with the material that you mail to the Arts Endowment and keep a copy for your records. The Tracking Number also will be e-mailed to your Authorized Organization Representative (AOR).

   2. Soon thereafter (generally within 24-48 hours), you will receive notification as to whether your application was successfully validated by Grants.gov. You may include this in lieu of the confirmation with any material that you might mail to the Arts Endowment. If there are any errors in your application (e.g., the DUNS number on your application doesn’t match exactly the DUNS number in your registration), it will be rejected by Grants.gov and not delivered to the NEA.

      If Grants.gov rejects your application and the deadline has not yet passed, you can correct the error(s) in your application and resubmit. If the deadline has passed, you will not have this opportunity.

7. You also can track the progress of your application submission through Grants.gov by using your Username and Password to log in to the Grants.gov system and clicking on "Application Status."

8. After the deadline for this category, Grants.gov will notify you via e-mail when the Arts Endowment retrieves your application from Grants.gov, and again soon thereafter, when your application has been assigned an Agency Tracking Number (this will be the Arts Endowment-assigned application number). This process will serve to acknowledge the receipt of your application by the Arts Endowment.

REMINDER: After submission of your application to Grants.gov, you must mail certain items (detailed in "Step 6: Prepare and submit material to be mailed directly to the Arts Endowment" below) directly to the NEA. For your application to be considered complete, every item that is required MUST be included in your application package, which must be submitted no later than the application deadline date under which you are applying. Arts Endowment staff will not contact applicants to request missing material, and incomplete applications will be returned to you.

Additional Help

For additional help on how to use Grants.gov, please see the help material on the Grants.gov website at Applicant Help. You also can send e-mail to the Grants.gov helpdesk at support@grants.gov or call them at 1-800-518-4726 from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday to Friday.

If you contact Grants.gov for assistance, your question will be assigned a case number. This number only documents your inquiry to the help desk. It is: 1) not, in itself, an indication of a Grants.gov system problem that would excuse a late application; and 2) not related to the tracking number that Grants.gov will assign your application once it has been successfully submitted.

For specific help on how to complete your application, please review the instructions in these guidelines including the Frequently Asked Questions, or contact the Challenge America staff (see "Agency Contacts").

For a complete application, follow Steps 1-6 below

Step 1: Fill out the Application for Federal Domestic Assistance/Short Organizational Form (SF-424)    [Back to Top]

NOTE: All asterisked (*) items and yellow fields on this form are required and must be completed before you will be able to submit the form. Do not type in all capital letters when completing the form. Enter information directly into the form. Do not copy from an old application package or another document and paste into the form.

1. Name of Federal Agency: Pre-populated.

2. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: Pre-populated.

3. Date Received: This will be filled automatically with the date that you submit your application; leave blank.

4. Funding Opportunity Number: Pre-populated.

5. Applicant Information:

6. Project Information:

7. Project Director:

8. Primary Contact/Grant Administrator:

9. Authorized Representative:

Step 2: Fill out the National Endowment for the Arts Supplemental Information Form    [Back to Top]

NOTE: All asterisked (*) items and yellow fields on this form are required and must be completed before you will be able to submit the form. Do not type in all capital letters when completing the form. Enter information directly into the form. Do not copy from an old application package or another document and paste into the form.

This form has a new OMB expiration date of 11/30/2010.

1. Applicant

2. Application Information

3. Project Budget Summary

Step 3: Fill out the NEA Organization & Project Profile Form  
[Back to Top]

In order to see definitions of individual items, place your cursor over the relevant radio button. This form is four pages long. To move back and forth among the pages use the Previous and Next buttons at the top of the screen.

This form has a new OMB expiration date of 11/30/2010.

Step 4: Complete and Attach Required Items to the Attachments Form    [Back to Top]

The "Attachments Form" is not a form in the conventional sense. Rather, it is a place to attach documents that you have completed and saved elsewhere on your computer. One of these documents is itself a fillable Arts Endowment form. The others are narratives or lists that you develop in accordance with the instructions below and then convert to PDF (portable document format) files.

Several important points:

1. When submitting through Grants.gov, attach only one copy of each item.

2. Attachment 4 (Project Budget Form) is a fillable form; you will find a link to it. This form can be filled in, saved to your computer, and attached without the need for special software or conversion to PDF.

3. Attachments 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 are documents (e.g., narratives, lists) that you will develop in accordance with the instructions provided. These items must be submitted as PDF (portable document format) files. Using PDFs allows you to preserve the formatting of your documents so they can be presented to panelists exactly as you intend.

   These non-form documents can be created using any word processing software. When you have completed the document, save it to your computer and convert it to PDF before attaching. If you don't already have software to convert files to PDF, there are many low-cost and free software packages that can do this. To learn more, go to PDF Conversion Programs.

   Please make sure to convert your documents into PDF format in line with the guidance above. Do not create PDFs of your electronic documents by scanning. In the past, some applicants have printed their electronic documents and then scanned them, saving the scan in PDF format. PDFs created this way are much larger, and of lower quality, than PDFs created by the methods we recommend. Do not embed non-printable media files (video and/or sound) in your PDF documents. Static images (e.g., pictures) are acceptable. Please do not enable any document security settings or password protect any PDF file you submit to us.

   NOTE: Next year, applications with attachments that are not in PDF format may not be accepted.

4. For non-form documents, label pages clearly with the name of the item (e.g., Organizational Background) and your organization's legal name. Leave a margin of at least one inch at the top, bottom, and sides of all pages. Do not reduce type below 12 point font size. Do not type in all capital letters. Number pages sequentially; place numbers on the bottom right hand corner of each page.

5. Name your files as indicated below and attach them in the proper order. Please note that you cannot change the name of a file on the Attachments Form. Therefore make certain that each file is named correctly before you attach it. See below for details.

When you open the Grants.gov Attachments Form, you will find 15 attachment buttons, labeled "Attachment 1" through "Attachment 15." By clicking on a button, you will be able to choose the PDF file from your computer that you wish to attach. Please attach the proper file to the proper button as listed below.

The Attachments

ATTACHMENT 1: ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND STATEMENT

ATTACHMENT 2: DETAILS OF THE PROJECT NARRATIVE

ATTACHMENT 3 : BIOGRAPHIES OF KEY PROJECT PERSONNEL

ATTACHMENT 4: PROJECT BUDGET FORM, PAGES 1 and 2
     [DOWNLOAD FORM] [INSTRUCTIONS]

ATTACHMENT 5: PROGRAMMATIC ACTIVITIES

ATTACHMENT 6: WORK SAMPLE INDEX

Leave all remaining Attachment buttons blank.

If you try to view an attachment by clicking the "View Attachment" button on the Attachments Form but are unsuccessful, check the bottom of the screen for the message: "Pop-ups were blocked on this page." If you see this message, press "Ctrl" and "View Attachment" to see the attachment.

REMINDER: Be sure to submit all attachments as PDF files. If you work in Word initially, convert each item to PDF before submission.

Step 5: Submit Items in Steps 1-4 above electronically through Grants.gov    [Back to Top]

Once you have completed all of the forms in your Grants.gov application package, you are ready to submit the electronic portion of your application. Make certain that:

• You submit the most up-to-date version of your application package. (As long as you always open and work on your application from the same location and save your changes each time you close your application, this should be easy.)

• All items required to be attached to the Attachments Form are in fact attached (Step 4 above). Again, be sure that you have attached your final version of each item (not some earlier draft) and that all of your non-form documents (e.g., narratives, lists) are in PDF format.

Follow the detailed instructions under “Submit your electronic application” above.

After you submit your application to Grants.gov, you will receive two notifications: 1) Confirmation of receipt, and 2) Notification that your application has been validated. Notification of validation may take as long as 24-48 hours, a good reason to submit your application several days in advance of the deadline. If Grants.gov fails to validate your application (e.g., because of a discrepancy in your organization’s DUNS number between registration and application), you can correct the problem and resubmit if the deadline has not yet passed. If the deadline has passed, you will not have this opportunity.

Step 6: Prepare and submit material to be mailed directly to the Arts Endowment    [Back to Top]

In addition to the material that you submit through Grants.gov, you must mail the following items to the Arts Endowment. Your application package will not be considered complete without these items.

1. A copy of the Submission Confirmation or validation e-mail from Grants.gov that includes your Grants.gov Tracking Number. (Upon submission of your electronic application material to Grants.gov, this confirmation will display on your screen.) Be sure that this is the first item in your mailed material.

2. Four identical copies of a work sample that demonstrates the artistic excellence and artistic merit of your project.

   Wherever possible, this should be a sample of work by the primary artist(s) for the project. For projects that involve guest artists, submit an example of work by the proposed artist(s). For projects that focus on program enhancements, public relations material, unified marketing initiatives, etc., the work sample should reflect the work of the individual(s) responsible for the development/design or the quality of the arts event or resources, as appropriate.

   Your four copies must be in only one of the formats listed below:

   • For performing arts projects, a CD (audio or video), DVD-R, or DVD-ROM.
   • For media projects, a DVD-R, DVD-ROM, or CD (audio or video).
   • For design/museum/visual arts projects, up to 8 visual images on a CD; or a DVD-R, or DVD-ROM.
   • For literary projects, one publication or up to 15 pages of print material.

   For multidisciplinary projects, submit samples in two art forms.

   Audio and VHS video cassettes are not accepted.

   Instructions for Submission

   • Audio CDs should have each selection on a separate track. Place the selections in priority order.

   • Digital images on CD
     Submit a CD (in MS Windows readable format) that contains up to 8 electronic images in JPEG. Do not submit TIFFs, PDFs, Word or Access files, or any other non-JPEG formats. Image size should be consistent; suggested size is 800 pixels x 600 pixels. Each image file should not exceed 2 MB. Number each image.

   • PowerPoint or PDF on CD
     Up to 8 images may be presented in a PowerPoint or PDF file on a CD in MS Windows readable format. Submit images only, with no text.

   • Multimedia presentations on CD, DVD-R, or DVD-ROM are limited to three minutes in length and must be in one of the following formats: QuickTime (.mov), Real Player (.rm), Windows Media Player (.wmv), or .mpeg. CDs must be in MS Windows readable format.

   Preview your samples before submitting them to ensure that there are no technical problems that might interfere with the panel's review of your work. Panelists generally spend no more than three to five minutes on the work sample(s) for each application.

   Clearly label each sample (and where relevant its container) with the name of your organization and the corresponding letter from your Work Sample Index.

   Please be aware that the entire sample (not just the selected segment) is considered a part of the application package and may be reviewed. The Arts Endowment may copy or digitally convert work samples to facilitate panel review. By submitting a work sample, you are giving the Arts Endowment permission for reproduction and dissemination for this purpose.

   Work samples will not be returned.

3. Four identical sets (organized in two-pocket folders) of a concise sampling of recent printed matter that can demonstrate the artistic excellence of the participating artists, arts organizations, or other individuals or organizations that are integral to the project. This may be in the form of brochures, published articles, catalogues, color photocopies, other visual material, etc. Clear, legible photocopied material is acceptable. Label each item, as well as each folder, with the name of your organization. You must submit four standard two-pocket folders; each of the four folders must include a grouping of the material listed above.

Label your package as noted below. All mailed material must be postmarked (or show other proof of mailing) no later than June 3, 2008 (this date is for Grants.gov applicants only). Send your package to:

CHALLENGE AMERICA FAST-TRACK REVIEW GRANTS
Room 710
National Endowment for the Arts
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20506-0001

Be sure to include a complete return address on your package that includes your organization's legal name. If the delivery service that you use requires a telephone number for the recipient on the label, use 202/682-5760.

The National Endowment for the Arts continues to experience lengthy delays in the delivery of First-Class mail. In addition, some or all of the First-Class and Priority mail we receive may be put through an irradiation process. Support material (e.g., CDs, videos) put through this process has been severely damaged. Until normal mail service resumes, please consider using a commercial delivery service, particularly if you are sending time-sensitive material.

National Endowment for the Arts · an independent federal agency
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20506