Dr. ISMAIL MAHOMED CULTURAL CORNER: Thoughts and Experiences - A vision statement for a winning funding proposal

Arts organisations often have clearly stated vision & mission statements. The struggle that artists / new arts managers often have when they have to apply for funding is how to write a vision statement for a specifically funded project. This requires more than simply stating the organisation’s broad vision statement.

Ismail Mahomed Illustrated Portrait. Photo Credit: Facebook

A vision statement for a funding proposal should offer a clearer indicator of what the project proposed by the organisation or the artists intends to do (programme) how they intend to do it (processes & outputs) with whom ( partners & enablers) and why (social benefit).

The above information contained in the project proposal vision statement then becomes the architecture on which the proposal targets, processes, timelines and budgets are evolved.

An easy way to achieve this is to draw a stocksheet (inventory) of an organisation’s key players, partners, infrastructure & resources through which the project will be realised but which also notes what the challenges / inhibiting factors / risks that may need to be mitigated in order to achieve the project’s goals. (See example in the picture below)

Funders consider more than the excellence of your creative work when they consider putting their money to your project. They want to know how their money will grow the networks and resources in your ecosystem so that their brands are extended to a wider network. They also want to know what the social benefits will be so that they can be viewed as being socially responsible.

The following is a hypothetical example of a project vision statement for a funding proposal:

Noting the coming national elections and the low voter registration turnout by young people (ENVIRONMENT) the Piet Pompies Arts Project in partnership with the Koos van Wyk Art School (ENABLERS) will develop and promote a public art programme engaging community art centres, colleges & libraries (RESOURCES) to offer their blank exterior walls for the creation of non-partisan murals (CREATIVE OUTPUT) by local artists (PLAYERS) to raise awareness about the elections and the importance of why young people should participate in the coming elections to take ownership of how their conditions can be improved by the next political administration (SOCIAL BENEFIT).

Simple, what the above opens is opportunity to think beyond just funding resources. Which company can donate paint? Which hardware store can donate steps, paint brushes, etc. Which local restaurant can offer complimentary meal packs during the creation of the murals? What can the local community, schools, libraries & colleges where murals will be painted offer.

By creating an inventory of PLAYERS, ENABLERS, IFRASTRUCTURE /RESOURCES it enables arts managers to see projects having two elements —- budgets and in-kind contributions & partnerships. Funders always ask for details about other contributors, partners & sponsors who will also support the project.

Through four decades of working in the sector I’ve always valued in-kind contributions and partnerships because it is a more dynamic investment by stakeholders in one’s work.