VPA Student Arts Grants

Extracurricular Projects

Student Arts Grants are intended for extracurricular projects that are being led by student groups or individuals outside of their academic requirements.

A project is not eligible for Student Arts Grant funding if any member of the project is counting their involvement towards the following academic activities:

• Senior departmental capstones
  • This includes individual capstone projects that have partnered with a student group for production support
• Honors research/thesis
• Master's research/thesis
• Senior synthesis projects for which you are receiving academic credit
• Projects relating to coursework (e.g. final projects for a seminar, workshop, or independent study), unless the student is enrolled in TAPS 140.

There are a number of campus funding sources that can help support academic projects, including:

• UAR Small Grants
• UAR Major Grants
• UAR Chappell Lougee Scholarships
• Braden Grant (Stanford Storytelling Project)
• Cantor Scholars (Cantor Arts Center)
• Beagle II Award (UAR)

Working With Departments

Student Arts Grants cannot be used to support projects/exhibitions that are considered part of a department's official season. Typically these events will include the department as one of the official sponsors and receive marketing support from the department.

If you are unsure as to whether your project qualifies for a Student Arts Grant, please contact Sabrina Wilensky with a short summary and a description of how the academic department(s) will be involved.

A collaborative project:

• Must involve at least two current Stanford students in key project roles (no solo projects)
  • Key project team members must be listed in the grant application
  • Projects that involve recruiting additional project members (e.g. actors, dancers, visual artists, models, musicians) are required to have at least one other key team member identified at the time of application (e.g. co-producer, co-curator, music director, choreographer, art director, etc.)
• Can be within the same discipline or inter/multidisciplinary

Examples of collaborative project structures:

• Musical or theatrical performances featuring 2+ performers
• A dance showcase
• A group art show featuring multiple visual artists
• A large fabrication/installation project that requires multiple skill sets (e.g. painting, structural or materials engineering, electronics, etc.)

Some suggested campus resources for finding collaborators:

• Send an opportunity announcement to the ArtsUpdate
• Reach out to one of the student-led campus arts groups
• Join a cohort through the Institute for Diversity in the Arts (IDA)
• Attend an event held by one of the arts-interest groups on campus, such as SOCA, BEAST, ArtX, and PASS.

Questions? Contact Sabrina Wilensky (swilensk@stanford.edu), Manager of Grants and Programs, Office of the Vice President for the Arts.

All applicants are required to have a project sponsor who can support the project. Your sponsor can be any of the following:

• Registered Student Group
• Community Center

Residence Halls cannot act as project sponsors.

Other types of sponsors will be considered on a case by case basis and require approval prior to the application deadline. Contact Sabrina Wilensky to discuss your sponsor's eligibility prior to the application deadline.

Sponsor Expectations:

• Registered Student Groups (VSOs)
  • Advising on specific skill/thematic requirements for the project
  • Helping to facilitate an exhibition/performance venue
  • Register the final performance/exhibition in CardinalSync
  • Connecting the student to other campus groups/resources who can support this project
  • Process all project-related financial transactions
  • VSOs must contribute at least 30-50% of the total project cost from their group funds (e.g. 2800 account, Annual or Quarterly ASSU Grants, TSF).
  • If none of the members of the core project team are part of the VSO's executive board, the VSO must provide the project team with a letter of support, to be submitted at the time of application.
• Community Centers
  • Advising on specific skill/thematic requirements for the project
  • Helping to facilitate an exhibition/performance venue
  • Connecting the student to other campus groups/resources who can support this project
  • Community Center and VPA Organization sponsors may be asked to assist with receiving grant funds and processing project financial transactions. 
  • Community Center and VPA Organization sponsors are not required/obligated to provide any financial support for this project.
  • Sponsor will need to provide the project team with a letter of support, to be included as part of the application.

Students: Make sure to discuss your project with your sponsor and obtain their support before submitting your application! (Our team may contact your sponsor as part of the application review process.)

Sponsors: Questions about the role of the project sponsor can be sent to Sabrina Wilensky (swilensk@stanford.edu), Manager of Grants and Programs, Office of the Vice President for the Arts.

For projects/events with multiple collaborating groups, all of the groups must be eligible for funding. See below for examples of collaboration models.

It is strongly recommended that all of the groups involved draft a memo of understanding (MOU) outlining their respective roles and responsibilities during the project; this should be done prior to submitting your grant application and in consultation with SAL.

Example #1: Three student groups collaborating on a dance showcase

• The three groups would submit one application for the project. In the application they will need to specify which of the three groups will be processing financial transactions/work orders for the event.
• If the project receives funding, the award would be equally credited amongst the three groups. This means that each group would have 1/3 of each grant award count towards their annual cap.

Example #2: A single student group is producing two plays in one quarter, one of which is a collaboration with another eligible student group. There are applications submitted for both plays in the same review cycle.

• The student group would only be considered for funding for one project. In this case, the collaborative project would take priority.
• The funding cap pattern would follow a similar pattern as explained in Example #1.

Example #3: Three small teams sponsored by a community center submit separate proposals for a single art exhibition.

• All of the teams would only be considered for funding for one project. The teams would be asked to select one proposal for consideration.

Example #4: Three small teams sponsored by a community center submit separate proposals for various visual art projects.

• The teams would need to spread out their requests across different review cycles.

Example #5: A duo sponsored by a community center receives funding for a Fall Quarter exhibition. The duo reapplies during Winter Quarter for a separate Spring Quarter exhibition.

• The duo would be considered for funding for their Spring Quarter project. However, priority will be given to other project teams (duos/small teams and student groups) who have not yet received funding during the academic year.

These examples are common scenarios that occur and are not an exhaustive list. If you have any questions or concerns about funding caps or other grant policies, please contact Sabrina Wilensky prior to completing your application.

The Project Lead(s) must be enrolled as current Stanford students at the time of the proposed exhibition/performance.

Non-Stanford students (including alumni) can be involved with the project/event, albeit to a limited extent. All projects must feature current Stanford students as core members of the project team. Stanford alumni are welcome to participate in project/event as long as the majority of the project team are current students and current students are responsible for making all key project/event decisions.

The full list of items covered by Student Arts Grants can be found here.

Grant funds cannot be used to pay Stanford affiliates (e.g. students, staff, faculty)

Student Arts Grants are not intended to support the purchase of equipment and software. However, exceptions may be granted on a case-by-case basis. In these situations, equipment purchased with a Co-Sponsorship will become the property of the Office of Student Productions (OSP); students must return equipment to the OSP upon the completion of their project so that it can be made available for student use through the Equipment Lending Library.

Any equipment purchase requests must receive prior authorization. Contact Sabrina Wilensky for more information.

• Grant recipients will act as stewards of Student Arts Grant funds, which have been made possible by the generosity of donors committed to enhancing artistic opportunities on campus.
• All projects must adhere to University policies, including the Fundamental Standard and Honor Code.
• Grant recipients will be expected to complete an online orientation and sign a grant agreement prior to receiving grant funds.
• Grant recipients will present their project on the main Stanford campus by the end of the academic year in which the award was issued. (The exact timeline will be specified in the award letter.)
• Grant recipients will submit periodic progress reports. Details and timelines will be provided in the grant award letter.
• Grant recipients will complete a final report which includes questions to help your team reflect on the project experience. Your report will also include a breakdown of how your grant funds were spent (including back-up documentation.)

1. After each deadline, the Grants Team will review submissions to verify project eligibility and completeness.
   • Your team may be requested to submit additional/revised materials after the deadline. The Grants Team may also contact your project sponsor for additional information.
2. Funding decisions are typically finalized within 2-3 weeks after each deadline. There are four possible outcomes:
   • Award: Your project receives full or partial funding.
   • Resubmit: Your application may require additional pre-approvals before funding can be awarded. Your team will receive instructions on next steps and will be able to resubmit your materials at a later date.
   • Declined: Your project has not been awarded funding.
   • Ineligible: Your project does not meet the eligibility criteria for a VPA Student Arts Grant