ASCA Grant Cycles and Application Processes

Grant programs reflect and support the mission and goals of the Alaska State Council on the Arts (ASCA), as set by the Council. Guidelines and eligibility information are specific to each program. All grants are contingent upon availability of funds. ASCA operates on a July 1-June 30 fiscal year, and grant cycles are aligned with that fiscal year.

Information about specific grant programs as well as links to guidelines and applications for currently available grants is included on the “Grants to Organizations,” “Grants to Individuals,” and “Arts Education Grants” pages on this site. To access applications available through the online grants system (GOSmart) you must create a profile, as an individual or an organization.

Across all ASCA grant programs, staff are available to consult and provide technical assistance for applicants. If you are a first time ASCA grant applicant, you are strongly encouraged to make an appointment with a Program Director to discuss your project idea, or just to learn more about grant applications. When applying for a grant through ASCA, staff can answer questions about ASCA’s grant programs, provide technical assistance with completing or submitting an application, and draft reviews. Once awarded a grant, Program Directors can also provide support to grantees in managing your award. Find contact information for all Program Directors on the “About Us” page of the website.

If you are unable to access grant materials or application processes as cited on this webpage, please contact the Alaska State Council on the Arts for technical assistance at (907) 269-6610, or toll free in Alaska at 1-888-278-7424 by phone. You can also send an email to our general information mailbox at asca.info@alaska.gov.

Grant Award Eligibility – Who can receive grants from ASCA, and what will I be asked to provide in support of a grant application or award?

Each ASCA grant category may have different eligibility and application requirements and questions, depending on the guidelines of the program, the types of activities that may be funded, and the source of the grant funds.

Within each, specific ASCA grant category, grant applicant and project or activity eligibility is listed, along with instructions on how to apply. Ineligible activity is also noted. Deadlines, and information about activity timeline and budgets are included within each grant category’s materials. Grant Review Criteria and review processes will also be described in any ASCA grant program. Panelists, staff, and/or Council Trustees determine grant awards by reviewing each grant application for eligibility, and through the published Grant Review Criteria to determine whether an award may be made. Every ASCA Grant Category will include program guidelines. A grant applicant should thoroughly read through the program guidelines and contact the grant program director with questions, before beginning any grant application.

In general, there are two types of applicants that may be eligible to receive funding through the Alaska State Council on the Arts:

Organizations

• Nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3), Alaska-based, U.S. organizations
• Nonprofit colleges and universities
• Tribes: please note that ASCA grant applications and award do not request or require a waiver of sovereign immunity from tribal governments.
• Units of state or local government, including institutions of higher learning, schools and school districts

• Organization applicants may be asked to provide the following information, specific to your organizational eligibility: an IRS Employer ID Number (EIN) and documentation of non profit status, a federal SAM.gov Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), and a current vendor profile in the State of Alaska Vendor Self Service system. (see below for more information about the UEI and State of Alaska Vendor Profile).
• In some ASCA grant categories, an otherwise eligible organization or group that does not qualify as an organization-type listed above, may be eligible to receive funding through a fiscal sponsorship. To learn more about fiscally sponsored applicants within ASCA’s granting strategy, click here and download our fiscal sponsorship resources.

Individuals

• must be 18 years of age or older (this may vary by grant category). 
• must be able to provide a W9 and Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN).
• to receive payment on any ASCA grant award, an individual must have a current vendor profile in the State of Alaska Vendor Self Service system. (see below for more information about the SOA VSS).
• in general, grants to individuals may support presentations, workshops, research, and/or creation of artwork, with tangible outcomes. This is considered a stipend to the artist for the work undertaken and completed during the grant period. (This may vary by grant category.)
  
  

The above eligible applicants may vary somewhat, across the specific ASCA grant categories. Variables in determinations of eligibility across ASCA’s grant programming may include but not be limited to: how long an organization or individual has been working in the arts and cultures in Alaska, type of organization, artist or art form, and the type of activity to be supported.

Please read carefully through a program’s guidelines, before beginning an application. Access is available on the ASCA website at “Grants to Organizations,” “Grants to Individuals,” and “Arts Education Grants” on this site. To access applications available through the online grants system (GOSmart) you must create a profile, as an individual or an organization. The grants web pages on this site will indicate—and link to GOSmart—if the grant program materials are hosted on GOSmart. Contact the grant program director if you find that the materials provided create a barrier to application.

Information about setting up or updating a Vendor Profile in the State of Alaska Vendor Profile System

Grant recipients who already have a Vendor Profile in VSS, but whose mailing address has changed, must update their address information before a payment can be issued by the Alaska State Council on the Arts. Grant Recipients may also update their Vendor Profiles to receive electronic funds transfer payments (EFT), rather than a paper check, if desired.

Once a grantee organization has a Vendor Profile in VSS, the profile will remain active and you will not have to take this step again. You will have access to your profile history and transactions, as well as the ability to update information, either through your online Vendor Profile or via the Vendor Help Desk. Your profile will have a Vendor Number, and the Vendor Number will allow us to make payment on current, and future, grant awards.

To start, go to the VSS landing page at: http://doa.alaska.gov/dof/vendor.html  

• The Vendor Profile is required for both Individual and Organizational grant recipients. An individual must set up your Vendor Profile as an individual, NOT as a business or other organization. We recognize that Individual ASCA grant recipients may have artist businesses, but if you are awarded as an Individual grant recipient, your Vendor Profile must reflect that.
  
  
• To set up your Vendor Profile, you can click “VSS” on the left-hand “More Information” menu to set up your own profile. You will see a Vendor Self Service Icon, with “Sign-in” above it that will take you to the VSS registration/login site. Included in the VSS site are “Reference Guides and Forms” that can help you walk through the process of registering a Vendor Profile. If you struggle to set up a Vendor Profile through the VSS site, return to the VSS landing page link, above, click “W-9 Form” on “More Information” menu to submit a W-9 form for the grantee organization through the Vendor Help Desk.
  
  
• To update your Vendor Profile mailing address, go to the VSS landing page link, above, and click on the “Address Changes” menu item on the “More Information” menu, for instructions. If you have a Vendor Profile, but you are uncertain of what your Vendor Profile Number is, check the first page of your grant award agreement for the header item “SOA Vendor Number.” You can also contact an ASCA Program Director to help find out if you have a Vendor Profile in the VSS system. If so, we can give you your Vendor Profile Number.  
  
  
• To set up EFT payments for ASCA grant awards, go to the VSS landing page link above, and click on the “EFT” menu item on the “More Information” menu, for instructions.
  
  
• We encourage you to utilize the “Vendor Help Desk” information included on the VSS landing page if you run into technical challenges in getting your Vendor Profile set up.

Information about the SAM.gov Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) required for federal sub recipients – Organizations Only

In the past, ASCA has required grant recipients whose awards include federal funds to register with Duns & Bradstreet for a DUNS number. In April 2022, federal agencies—including the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)—have updated the requirements for both direct and subrecipient grantees/contractors receiving federal funds. 

At this time, ASCA may award a grant application without a UEI, but may not make payment on a grant award without the SAM.gov UEI. We recognize this transition requires additional/new steps for our grant recipient partners; we will do our best to work with you on accomplishing this step.

Things to consider in registering in SAM.gov or requesting a SAM.gov:

• To find out if you are already registered in SAM.gov, to register in SAM.gov, or to request a UEI start by visiting https://sam.gov/content/home.
  
  
• Requesting a UEI for an entity in SAM.gov—without full registration—is an option for ASCA organizational grantees that do not currently receive, or do not anticipate receiving, federal funds, directly. Federal funding subrecipients through ASCA can complete this process within a short time, through the SAM.gov website. Click here < https://sam.gov/content/duns-uei> for resources, such as a quick start guide for requesting a UEI.
  
  
• Full Registration of an entity in SAM.gov is a process that may take weeks to months. In general, organizations who receive federal funds directly must fully register the organization in SAM.gov and must annually update their SAM.gov registration for it to remain active. For example, if your organization has received direct funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute of Museums and Library Services, or any other federal agency, it is likely that you are registered in SAM.gov, and already have a UEI. Click here to learn more about the difference between registering in SAM.gov and requesting a SAM.gov UEI. There is also a “Renew Entity” option on the SAM.gov home page. The SAM.gov site includes guidance, video tutorials, and many other resources for registering an entity in the system.
  
  
• To Register your organization in SAM.gov, or to request a UEI, is free! If you receive an email from a company claiming to represent SAM, be cautious. If you get an email from a company offering to help you register in SAM asking you to contact them and pay them money, be cautious. All the information about the transition from DUNS numbers to the UEI is on the SAM.gov website.
  
  
• If your organization does not have a physical location, such as a venue or office, but rather has a PO Box or other format for receiving mail, you can still register or request a UEI in SAM.gov. If you are struggling to find your organization in SAM.gov if you think you are already registered, if you struggle to complete the registration or request a UEI, SAM.gov has multiple options for those experiencing technical issues at https://sam.gov/content/help. You can also contact ASCA program directors, who may be able to point you to resources on the SAM.gov website, or offer tips.