Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs Seeks Volunteers for Grant Review Panels
CONTACT:
Laura Merrick, Communications and Grants Administration Assistant
563.581.4666, lmerrick@cityofdubuque.org
Dec. 13, 2022 -- For Immediate Release
DUBUQUE, Iowa – The City of Dubuque’s Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs is seeking
volunteer grant reviewers to read and score applications for its active
Arts Operating Recovery subgrant program, funded through the National Endowment for the Arts and the American Rescue Plan Act. Annual competitive granting programs supporting the arts and culture sector and a forthcoming grant opportunity for individual artists also utilize volunteer reviewers.
Available opportunities and service periods for grant reviewers are anticipated as follows:
- Arts Operating Recovery Subgrant Program (January 2023)
- Artist Recovery Subgrant Program (April 2023 for Round 1 & August 2023 for Round 2)
- Operating Support for Arts and Culture Nonprofits (May 2023)
- Support for Special Projects in Arts and Culture (May – June 2023)
Grant reviewers from the community are an integral part of the City’s arts and culture grant programs, providing an objective review of applications to maintain equitable practices in allocating funding. This virtual service opportunity is a chance for community volunteers to apply their multiple areas of expertise to assist in driving a broader agenda for change, growth, and transformation in the community by helping to ensure diverse arts and cultural experiences are accessible and representative of all in Dubuque.
Volunteer grant reviewers will participate in the following:
- An informational orientation
- Independent review and scoring of applications based on an established rubric
- Discussion to confirm grant scoring and comments
No previous grant reviewing or grant writing experience is necessary. Staff with the Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs provide support in navigating the online grant management system, instruction on the grant evaluation and feedback process, and scoring tools.
Becoming a volunteer grant reviewer is an excellent way to:
- Lend academic and lived experience perspectives to inform funding decisions in the arts and culture sector.
- Apply multiple areas of expertise to drive a broader agenda for change, growth, and transformation in your community.
- Gain practical knowledge of City grant review and funding process as mechanisms for transformation.
- Build a network and meet new people and potential partners.
- Learn more about the organizations and their impact on the community.
More information on what it takes to be a volunteer grant reviewer is available on the City’s website at
www.cityofdubuque.org/2517/Become-a-Virtual-Grant-Reviewer.
Volunteers from various professions, backgrounds, and locations are encouraged to apply. Parties interested in serving the community and empowering Dubuque’s arts and culture sector as volunteer grant reviewers are asked to submit a
short form.
To learn more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit
www.arts.gov.
For additional information, visit
www.cityofdubuque.org/artsandculture or contact City of Dubuque Communications and Grants Administration Assistant Laura Merrick at
lmerrick@cityofdubuque.org or 563.581.4666.
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