We’d all like to stumble over a big chunk of change or win the lottery. The prospect of money is incredibly appealing. What would we do with it if we had it? One young singer told me she plans to do some auditioning in Germany in the fall and enter a competition in New York City during the spring of next year. She lives in Chicago and doesn’t have much money, or at least not enough to afford these two relatively expensive trips. “I can cover most of my expenses but not all of them,” she said. “I wish I could find the money under a rock.”
Another singer said, “Launching a career doesn’t come cheap. I feel as if the right amount of money spent at the right time might make all the difference in my career. But I don’t have that money–that seed capital for competitions and travel. I need a grant!”
Your fund-raising alternatives include applying for grants, holding a benefit recital, and even searching out potential patrons, who might be willing to underwrite portions of your career. Whichever route you choose, you need to be informed before you start. This month we present several types of fund raising, with information and tips, as well as routes to finding out more.
It’s an expensive business, but there are ways to raise money. How can you put this to work for your own career? _E.B.
We all know that most opera companies depend on grants for a lot of their expenses. But even if you aren’t a nonprofit corporation, you may be able to qualify for some kinds of foundation funding, including the kinds that would help solo singers. The proceeds from a travel grant aren’t likely to fund an entire trip to Germany or cover other kinds of expenses completely, but with some research and hard work, there is grant funding to be had. You just have to know how to work the system, and in the land of foundation grant making, that system is a business. It’s not competition as you’ve learned to think of it. We’re talking about big bucks, and you have to approach it as a businessperson first and an artist second.
“The outside world doesn’t understand your desire to sing. It does understand business. It’s the lingua franca of America: be fluent in business.” Gerrit Petersen, assistant director of foundation and government support for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, is not a man to mince words. While training as a singer at the New England Conservatory, he took a number of courses and workshops geared to the business of music, including lectures on contract writing and negotiating, and accounting for musicians. In his present position with the BSO, he has become an expert on fund raising and the world of the charitable contribution–and according to him, it’s a world many singers know very little about.
“Musicians these days have to be articulate spokesmen for their fields and for themselves,” Petersen said. “They must be able to be businesspeople, and the sooner singers wake up and realize that, the sooner they’ll get ahead. Tenors can sometimes write their own tickets–but the rest of us have to write grants. It’s in your own best interest! You must be your own best advocate–your own defense against abuse. If you’re going to approach supporters, approach them as ‘This is my business.’ Backers are more likely to understand that concept. Why? They picture you as ‘You do this because you love it, don’t you? You don’t want to be paid, do you?’”
No matter which fund-raising route you choose as a singer–benefit recitals, fellowships and grants, or gift solicitation–you will be forced to deal with the most pragmatic and least artistic side of music imaginable: money. In the case of foundation grants, the issue is even more complicated. How do you get started?
Finding the grant money can be as great a challenge as getting someone to give it to you, and in order to even begin the process you must be clear on what your fund-raising efforts are intended to cover. Are you planning a European audition trip? Do you need airfare or tuition for a summer program? How about entrance fees for competitions, or funds to cover audition travel expenses? You must be clear on your specific needs, and that means constructing your own business plan. Write it out, be detailed and thorough, and start looking for foundations that provide grants for individuals in your area of business.
You must decide which specific foundation is right for you. For example, few foundations support performing artists in terms of living expenses, but they may offer travel money, scholarships, and other types of financial aid that can significantly reduce your own personal outlay.
“Hunting for prospects is the hardest part,” Petersen told me. “For the man on the street, it can be difficult to identify good prospects. Public libraries are a great place to start, and the web is also good–large foundations often have websites, and it’s a good place to get current information and grant lists without tipping off the staff that you’re looking.”
As a singer and not a nonprofit corporation, there are certainly many foundations whose requirements you will not meet. “Singers may have a fair amount of success. There are any number of organizations that offer fellowships to individuals, for travel costs, for example. Search by the type of support and by the amount of money you need, and focus on opera or music–some foundations do fund opera and singers.” [Ed: See sidebar for a partial list of foundations granting funds to individuals in opera.]
It isn’t enough to know where the money is, however. You must somehow know how to get your hands on it. Too often applicants take the shotgun approach, sending out grant applications to every foundation within range, regardless of their stated mission. Don’t waste your time–call the foundation office if you cannot locate their guidelines on a website or hard copy, and find out if you qualify. If you don’t think you’ll qualify–don’t apply! “A letter of interest is also good,” said Petersen. “Briefly outline the project and how much you need, and then the foundation will write back and let you know whether or not to go forward.”
What about the application itself? You don’t necessarily have to hire someone to do your grant writing for you, although some decide to do just that. “You must have excellent writing skills,” Petersen stated. “You must present a stylish, well-written proposal–no shortcuts! Do your homework.” If you’re unsure of how well you’ve done with the writing, find someone to have a look and give you some feedback before you complete the application process.
A downside to this process is its time demands. “You have to plan well in advance. You can’t start two months before you need to have the money–it’s best to think one and a half to two years in advance. It’s a very time-consuming process, and then you face the waiting period. Between the deadlines, the time it takes to write and submit the proposal, and the endless wait for approval, it can take up to a year or more to get a grant.” He added as an aside, “And in the end it’s a crapshoot–even after all your work you don’t know that you will be funded.”
That uncertainty doesn’t mean grants aren’t for you. After all, you don’t enter every competition and audition thinking it’s a guaranteed win, right? Grants aren’t guaranteed, either. Do your homework, write a tight, polished proposal, know your project needs cold, and you will be ready to enter the highly competitive world of grant funding.
“Foundations are created for the purpose of giving money,” Petersen concluded. “They must give away 5 percent of their net assets every year. And after all is said and done, once you’ve gotten the funding–keep that organization informed and thanked. No one can be thanked too much! Don’t just take the money and disappear! Nine times out of 10, the people who awarded you money know others who award money. They talk–and they may refer you to others…or not, as the case may be. Keep it in mind.”
