Grant FAQs

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(NOTE: At present, users of Safari 5.1.x may experience some technical issues. You should revert to Safari 5.0 or upgrade to Safari 6.) 

The majority of our grant programs are only available online. Please contact grants@berkshiretaconic.org if you have questions.

After you have logged into our online grants manger, click the "Apply" link on the left. This will take you to the list of grant opportunities currently accepting applications.

If you can’t find an application here, its deadline may have already passed, or it might not have opened yet. Most of our applications appear online six weeks prior to the deadline.

Yes. The online grants manager allows you to start multiple applications to the funds for which you want your proposal to be considered. It is not possible to submit the same proposal to multiple funds.

No. At the bottom of the application is a “Save as Draft” button. We recommend you save your application often and before logging out. You can log in at a later time to continue working on your application. We recommend that you cut and paste your application answers after each question into a Word document to save as backup.

No. We strongly suggest that you cut and paste into Microsoft Word.

There are limits on the amount of text you can submit. You will see a character counter displayed below the entry field. This will actively tell you how many characters you have entered and will let you know when you are approaching the limit. You will not be able to save a draft of your application if you exceed the character limit. You are not required to reach the character limit!

Yes and we suggest that you ask someone to review your application before submission – do they understand the project/request?

All applications must be submitted by 11:59pm (EST) on the day of the deadline. You will not be able to submit your application after that.

We prefer that you attach files in a PDF format (.pdf). We will also accept files in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) or Excel (.xls or .xlsx). Unacceptable formats include files with "exe", "com", "vbs", and "bat" extensions.

You should give each file a name that identifies your organization and the type of required document it represents. For example, a file representing your budget for the previous fiscal year could be named “OrgName-budget FY2012”. Do not use any symbols except for a period or a dash, as symbols can interfere with the upload process.

The maximum size for all attachments varies. If your attachment is larger than the allotted space, please contact us for assistance at grants@berkshiretaconic.org or 413.229.0370.

No. The online system will not allow you to submit your application unless you attach the required materials. If you do not have the documents electronically, you can scan the information into a PDF file. If you do not have a scanner at your organization, you can scan your documents at a copy shop or a public library.

You can also use the ‘Fax to File’ option located under ‘Tools’ section to the left of your application. Follow the instructions.

The term "fiscal year" refers to the twelve-month period or financial calendar that your organization uses. The start and end dates of the fiscal year can vary from organization to organization. Your accounting staff, board treasurer, or bookkeeper should be able to tell you when your fiscal year starts and ends.

Estimate the amount of in-kind support and volunteer hours your organization has received; include either actual or projected operating budget for the next year.

In-kind support means items or services that are provided for your project at no cost, and items that your organization will contribute to the project. For example, if a consultant has agreed to provide free services for the project, you should list the fee that s/he would normally charge for the same service. If a business or landlord has donated office space to your organization, you should list the rent you would normally pay. The dollar amount you list here should be the actual or estimated cost of obtaining the same item/service.

The Cultural Data Project will provide the cultural community with consistent, reliable and comprehensive data on arts and culture in the region, and enable organizations to view trends in their data, benchmark themselves against peer organizations and enhance their financial management capacity.

There are a few common reasons why this can happen:

• If you stay on one page for an extended period of time without saving, your account may “time out” without warning.
• A weak internet connection may momentarily disconnect your computer while you are working on the application.

As a safeguard, we recommend that you:

• Save your application often
• Cut and paste your application answers after each question into a Word document to save as backup.

To restore your edits, try:

• Re-loading your internet page, as sometimes the browser will cache an older version of your page.
• Logging out, wait a few minutes, and then log back in and re-open your application.

Double check that there are no symbols in the file name, the file type and size are OK, then try one or more of these suggestions:

• Sometimes the problem can be a corrupt file. Try saving a new, renamed version of the document.
• Try saving your file as a different type. For instance, if you tried to upload a (.pdf)  file, try uploading the original Word or Excel version of this document. If it is a Word (.doc or .docx) or Excel (.xls or .xlsx) document, try saving it as a (.pdf) file and then uploading this version. If you scanned a document to create a (.jpg) file, try saving it in a (.pdf) format instead.
• Use a different computer to do the upload

If you would like a paper copy of your application for your own records, login to the application portal and choose the Application Packet link. This will create a PDF of your application. You can print or save this document. You will always have access to your application by logging back into the application portal, even after you submit it.