Treuhaft Fund for Art Technology
Tips for a Successful Grant Application

Project Description

Clarity and completeness are very important, just as they will be when you apply for a grant in your professional or community life after leaving Skidmore. Provide sufficient detail on the nature of your research or creative endeavor, and describe the progress you have made on the project. We don't fund projects after they have already been completed, but we do like to see what thought you have given to the project and the exploration you have already undertaken.

Faculty Assessment

This is increasingly an important aspect of nearly every application, since many qualified students now seek Student Opportunity Funds. We need to know what might distinguish you and your project from similar applicants in the same field of study.

Enhancement to Your Education and Potential Benefits to the Skidmore Community

Please take these two questions (on the application form) seriously. They ask you to expand your field of vision beyond the individual project. One thing to consider is whether you could present your completed project at the annual Academic Festival (late April or early May).

Budgets

Guesstimates and round figures are not compelling. You should research actual costs and present the basis for such costs in the proposal. Look for ways of saving money, too. Our effort is to make your project affordable for you but also to stretch the funds to as many worthy students as possible. If travel is involved in the project, be certain to show why it is essential. Consider the cheapest modes of transportation and inexpensive options for hotels and meals. When you take your own car, we offer funds for gas and tolls only, not according to the per-mile formulas associated with professional travel. We support travel to a conference only when you are officially presenting research results or can demonstrate that specific content at the conference is key to your research project (so that, in effect, the conference becomes a research resource). We often help underwrite publications, exhibits, and performances. We seldom fund the hiring of professional experts or services; nor can we fund expenses that should be met by academic department budgets (for example, special equipment needed for a course or expenses for a field trip). You are less likely to be given a second grant for a similar project if other qualified students are first-time applicants. Consider, too, how you can make an ongoing project (for example, a regular publication) self-supporting.

Follow-Up

Be certain to acknowledge support from the Skidmore Student Opportunity Funds in any publication or presentation, just as you would in the real world of grant funding. It is very helpful for us to have a final report from you on the benefits of the grant, and to receive a copy of any "product" that might be shared with a current or potential donor. We are also pleased when a student wants to write a note of thanks to the appropriate donor. This can make a big difference for ongoing donor support. Any equipment or unused supplies purchased with Opportunity Funds must be left with the appropriate Skidmore department for the use of future students. Finally, remember to File your expense report, with receipts, so that your grant will not be treated as taxable income by the IRS.