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New
Accessibility Mini-Grant Application Now Available On April 1, 2008, the Ohio River Border Initiative will begin accepting applications for its new Accessibility Mini-Grant program. The grant program is open to arts organizations and other organizations that present arts programs in the counties that touch the West Virginia/Ohio border. The program is intended to allow organizations to jump start or try out accessibility innovation and is not intended to provide support for existing projects. Grants of up to $1000 will be awarded for new projects for: • Minor physical plant improvements such as hand rails, ramps, door alterations • Sign and visibility improvements for people with vision limitations • Assistive devices for hearing or visually impaired people • Signers and other assistive service providers • Accessibility improvements for Web sites to improve use by the visually impaired • Direct outreach activities to people with disabilities in the applicant=s community Applicants must be designated tax exempt charitable organizations by the IRS and must be arts organizations or other community organizations that offer arts programming. Applicants must also be based in any of the following counties: in West Virginia - Wayne, Cabell, Mason, Jackson, Wood, Pleasants, Tyler, Wetzel, Marshall, Ohio, Brooke, Hancock; in Ohio - Lawrence, Gallia, Meigs, Athens, Washington, Monroe, Belmont, Jefferson, Columbiana. For complete guidelines and an on-line application click here. If you have questions, contact the ORBI Project Director at 304-655-8255. You can download a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader by clicking here  .2008 ORBI Grant Application The on-line application form for the 2008 ORBI annual grant program is available for information purposes only. A 2009 form will become available in December 2009. DO NOT SUBMIT THE 2008 APPLICATION FORM FOR THE 2009 GRANT PROGRAM. Click here to download the form using Adobe Acrobat Reader. You will not be able to save your completed application on your computer unless you have the complete Adobe Acrobat program. For the narrative sections of the application, you should create a draft in your word processing program and copy and paste your final text into the grant application form. When your application is complete, print it out. The application form includes complete program guidelines and instructions. The 2008 application deadline is Friday, February 1, 2008. You can download a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader by clicking here .Back to top of page
*denotes first time grantee Here are some observations and comments from the Project Director on the 2007 applications: Observation: The number of applications
was up again in 2008 to 28, and the quality of most applications was
very high. Comment: For the second year in a row, the ORBI grant process was very competitive. We did increase the amount of funding available for grants in 2008, but this amount did not keep pace with the proportional increase in funds requested. Our 2008 grant panel was able to make adjustments to a number of grants so that 5 applicants that had never been funded before were funded this year. While the ORBI grants are becoming more and more competitive, we still fund new applicants, but only if your applications are excellent. You can improve your chances greatly if you submit a draft application to the Project Director at least two weeks before the application deadline.Observation: A number of applicants who have been funded regularly in the past saw their funding reduced much more than in past programs. Comment: One way that our 2008 panel adjusted to the competitiveness of this year's program was by looking at whether stronger organizations had access to alternative funding sources to make up for reductions in ORBI funding. In a sense, this is not "fair" to the "best" applicants, because it seems to be punishing them for their success. On the other hand, ORBI's grant funding is not guaranteed to any applicant and panelists believe that it is important to keep ORBI open to new high quality applicants. By performing this balancing act, our panels can continue to fund consistently strong programs from past applicants without closing off the program to new organizations and programs.Observation: Two applicants this year submitted hand written applications. Comment: While ORBI allows applicants to submit hand written applications, the guidelines clearly state that the hand writing must be clear and legible. Applicants should think long and hard about submitting hand written applications. Our panelists read 28 applications this year. If a panelist cannot read an application, he or she gets very grouchy. An applicant does not want a grouchy reviewer reading his or her application. We have tried to make the filling out of typewritten forms as easy as possible with our on line forms.Observation: Three of this year's first time grantees had submitted unsuccessful applications in past years. Comment: In
the ORBI grant process, persistence pays off. The Project
Director sends letters to unsuccessful applicants with comments by
grant panelists. ORBI's public panel process is also an excellent
way to see and hear directly what panelists think about your
application. The Project Director will review draft
applications. If you are new to the ORBI grant program, or you
get turned down, take advantage of all the services ORBI offers to
improve your application. It works.
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The Artist Fast
Track program grants are designed to help artists increase access to
audiences and venues, develop new skills and insights, or investigate
new artistic ideas and approaches. The program is limited to
artists and craftspeople who live in Ohio's Appalachian counties or the
counties that touch the West Virginia/Ohio border. You can apply
for up to
$500. There is no requirement that the applicant match the grant
amount. There is no set deadline, except that applicants must
submit an application more than 60 days before the start date of the
applicant's project. Fast Track grants
may be used to fund:
To get a final report
form that you can print and return when your project is completed,
click on the following links:
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