Posted on March 10, 2012
Deadline: May 1, 2012

Theatre Communications Group and MetLife Foundation Offer Support for Innovative Organizational Problem-Solving Through A-ha! Grant Program

Theatre Communications Group, a national membership organization that works to strengthen, nurture, and promote the professional not-for-profit American theater, and the MetLife Foundation created the A-ha! Program to enable TCG member theaters to try new approaches to solving artistic, managerial, production, and/or technological challenges. The program seeks to support risk-taking, reflection, experimentation, and creative strategies.

The program is designed to support creative thinking and action in two ways: Think It grants (up to $25,000 each) are designed to give theater professionals the time and space for research and development; Do It grants (up to $50,000 each) are designed to support the implementation and testing of new ideas. TCG member theaters may apply in either the Think It or Do It categories. Both categories are intended for any and all areas of a theater's operation.

Competitive Think It proposals will clearly demonstrate how and why the theater selected the challenge and/or the questions to be examined, and how the theater will structure their exploration. Do It grants will be awarded to theaters that have a fully developed idea but have lacked the resources or time to take it further. Theaters receiving Think It grants may be eligible to apply for Do It grants in a future round. (But theaters may apply for a Do It grant without having received a Think It grant.)

The program's emphasis is on identifying strategies that can be major catalysts for change to the organization, rather than strategies that result in minimal change. Preference will be given to projects that break from the organization's previous practice and have the best chance at long-term, field-wide impact over a longer arc of time. Cross-sector proposals (working with a non-theater organization or individual) are eligible.

Complete program guidelines, application materials, and information on previously funded projects are available at the TCG Web site.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

Primary Subject: Arts and Culture
Geographic Funding Area: National

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