Become A Member
Become A Member

New to NYSCA

We (humbly) recommend reading this whole guide from start to finish — it's designed to answer all your questions, one by one. But before we jump in, let's get real for a second: applying for state funding only makes sense if you feel ready to dig in and commit to the application cycle. If the prospect of filling out multiple forms, gathering materials, and responding to our emails doesn't seem feasible this year, consider saving NYSCA for next year! But if you're confident and committed, we're here to support you every step of the way.

Due to the quick turn around of the NYSCA Announcement and deadline, we will waive rush fees for new fiscally sponsored projects as long as your application is submitted by June 9 at 9 am ET. 

* Please email support@fracturedatlas.org when you have submitted your fiscal sponsorship application with your project title as listed on the application and that you’re applying for NYSCA, so we can flag your application.

📓 Info session from NYSCA

NYSCA Season Schedule

NYSCA accepts applications during a short window of time every year. This year, NYSCA season kicks off on May 22nd and your first deadline is June 9th. However, we highly recommend applying to fiscal sponsorship as soon as possible to account for any questions we may have about your application. No one wants to feel rushed when working on grant materials!

Please note:

  • If you decide to apply for NYSCA, we ask that you please make yourself available via email or phone during the month of June for edits and notes from our team so we can work together to get your best application submitted
  • Due to the quick NYSCA deadline turn around and our Juneteenth closure June 19 - June 22, we are unable to accept rush review applications for NYSCA FY26 as we have in previous years. Our June 12th internal deadline is that absolute final day we can receive materials for this NYSCA season. This is to ensure our team has time to review your application thoroughly and provide detailed feedback to help you submit the strongest application possible.

Here’s how the entire season can be broken down in your calendar:

 

Thursday, May 22nd

NYSCA’s application portal opens. Fractured Atlas will handle the prequalification process and the creation of each application, so there’s nothing you need to do here ✔️

Monday, June 9th @ 9 AM ET

Deadline to become a Fractured Atlas member at the Professional or Organizational level and apply for fiscal sponsorship.

Due to the quick turn around of the NYSCA announcement and deadline, we will waive rush fees for new fiscally sponsored projects as long as your application is submitted by June 9 at 9 am ET. 

* Please email support@fracturedatlas.org when you have submitted your fiscal sponsorship application with your project title as listed on the application and that you’re applying for NYSCA, so we can flag your application. 

Monday, June 9th @ 9 AM ET

Before fiscally sponsored projects can apply for grants, we require that they have raised at least $1,000 from other sources. In some cases, it is possible to waive this requirement. To waive this requirement in time for NYSCA deadlines, submit the request by June 9 at 9 am.

Monday, June 9th @ 12 PM ET

Deadline to let us know that you’re interested in applying for NYSCA. Email us by 12pm ET and we will send you our required internal eligibility quiz.

Thursday, June 12th @ 9 AM ET

Deadline for your project to upload your application form and supplementary materials to your Fractured Atlas created NYSCA Google Drive folder and submit a review request through your Fractured Atlas grant dashboard.

Thursday, June 12th - Thursday, June 26th

Please be available during this time for emails and/or calls from our team. We will be working hard to review your materials to make sure they are as strong as possible before submission, and need to be able to get a hold of you!

Thursday, June 26th

NYSCA portal closes at 5 pm ET.

 

Heads Up: You can ignore all the prequalification stuff — we take care of that part.

First Things First: Eligibility ✏️

  • If you applied for NYSCA’s Support for Artists funding last year, you are not eligible to apply again this year, whether you were awarded or not. This rule applies to your entire fiscally sponsored project, even if the lead artist is different.

  • Support for Sponsored Organizations requires a minimum operational budget of $20,000 in FY24 in order to be eligible.

  • Projects fiscally sponsored by us are eligible to submit one NYSCA application per cycle

  • If you have questions about your eligibility, please contact the NYSCA team directly. Reaching out to the Program Director of your discipline is the best starting place

Application Materials 🎸

From financial documents to work samples, gathering materials for a hefty application like NYSCA can make anyone's head spin. We're here to make things a little easier. Keep scrolling to view the required support materials for your application 🎥 🎨 🎹 🤖 🎭

Before you apply... 📝

NYSCA grants are getting more competitive every year. You want to make sure you’re putting your best foot forward! Under both the Support for Artists and Support for Organizations sections of this page, we've included questions to ask yourself before getting to work. If after reflection, you don’t feel ready this year, there’s no shame in waiting until next cycle to throw your hat in the ring!

The best way to identify your eligibility is to check in with NYSCA! You can find their office hours here, or reach out to your discipline’s Program Director directly. Fractured Atlas requires that you speak to NYSCA about your eligibility before applying with us.

Please note: Fractured Atlas reserves the right to not fiscally sponsor an application, if we feel it does not meet NYSCA’s eligibility requirements or if the content does not feel competitive enough.

NYSCA reminders (1)-2

SUPPORT FOR ARTISTS

Questions to ask yourself before applying 💬

*Reminder, you can not apply for the Support for Artist grant two years in a row, regardless of whether or not you were awarded. It’s important to be strategic! 

  • Is this a brand new work that you will be creating? The Support for Artist grant is a creative grant, not a production grant. They want a new piece of art to be created during this grant cycle!
  • Are you ready to articulate clearly the project you have upcoming - what is happening, when is it happening, how is it happening? The panel wants to know that you have a vision and the tools to make it come to life!
  • Do you have a compelling way to share why this project is important to you now in this stage of your career?
  • Do you have exciting work samples that match the discipline of the project that you are planning to apply for? For example, if you are a composer, be sure to prioritize work samples of your composed work rather than your performance work as a musician!
  • Are you applying on your own behalf as the artist? Applications should be written from the perspective of the artist, not anyone producing the work. 
What You'll Need 💬

 

Google Document with Application Information

This will be provided to you once you’ve been approved to apply with Fractured Atlas. It includes the basic application information - name, contact info, what discipline you’re applying with, etc.

Narrative Questions

This self created document will be submitted to the Fractured Atlas created Google folder

Reminder, this is not a creative document. Feel free to use the exact language of the questions in your answers and frontload information that will clearly outline to the panel what you plan to do and how, including a clear timeline of how you plan to create this work (ex: tentative months, venues, workshops, etc.)

While public benefit and presentation is one of the evaluation criteria, community engagement is not. Do not center the community engagement elements of your work unless it is crucial to the art creation itself!

Resume(s)

Not a bio, a resume! 

Your resume should reflect primarily your work in the discipline you are applying to this NYSCA grant with.

Work Samples

Please review the work sample requirements for your discipline carefully, each one is a bit different! You can find them starting on page 19 of NYSCA’s guidelines.

Put your best foot forward! Prioritize work samples that demonstrate your abilities in the discipline you are applying for this grant with. 

If the upcoming project is a departure from your typical medium, still try to include work samples that show the panel that you are capable of pulling off the project you’re pitching. 

Do not include fundraising pitches as your work samples!

Letter of Agreement

We will send this NYSCA created document to you to sign via DocuSign upon receipt of your application materials

 

SUPPORT FOR ORGANIZATIONS

Questions to ask yourself before applying 💬
  • Does your project’s budget meet or surpass NYSCA’s $20,000 budget minimum? 
  • Does your legal entity status fit within NYSCA’s 2026 Guidelines? 
  • Are you prepared to apply with your project’s operational expenses in mind? Do you have a clear pitch on how a NYSCA Support for Organizations grant can enhance the mission of your organization through operational support?

Beginning on Page 12, the NYSCA Support for Organizations manual lists all the application questions and required support materials. Fractured Atlas will provide you with a Google Doc for your answers, so don’t worry about formatting—just mind the character limit for now!

Your step-by-step guide to NYSCA

Pro Tip: set personal, early deadlines to prevent headachesOne thing about us? We love a good list. Here is a clear, step-by-step guide to NYSCA season, with plenty of hyperlinked action items for you to dig into this month:

STEP 1 Check to see if you or your organization is eligible for NYSCA funding

STEP 2 Become a member at the Professional or Organizational level

STEP 3 Apply for fiscal sponsorship by Monday, June 9th at 9 AM ET. We are unable to accept new fiscally sponsored project applications after this date.

Due to the quick turn around of the NYSCA Announcement and deadline, we will waive rush fees for new fiscally sponsored projects as long as your application is submitted by June 9 at 9 am ET. 

* Please email support@fracturedatlas.org when you have submitted your fiscal sponsorship application with your project title as listed on the application and that you’re applying for NYSCA, so we can flag your application.

STEP 4 Check that you’ve met our $1,000 grant-eligibility requirement. In some cases, it is possible to waive this requirement

STEP 5 Email us that you’re interested in applying for NYSCA by Monday, June 9th at 12 pm ET, and we will send you our required internal eligibility quiz

1-Apr-04-2024-06-04-39-4549-PMSTEP 6 Once we’ve confirmed that you are eligible to apply, we will provide you with a Google Drive folder for your project to upload your application form and supplementary materials.

STEP 7 When your Google Folder is ready for our final review, submit your official request via the Grants Dashboard on your Fiscal Sponsorship Dashboard. We only check folders once we are notified, so this final step is essential. Please ensure whatever you submit to your Google Folder is in final form! If your materials look good to go, we will submit on your behalf automatically.

Materials MUST be submitted to us for review by June 12, 9 am ET. Unlike previous years, we are unable to accept rush review applications for NYSCA FY26. This is to ensure our team has time to review your application thoroughly and provide detailed feedback to help you submit the strongest application possible. 

STEP 8 Once your application materials are ready, Fractured Atlas will click submit on your behalf in the NYSCA portal! We will send you a confirmation email, and good luck energy 🔥

A Bundle of Resources 🧺

✉️  Get in touch with NYSCA

📓  Attend NYSCA's webinars and office hours

✏️  Peruse some Inciter Art blog posts for your NYSCA journey

Let's get real for a second.

NYSCA season is . . . busy, to say the least. We want to do justice to every application we receive, so we please ask that you note the following:

  • Due to the quick NYSCA deadline turn around and our Juneteenth closure June 19 - June 22, we are unable to accept rush review applications for NYSCA FY26. This is to ensure our team has time to review your application thoroughly and provide detailed feedback to help you submit the strongest application possible.
  • Fractured Atlas has the right to not serve as the fiscal sponsor for an application if we do not feel it is eligible or competitive.

We also recommend gifting yourself some more ease this year by setting personal, early deadlines—so you can sit back, relax, and dream up more creative projects while we submit your application.

That’s all! You made it to the end. But your NYSCA journey is just beginning . . . We wish everyone an easeful (and fruitful!) NYSCA season 🍋🍓🫐