Your materials show the panel that your organization can deliver its programs, and they must represent your own work. Choose what is clearest and most relevant to your organization, not everything you have.
One PDF per question: the work sample, marketing sample, and vision questions each accept one PDF. Your PDF can have several pages, so you can combine images, pages, and descriptions in one file. If your work is online, your PDF can list the links, with a short description of what each link shows.
Point the panel to your best moment: the panel reviews up to 5 minutes of any video or audio. If your sample is longer, tell them where to start, for example "Watch from 2:15 to 7:15."
Make sure links work: put the link inside your PDF, and include the password if it is private. Grant access to sponsorship@nyfa.org.
Linking to a whole website or portfolio instead of a specific sample.
Uploading a long film or recording with no time stamp.
Links that are broken, expired, or password-protected with no password given.
Bios that list achievements but do not say what the person does in your organization.
Failing to disclose the use of AI when submitting AI-generated images as past work.
Letters of support from individuals with no professional connection to your organization.
Submitting letters of support created with AI. These make your application immediately ineligible.
What makes it strong: a completed program or production closest to what you plan to do next, in approach, scale, or skills.
How to put your PDF together: start with a page giving the program name, year, and your organization’s role, then add images or excerpts. For video or audio, include the link with a time stamp and a short description of what the panel will see.
What makes it strong: a marketing piece from a past program that is close to what you plan to do, such as a flyer, program book, poster, press page, or social media campaign.
How to put your PDF together: start with a page giving the program name, year, and your organization's role, then add the marketing piece. For video or audio, include the link with a time stamp and a short description of what the panel will see.
This shows the panel your organization's vision for the future. It does not need to be polished.
What makes it strong: whatever shows where your organization is going, such as a program plan, a season outline, a floor plan for a new space, draft promotional materials, or a mood board.
How to put your PDF together: combine your materials into one file, with each item on its own page and a label so the panel knows what it is looking at. For video or audio, include the link with a short description.
The panel wants to know who leads your organization, who governs it, and whether your team has done this kind of work before.
What makes it strong: a bio or one-page resume for each leader and board member, starting with their role in the organization, then their most relevant experience. Include advisory board members if you have them.
How to put it together: if you have more than one file, combine them into a single PDF, with each person starting on a new page.
A letter is an outside voice confirming what you say in your application.
What makes it strong: it comes from someone with a real stake in your organization, such as a funder, a venue, a partner organization, or an advisor in your field, and it is specific about dates, their role, or their commitment. A letter from a confirmed or likely venue is one of the strongest signs of readiness.
How to put your PDF together: if you have more than one letter, combine up to three into a single PDF, with each letter starting on a new page. Make sure each letter is signed and dated and includes the writer's name, title, and organization.
Select every way you use AI tools, from writing this application to creating the final work.
We want to understand how artists are using AI in their work and in managing their projects.
If you don’t use AI, select “I do not use AI tools.”