Recognizing that Illinois is the home of creative arts institutions of regional and national significance, the Illinois Arts Council has implemented the Partners in Excellence Program (PIE). The PIE Program provides general operating support to designated organizations of scale and significance in all regions of the state.
The applicant organization must be approved by the Council for inclusion in the program.
Organizations not eligible for PIE may consider applying for a Program Grant.
The PIE Program criteria for FY 2005 define the characteristics that distinguish PIE grantees and define the program as recognizing organizations that bring access to high standards of arts activities in diverse communities throughout Illinois. The criteria also recognize that access to arts activities and to the resources that support those activities varies widely in different regions of the state. The Partners in Excellence Program places priority on access to arts programs for rural, underserved, and multi-cultural audiences.
The Illinois Arts Council views organizations designated as Partners in Excellence as key collaborators in realizing the values and vision stated in the agency’s Strategic Plan for 2001 – 2006. The program criteria incorporate components of the values and vision. The organizations that receive support through the PIE Program demonstrate the highest level of:
- significance to audiences, including those that are underserved;
- significance to Illinois artists;
- artistic quality and regional or statewide impact;
- efforts to promote life-long learning in the arts;
- sustained history of year-round service to communities;
- management and financial stability and;
- efforts to promote increased public support for the arts.
Contact IAC staff to discuss the eligibility of your organization.
The applicant organization should not request a specific dollar amount from the IAC.
The following descriptions of the PIE Program criteria for FY 2005 provide guidelines for information that applicants should address in their proposal narratives and that the PIE panel will consider when reviewing applications.
Significance to audiences, including those that are underserved
This criterion indicates that organizations designated in the PIE Program should demonstrate a distinctive significance to their audiences and should seek to include underserved populations as well as traditional arts audiences. This significance should be defined in the context of the regions of the state that each organization serves. Significance to audiences addresses the IAC values stated in its strategic plan: “the centrality of the arts to the vitality of our society, the affirmation and support of diversity and the accessibility of public arts activities to all people.” This criterion also expresses the IAC vision that it “provides opportunities to encourage greater participation by underserved populations.”
Significance to Illinois artists
Organizations in the PIE Program from all regions should have a high level of significance to Illinois artists by supporting opportunities for them to practice and present their work, to learn from and exchange creative ideas with other artists and to connect with diverse populations. Grantees should employ artists in professional capacities and compensate them fairly. They should offer artists opportunities to view each other’s work and make efforts to educate their audiences about the work of Illinois artists and the resources they represent to the communities of the state. This addresses the IAC value that “the importance of the individual artist (is) fundamental to the growth of the arts.” Significance to artists also assists in realizing the vision that “the IAC seeks out and adopts innovative approaches to assisting artists and arts programming organizations to help them address new challenges.”
Artistic quality and regional or statewide impact
PIE applicants should exemplify the IAC values of “the commitment to excellence and quality in the arts experience and the encouragement of the highest aspirations in all art endeavors.” The regional and statewide impact of these organizations is enhanced by the pursuit of the best possible artistic experiences for all participants in their programs. Efforts to deliver this quality to their audiences should be apparent and implicit in designated PIE’s significance. The importance of organizations’ ability to plan for and deliver experiences of high artistic quality is emphasized by making this a separate PIE criterion.
Efforts to promote life-long learning in the arts
In addition to reaching audiences through presenting arts programs and services, PIE applicants should further promote arts participation with opportunities for all ages to learn through or about the arts. This reflects the IAC value that “the arts (are) an integral part of life-long learning.” Organizations may address this criterion through direct arts education programs serving diverse ages and segments of their communities and through partnerships with schools and community organizations to reach younger audiences and those who may have less direct experience with arts programs.
Sustained history of year-round service to communities
Sustainability should be one of the benchmark characteristics of organizations designated in the PIE Program. Organiza-tions should indicate a history of building access to quality arts experiences in diverse communities and applicants should demonstrate this long-term commitment. Important to organizations’ impact is providing a consistent level of access to arts programming throughout the year. Sustained service to communities provides the foundation for ongoing significance to audiences and artists in the regions represented in the PIE Program and is a factor that distinguishes the designated organizations.
Management and financial stability
Critical to the sustainability of all arts organizations,
management and financial stability should be particularly strong in those that
are designated in the PIE Program category. Organizations should demonstrate
that they have achieved a sustainable scale and practice sound financial planning
to support their proposed programs. Financial statements should reveal appropriate
management of assets and a stable financial position. Changes in management
structure or personnel should be addressed through planning for continuity and
sustained quality.
Efforts to promote increased public support for the arts
PIE designated organizations should represent the IAC’s best advocates and closest partners in all areas of the state for educating the public and the Illinois legislature about the importance and impact of arts support. In these efforts, they should exemplify another of the IAC values: “the need for ardent advocacy for the arts.” They also address the vision statement: “the IAC helps the arts further the goals of the state as articulated by its elected leadership in such areas as cultural heritage, education, community building, the economy, and technology.” The PIE Program represents a major investment by the IAC in organizations that have been identified as distinctively important. Part of the return on this investment should be a group of “ardent advocates” for increased IAC budget appropriations.
Applications for Partners In Excellence grants must be postmarked no later than March 15, 2004.
Contact IAC staff for information on how to apply for a Partners in Excellence Grant. Please be aware that application materials are not available for download from this site.
Applications must be postmarked by the deadline. Hand delivered applications must be received by 5pm. If the deadline occurs on a weekend or legal holiday, the next weekday automatically becomes the deadline date. Applications may be mailed or hand-delivered to the following address:
Illinois Arts Council
James R. Thompson Center
100 W. Randolph, Suite 10-500
Chicago, IL 60601-3298
NOTE: Applicants hand-delivering their applications must visit the building’s SERVICE CENTER on the ground floor to have their application package scanned prior to delivering it to the IAC offices on the 10th floor. In addition, applicants must bring photo identification, such as a driver’s license, to gain access to the IAC offices.
IAC Staff Contact
Walter Buford
Program Director
313/814-4992
Walter.Buford@Illinois.gov