FAQs
FAQ’s for Applicants
- Which projects receive priority consideration?
- Which countries are eligible for TMU support?
- Who can apply for a TMU grant?
- What kinds of projects does TMU support?
FAQ’s for Grantees
- Is there a required format for the final report?
- When is the final report due?
- What type of photo documentation should I submit?
- How can we keep in touch with TMU and publicize our current events?
FAQ’s for Applicants
Which projects receive priority consideration?Projects that involve direct, in-depth professional interaction, with the potential for sustained collaboration, and/or show evidence or professional accomplishment and innovation, and/or respond to social contexts and engage local communities.
Which countries are eligible for TMU support?TMU’s primary geographic focus is Russia and Eastern and Central Europe. Countries where we are active include Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.
Who can apply for a TMU grant?TMU grants are made to American nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations, and typically, it is those organizations that submit Initial Inquiries and, if invited, Final Proposals. TMU does not make grants directly to individuals or institutions abroad. However, an Initial Inquiry may be made by an individual or institution in any of the countries in which TMU is active. If invited, individuals or organizations that do not have 501(c)(3) status may then submit a Final Proposal through the fiscal sponsorship of an American nonprofit organization. The fiscal sponsor must submit a letter stating their involvement with the project and their willingness to administer any grant funds, as well as a copy of their 501(c)(3) determination letter.
What kinds of projects does TMU support?TMU provides grants specifically for international travel associated with professional exchanges in the arts and environmental sciences. Approximately two-thirds of TMU’s awards are for arts and culture and one-third for environmental projects.
Included in the activities eligible for support that are common to both fields are advanced training programs, workshops, conferences, seminars, joint research projects, and exchanges intended to aid organizations seeking greater institutional stability. TMU also funds the following:
Arts and Culture: Creative artistic collaborations, curatorial research projects, performances given in conjunction with lecture/demonstrations and/or workshops, conservation and historic preservation projects, arts management programs, and cultural documentation activities.
Environment: Ecosystem and habitat conservation programs, land use planning projects, activities that facilitate more effective international contact between environmental organizations, measures designed to preserve biodiversity, and efforts to encourage environmental sustainability.
FAQ’s For Grantees
Is there a required format for the final report?While we do not have a specific report form for grantees to submit after the completion of their project, we do require that grantees submit a narrative report and financial statement certifying that all grant funds provided by TMU have been expended in accordance with the conditions set forth in the award letter. The financial statement should be set up in the same format as the approved project budget.
When is the final report due?Grantees should submit their narrative report and financial statement within three months of completing the project. Final reports must be received before a new application for funding can be reviewed.
What type of photo documentation should I submit?Send up to 12 photographs of your exchange to TMU via email or on CD. Because images may be used for publication in our annual report, they should have a resolution of at least 300 dpi and print dimensions of about 3” x 5”. Please also include the following information, keyed to each photograph:
- Names, titles, and organizational affiliations (if known) of people in the photograph
- Location of scene, including city, country, and institution/organization, if applicable
- Approximate date of photograph
- Activity documented, such as “discussion between workshop participants” or “rehearsal of company members” (for example)
- Photo credit
- Permission to use on the TMU website (if granted)
Photos that show interaction of project participants or that document exchange activities, locales, or outcomes—rather than posed shots of individuals or groups—are best. Even if photos are not published, they will be placed in TMU’s grant file for the project.
How can we keep in touch with TMU and publicize our current events?TMU is highly invested in our grantees; our staff members are always looking for opportunities to see and share your work. If you have an upcoming performance, conference, exhibition, meeting, or other event, please let us know by sending us an email at tmu@tmuny.org. If you are interested in publicizing your event on our website or Facebook page, please send us one or two photos with a short description and all pertinent attendance information. We are also opening our blog to “guest bloggers” in order to give grantees the opportunity to talk about their work and discuss the impact of their exchange. Contact us at the above email address for more information.