Excellence:

• Mission statement clearly describes the organization and program/activities fully support the mission.
• Objectives are clear, terraced to reach broad populations, and align with organizations main goal of: producing and marketing of a robust calendar season that includes a diversity of juried art exhibitions, special exhibits and educational programs
• Proposed exhibitions, educational programs and partnerships are clearly described and fully support the mission
• Partners and relational context are appropriate and clearly delineated. If you have not done so already, consider reaching out to the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) to see if they would join as a partner or sponsor. If nothing else send AFB promotional information and ask them to circulate among members and on social media.
• Clearly describes exemplary proposed programs but consider how activities will be measured

• Asking professional judges respond to a series of essay questions as part of your assessment process after he jury an art shows, and making awards might yield useful information.
• Confident in the ability of the organization to carry out the proposal.

Impact:

• Provide significant cultural service to community
• Very appropriate, divergent, and effective marketing/promotion plan
• Activities can be achieved in grant cycle but how outcomes will be measured was not readily apparent
• Total number of individuals this proposal would benefit seems very appropriate and realistic.
• Reasonable projected organizational (ROI)

• Limited emphasis on economic impact of programs/projects on community (beyond and entry fees collected and sales of artwork). Consider emphasizing and/or expanding your organizations contributions creative economy by citing some of the primary source material by citing the American’s for the Arts, Arts & Economic Prosperity 5.
  

Management:

• Minimal concerns about financial stability of organization to carry out proposed activities in grant cycle
• Evaluation methods are appropriate but might consider including a rubric with qualitative criteria and quantitative measures.

Accessibility:

• Provisions for wheel chair access is clearly stated (and ADA compliant)
• Inclusive programming efforts for vision and hearing impaired participants (like the Tactile Art Show for the Blind) and attendees is laudable.

High marks for the Touch St. Augustine project for the blind.

Quality, volume and ambition of programs overall is okay, not exceptional.

Budget is modest and balanced.

This is a very impressive effort given the apparent small staff and reliance upon volunteers. The breadth of people served is impressive as are the partnerships. This is an exemplary application to support a strong list of objectives and activities.

Excellence: Strong synopsis and mission statement. Thorough list of activities and strong partnerships. Goal is overarching goal as opposed to smaller goals that support the overarching goal. Measurable objectives, but would have been stronger if how statement was included (ie. build volunteer participation by posting openings on a specific job sight or hosting an annual appreciation event). Letter of support strengthened this section.

Impact: Appreciated detailed documentation of where all of your numbers came from. Marketing section would be stronger if specific numbers were provided. (ie. education brochures, gallery guides).

Management: More information about cash reserves, years of operating in the black, or how/over what timeframe personnel will be expanded would have strengthen this section. Evaluation plan is very strong. Appreciated the detail of how each piece would be tracked.

Accessibility: Art Touches the Blind program made this a very strong section of the application.