Welcome! Local Cultural Council Online Application Training

Agenda: Welcome & introductions New LCC GuidelinesLCC Guidelines New applicant mobile-friendly pages (LCCs must update Council Priorities by September 1 st ) Online application walk-through Resources LCCL Webinar Online Application Training

LCCL Webinar 1. Online Applications: All applications shall come through the online application system unless a local council chooses to accept paper applications in addition. If a council chooses to accept paper applications, they must notify applicants in their council profile by September 1 st. Approval and denial notices, reconsideration requests and modification requests can be ed or mailed via hard copy. New FY17 LCC Guidelines: Online Application Training

LCCL Webinar 2. Application Deadline: In years when October 15 th falls on a weekend, the state deadline is the Monday immediately following October 15 th. The FY17 application deadline will be Monday, October 17 th. New FY17 LCC Guidelines: Online Application Training

LCCL Webinar 3. Field Trips: Applicants may still apply for field trips, but must complete the same online application form as all other applications to LCCs. New FY17 LCC Guidelines: Online Application Training

LCCL Webinar 4. Scholarship requirements: Individuals are still not eligible to apply for scholarships; however, additional requirements for organizations applying to an LCC to sponsor a scholarship have been discontinued. Councils are encouraged to establish council priorities to ensure that funding provides sufficient public benefit. New FY17 LCC Guidelines: Online Application Training

LCCL Webinar 5. Capital expense requirements: Capital expenditures for municipal entities are still ineligible; however, additional requirements for non-municipal applicants to apply to an LCC to sponsor a scholarship have been removed. Councils are encouraged to establish council priorities to ensure that funding provides sufficient public benefit. New FY17 LCC Guidelines: Online Application Training

LCCL Webinar Local Council Originated (LCO) Applications: LCO applications and the LCO process have been discontinued. Councils can now use up to 15% of their state allocation for council initiated programming. Additional conflict of interest procedures apply.conflict of interest New FY17 LCC Guidelines: Online Application Training

New: Council Profiles New mobile-friendly council profiles at culture.org/ culture.org/ Update Council Priorities by September 1 st – Describe funding priorities and any requirements for applicants. – Note if your council will accept paper applications. If you have nothing written, it means you won’t. – Include instructions for accepting additional supplemental materials beyond three pages. LCCL Webinar Online Application Training

LCCL Webinar September 1 st LCCs must have Council Priorities and updated contact info posted on Council Profile Applicants start applying using the online application form October 17 th Deadline for applications November 1 st Applicant data available in Annual Report at mass-culture.org Panel Books available to LCCs December 30 th Deadline to complete voting meeting January 15 th Deadline to complete Annual Report Online application process: Online Application Training

Applicants start by visiting the website at Click on Applicants!

Applicants search and select the council you they intend to apply to.

Applicants will be brought to the LCC’s Council Profile. Applicant should click on the Council Priorities tab before applying to see if the council has any additional application requirements, or criteria that may bear weight in grant decisions.

After clicking on the Apply Now tab, applicants click on the link to the online application system. The Online application form will be available starting September 1.

The link will direct applicants to the registration page. Applicants create a new registration by clicking on Register Here.

The applicant will need to attest that he/she lives in Massachusetts.

Applicants will be brought to a blank form where they will need to fill in basic information to create an account. Once the information is complete, they hit Submit, and will be automatically sent an with login instructions.

Afterwards applicants should return to the landing page. After applicants first login, they will be prompted to change their password. Be sure to disable your browser’s pop- up blocker!

After logging in, applicants will be taken to the system’s home page. To begin an application, applicants should click on Apply Now.

Before completing the application form, applicants will need to take the Eligibility Quiz. Applicants must meet the criteria in order to be eligible for state funding. Once they have selected an answer to each question, they will need to hit Submit. Hover your mouse over the underlined questions for more information!

If the applicant selected all correct answers, congrats! The applicant may click on Proceed to begin filling out the application form. If the applicant did not answer all of the questions correctly, they will need to hit Delete to take the Eligibility Quiz again.

The applicant will then be taken to the application form. On the first page, the applicant will be asked to complete some contact information about themselves. Be sure to toggle through all six tabs to see all of the questions in the application!

In the Project Information tab, applicants will need to fill in information about the project that they are requesting funding for. In the top right corner of the form, applicants should click on Lookup to search and select the council that they wish to apply to.

A window will appear where applicants can select the council to which they would like to apply. Please note that applicants will need to fill out a separate application form for each council they intend to apply to!

In the Project Overview tab, applicants will need to answer narrative questions about their proposed project. Applicants may want to type narrative responses in Microsoft Word or Notepad, and then copy and paste their text into the online form.

In the Budget Overview tab, applicants must select the Project Budget button to complete the estimated budget for their project.

A window will appear where applicants must enter in their projected expenses. The budget will need to have at least one expense listed in order to be accepted. Please note that Additional Income must be included in the sum of your Total Income, for the project budget to be accurate.

While still in the Budget Overview tab, applicants should look over the budget details to confirm that the information is correct. Applicants will also need to answer the narrative responses below the budget. At the bottom of the page is a glossary of terms that may help applicants complete their application.

In the Supplemental Materials tab, applicants may attach a PDF document up to three pages long to their application. Applicants will be instructed to check the Council Priorities of the council they are applying to for any required supplemental materials. To attach your materials to the application, applicants should click on Upload.

A window will appear where the applicant can browse their computer’s files. Applicants should click on Browse to select the materials that they would like to upload, and then on Upload to attach the document to their application. Please keep in mind that applicants will not be able to submit an application with supplemental materials longer than three pages!

Applicants will be able to see their attached document uploaded onto the form. Keep in mind that if an applicant can be instructed to include links to websites or Dropbox folders if necessary.

Applicants need to click on the eSignature tab to complete the final step of their application. To submit an application, applicants must select the Final Submission box and hit Submit below. If the applicant left any required fields incomplete, the form will prompt the applicant to go back to fill in the specified question.

Applicants will receive an confirmation with a PDF attachment of their completed application. LCCs will receive a complete PDF panel book by November 1 and can begin reviewing applications.

Online Application Resources – Online Application FAQ’s Online Application FAQ’s – Applicant Instructions PDF Applicant Instructions PDF – Sample Panel Book – This PowerPoint – Upcoming Webinars & Recordings – Upcoming Tutorial Videos – MCC Help Desk for applicants and councils MCC Help Desk LCCL Webinar Online Application Training