Grants & Funding
ABANA Grant Program
I. ABANA EDUCATION GRANTS PROGRAM
Since its founding in 1973, ABANA has been committed to the education of its members. The purpose of the ABANA Scholarship Fund is to provide financial assistance to our Affiliates and members to assist them in the development of blacksmithing skills and abilities.
A. General:
Education grants are available to all ABANA members and affiliates provided they have been in good standing for at least six month prior to the date on the grant application. Each year, subject to the availability of funds, ABANA will award not more than $6,000 in grants.
All recipients of previous ABANA Grants are not eligible to submit another application for two years after the completion of the event and submission to the Grant Committee.
Partial or improperly completed applications will be rejected without review.
Be sure your application is in order, as there will be no exceptions to this requirement.
Application materials will not be returned unless return postage is included with the application. Applications should be sent via email or mailed to: The ABANA Grants Committee, Artist-Blacksmith’s Association of North America, Inc., PO Box 462, Johnstown, PA 15907.
B. Types and Amounts of Grants.
- Individual Matching Affiliate Grant, or Affiliate Event Grant – A:
- A Grant to an individual that matches funds given by an Affiliate, maximum of $200. Members who receive a scholarship from an ABANA Affiliate can have those funds matched up to a maximum of $200.
- An Affiliate Grant for support of an educational event up to $500.
- Individual Grant – B: Funds for individual study, maximum of $500.
- Individual Grant – C: Extended Study of three weeks or longer. Level of support is to be determined by the circumstances of the proposed course of study, up to a maximum of $1,500.
NOTE: Review of Category “C” applications will be extensive and can take up to two months. Any monies received by an individual may be subject to taxes as added income as determined by applicable Federal and State law.
II. INDIVIDUAL MATCHING AFFILIATE GRANT CRITERIA
The Committee may provide funds to an individual who receives a scholarship from an ABANA Affiliate, up to a maximum of $200.
A. Criteria for funding:
As a condition of receiving an ABANA Grant, ALL Grant recipients are required to share results of their learning with ABANA members and/or ABANA Affiliates.
- Complete the “ABANA Individual Grant Application Form for Grant Categories A, B, and C.
- Attach a copy of your Affiliate Grant.
- Continue with the instructions for requesting an Individual Grant.
III. AFFILIATE EVENT CRITERIA
The Committee may provide funds for support of an ABANA Affiliate educational event. The maximum amount of funding for this grant is $500.
A. Criteria for Selection & Funding:
In reviewing applications, the Committee will consider but not be limited to reviewing the following items:
- Information concerning the educational event you want to schedule.
- How much money do you need ABANA to contribute? (remember a maximum of $500 is available)
B. Obligations of Affiliate:
As a condition of receiving an ABANA Grant, the affiliate is required to disseminate the information learned from the event to their membership and to the Grant Committee.
The use or disposition of any demonstration pieces resulting from the event is the responsibility of the affiliate and the visiting artist. The event is to be open to any person with an interest in blacksmithing regardless of ABANA affiliate membership or ABANA membership status.
C. Affiliate Grant Guidelines and Instructions
Along with the ABANA Affiliate Grants Application Form, affiliates must include:
- Resume of the visiting artist, including training, images of recent works and educational experience at workshops and conferences.
- A description of the event, including date, time, location and program.
- Plan for sharing the results of the event with the affiliate membership and the blacksmith community at large.
Recipients of previous ABANA Affiliate Grants are not eligible to submit another application for two years after the completion of the event and submission of articles to either The Anvil’s Ring or Hammer’s Blow and submission to the Committee.
IV. INDIVIDUAL MEMBER CRITERIA
The Committee may provide financial assistance to ABANA members at all skill levels to assist them in the development of their blacksmithing skills and abilities. There are two categories of grants for members. (1) The individual short-term study (single class) maximum amount of funding for this grant is $500. (2) The individual long-term study maximum amount of funding for this grant is $1,500.
A. Individual Member Grant Recipient Obligations
As a condition of receiving an ABANA Grant, ALL Grant recipients are required to share results of their learning with ABANA members and/or ABANA Affiliates. The recipient will fulfill this responsibility through at least one of the following forms of presentation:
- A lecture demonstrating the results of the course of study.
- The submission of an article to both an Affiliate newsletter and an ABANA publication.
- A public demonstration or workshop.
- A public exhibit of works completed during or after the course.
- An article published in a Non-ABANA publication.
This requirement must be fulfilled within 6 months after the course of study.
Additionally, the recipient must submit a short statement to the Grant Chair describing their study to be included in some form in The Anvil’s Ring. This requirement is waived if an article is submitted to The Anvil’s Ring.
B. Individual Member Guidelines & Instructions
Be sure to read and understand the rules for application. Partial or improperly completed applications will be rejected without review. Revised applications will be reconsidered by the Grants Committee. Along with the Grant Application Form, applicants must include the following:
- At least one letter of reference from the applicants mentor or affiliate President. Letters must be dated no more than three months in advance of the application date.
- Support materials describing the program for which the grant will be used: School brochure or catalog, curriculum outline, instructor resume, etc.
- List of all current blacksmith group affiliations.
In addition to the above criteria, Category C applicants must submit detailed documentation, including a plan of study, anticipated results, application of these skills in furthering their career, and letters or reference from all master smiths with whom the applicant wishes to study.
All ABANA Grants are related to the membership and intended to benefit membership education. ABANA will not favor applications requesting funding for personal development outside a course of study unless that study results in information made available and judged to be of value to the membership.
Hard copy application materials will not be returned to the applicant unless a self-addressed, postage paid envelope has been included with the application.
Affiliate Mini Grants
Purpose:
To provide financial assistance and incentive to expose the craft of blacksmithing before the general public through live blacksmith demonstrations at events that but-for this monetary assistance the event would not have a blacksmith at its venue.
This grant program is not intended for regional Affiliate meetings or for events or venues where the attending audience are primarily blacksmiths already exposed to the craft.
The Mini-Grants amount being offered: $100 per day up to a total of two days per Affiliate for applications received.
Terms:
- Applications must be submitted by an Affiliate President.
- A description of the venue chosen must be included with the estimated attendance expected.
- The name of the demonstrator(s) who will be setting up is provided.
- A minimum of four hours per day of public demonstration assurance.
- Display of the 24” x 24” banner that will be supplied.
- Display and distribution of ABANA brochures, which will be provided.
Process:
- Upon approval of an application, either a package containing a banner along with ABANA brochures will be mailed to you, or if you prefer, print-ready PDF files you can take to your local print shop to have printed up.
- Upon completion of the event, a signed sign-off sheet and the return of the
banner (if one had been provided) to the ABANA Central Office, a check will be promptly issued.