Funding Priorities & Restrictions

The Jim Henson Foundation awards grants each year for the creation and development of innovative works of puppet theater. Project grants of $5,000 are awarded for the development of new works, and seed grants of $2,000 are made for pieces in the earliest stages of creation. This year the Foundation has added a separate category for the development of new and innovative work specifically for children. Please keep in mind that these will be evaluated by the same high artistic standards as works for adults.

Since we began awarding grants in 1982, there has been astonishing growth in both the quantity and quality of puppet theater in this country. This has made it increasingly difficult to narrow the applicant pool, so we have instituted a new policy that we hope will more evenly distribute our funds among the many artists worthy of support. Artists who received a project grant in the previous year are no longer eligible to submit a proposal in the current year. Artists who received a seed grant in the previous year are eligible to apply in the current year, but only for a project grant to further develop the previously funded piece.

Grants are made only for the development of new works of live puppet theater. The Foundation does not award funds for the presentation or remounting of existing work. Grants cannot be applied retroactively; substantial portions of a proposed project must take place after the funds are awarded. We do not fund publications, parades, exhibitions, film or television projects, projects for school credit, workshops, or any other types of education or outreach activities.

We would like to emphasize that live puppet performance needs to be an integral element of any proposed project. While we will consider productions that utilize other media and genres, a substantial portion of the piece must feature puppetry that is well-executed in both design and performance.

Awards can be made only to IRS tax-exempt organizations. We welcome applications from individual artists, but those without 501(c)(3) status must apply through a fiscal sponsor. Applications for international collaborations are accepted, but the primary artist and fiscal sponsor must be American. Projects that will only take place outside of the Unites States are not eligible for funding.

Letters of Intent

If you would like to be considered for a grant, the first step is to submit a letter of intent postmarked on or before May 2, 2008.

The letter of intent must not exceed one page and should include your complete contact information and a clear description of the planned project. Please include information on any upcoming performances as well. The letter must be accompanied by a one-page sketch, photograph (no slides), or other one-page visual relevant to the proposed project. Be sure to indicate in your letter of intent if you intend to apply for our new category of grants for children's shows. Please do not submit a cover letter or any other additional materials. Letters of intent are not accepted by fax or email, or after the postmark deadline.

Approximately half of the applicants submitting letters of intent will be asked to submit full proposals. Letters of intent will be reviewed at the June board meeting, and applicants will be notified of the board's decision by June 30, 2008.

Application Instructions

If you are invited to submit a full proposal, your application must be postmarked on or before September 12, 2008. Late applications are not accepted, and materials are not accepted by fax or email. Applications will be reviewed at the December board meeting, and applicants will be notified of the board's decision by December 31st.

Please read the application instructions carefully. All materials, including photographs and other visuals, must be submitted on standard letter-size paper (8½ x 11). Please do not staple or bind applications. Materials that exceed page limits will not be reviewed. Applications must include the following information:

• application cover sheet
  Available by mail or on our web site. Do not include any additional cover letter.

• a one-page project description
  Describe the technique you will use and the concept of the piece, including content and execution.

• a one-page project budget, including both income and expense
  Submit a budget for the entire project - not just a budget for how Foundation funds would be spent.

• a one-page artist bio
  If more than one artist is included in the application, all bios should be combined on one page.

• a one-page company or organization description (if needed)
  Include only if substantially different from the artist bio.

• a maximum of two pages of reviews and/or letters of support
  Note that this is two pages total, not two reviews and/or letters.

• a copy of IRS 501(c)3 determination letter
  If you are using a fiscal sponsor, you must also include a letter from the organization stating that they agree to serve as your fiscal sponsor for the project.

• a videotape and/or a maximum of five photographs, sketches or other visuals relevant to the proposed project
  A maximum of four minutes of videotape will be viewed. If the tape is longer than four minutes, cue the tape to the point from which it should be viewed. If the tape is not cued, only the first four minutes will be viewed. Please be sure to label your videotape.

  Visuals should be captioned with a brief description of the work. Please submit prints or color copies; slides are not accepted. We strongly prefer video and visuals that pertain to the proposed project, rather than examples of past work. It is not necessarily helpful to submit work samples that we have seen in past applications. If we are not yet familiar with your work and you do not have samples from the proposed piece, then it is helpful to send samples from past works.