The Anna-Maria Moggio Award of Distinction Grants to Individuals

The Award of Distinction is directed towards improving or enhancing a literary, artistic, musical, scientific, teaching or similar capacity, skill, or talent of the grantee. Grantees are expected to pursue a career in a specialized field consistent with the Foundation’s Mission Statement.

PURPOSE

Anna-Maria Moggio Award of Distinction

The Anna-Maria Moggio Foundation, on occasion, awards grants to individuals. The Anna-Maria Moggio Award of Distinction is awarded to individuals on the basis of outstanding artistic achievement in the visual or performing arts, inliterature, in research (scientific, artistic, the humanities), environmental preservation, and for demonstrated leadership in community affairs.

QUALIFICATIONS

The Award of Distinction will provide funding to individuals for the purposes stated above. The terms “artistic” and “musical” apply to individuals who are either aspiring or established artists or musicians, including, but not limited to: composers, conductors, and performers of music, vocal artists, dancers, artists working in drawing, painting, sculpture, film, video, new media, authors (fiction and nonfiction), poets, scholars, teachers of visual or performing arts, playwrights and screenwriters, actors, designers, architects, and scientists.

Recipients of the Award of Distinction will represent a wide range of ages, backgrounds, stages in their careers, disciplines, and activities. The Award of Distinction will provide opportunities to applicants who are at least eighteen (18) years of age, including individuals who are pursuing careers as professionals in their field.

Examples of the individuals and activities that the Award of Distinction may fund are provided below. The Foundation will provide

a grant to an individual recognizing outstanding musical talent or potential and encouraging further development in the individual’s music specialty or by offering assistance with the purchase of a musical instrument to develop, improve, and enhance his or her musical ability, skill, or talent.
a grant to an independent vocal artist in order to compose a piece of music or to make a recording that showcases his or her musical talents.
a grant to an artist desiring to pursue a career in visual arts to assist the individual in procuring an appropriate venue or forum to showcase his or her talents.
a grant to writers, playwrights, or actors.
a grant to scientists, including environmental and conservation, for research or a related project.
a grant for academic research in the arts, sciences (physical or social), humanities.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Applicants are required to complete and submit “The Award of Distinction – Grant Application” available on the link: Grants to Individuals Application

Applications and supporting documentation should be submitted, if possible, via email or postal address that appears on the application.

The application must include a detailed description of the purpose for which the funds are requested, including:

A clear and concise narrative on the applicant’s goals or objectives
A description of the relevance of the proposed activity to the applicant’s overall goals
An explanation substantiating the applicant’s abilities or qualifications to fulfill the proposed activity within the stated timeframe
Estimated time from start to completion of the project
A discussion of the manner in which the grant will be used to expand the applicant’s opportunities within his or her field
A brief statement of how the applicant’s project is unique and how it will contribute to the elevation or significance of the field or discipline
The applicant will briefly note how he or she learned of the Anna-Maria Moggio Foundation. In this way, the Foundation will review and evaluate these responses so that it can augment its promotion of the Award of Distinction to attract a diverse and highly qualified pool of applicants.

Supporting Documentation

Biographical documentation (e.g., resumé or CV) and supporting materials, including a report on his or her academic or professional career or both, and a description of prior employment, involvement in a fellowship program, or other relevant experience
A sample of the applicant’s work that might include, for example, the applicant’s portfolio, or a short video highlighting the applicant’s talents or sample recording
Three (3) or more letters of reference by qualified professionals in the applicant’s field who can attest to the extraordinary merit or ability of the applicant

Criteria for selection; that is, the manner in which the Selection Committee will rank the applications and select one recipient from the pool of candidates.

Each Application will be evaluated by the Foundation’s Screening Committee based on the qualifications stated above. The Foundation’s Screening Committee will nominate candidates who satisfy the qualifications and have submitted therequisite documents. The Selection Committee will arrange for a personal interview with the Screening Committee’s recommendations.

The Foundation’s Selection Committee shall be comprised of qualified professionals who have no conflict of interest with respect to the applicant. While it is inherently difficult to make comparisons of accomplishments across such different genres or fields, the Selection Committee will review the quality and originality of the applicant’s work, as well as the applicant’s potential to benefit from the grant.

By way of example, for vocal awards, the Selection Committee may consider criteria consisting of beauty and tone quality, technique, communication, musicianship, and stage presence. Specific criteria for instrumental awards include tone quality, interpretation and musicianship, and technique. All candidates may also be evaluated on their choice of materials, appearance, improvisation, poise, memorization, and mastery of technique.

Following the personal interview, the Selection Committee will recommend the number of grants to be awarded and the amounts of each grant. The Foundation’s Trustees will then approve or reject the Section Committee’s recommendation.

The Trustees select grantees based upon the merits of the proposal, the credentials of the applicant, the relationship of the proposal to the Foundation’s Mission and its priorities given the Foundation’s finances.