How the A to Z Fund Works — A Thousand WordZ

The A to Z Fund

How the Fund
works

Who can apply, what a grant pays for, who decides, and where every dollar goes. Written plainly, so an artist and a sponsor read the same rules.

Fiscal Sponsor

Indigo Arts Alliance

Every dollar is held by Indigo in an account restricted to A to Z grants. Indigo pays artists directly and keeps the books.

Download the one-sheet (PDF) ↓

Three Stages

Start it. Continue it. Complete it.

Start It

$500

Beginning a project: first studio time, materials, supplies.

Continue It

$1,000

Keeping it moving: a residency, a recording or mixing session, rehearsal space.

Complete It

$2,000

Finishing it: the uninterrupted weeks, final production, printing or mastering.

Who Can Apply

Built for artists without backing

Any working artist who lives in Maine, in any discipline, can apply.

Individuals, bands and collectives are all eligible. A band or collective names one lead applicant, its leader or manager, who signs the grant agreement and is accountable for reporting.
One grant per artist in any 12-month period.
Not eligible: A Thousand WordZ board members, selection panelists, staff of the fiscal sponsor, and their immediate families.
The founder of A Thousand WordZ does not apply, score applications, or vote on awards.

What Grants Pay For

The direct costs of making the work

Grants pay for

Studio, rehearsal or recording time
Materials, supplies and equipment rental
Residency fees, and travel and lodging for a residency
Mixing, mastering, printing, framing and production

Grants do not pay for

Tuition or degree programs
Debt, rent or living expenses unrelated to the project
Work already finished before the award

How Grants Are Chosen

Artists decide. Not donors.

A rotating panel of working Maine artists across disciplines, plus one representative from a partner organization, reviews every application. Panelists change each round and declare any conflict before scoring. Each application is scored on:

Decisiveness. Does this grant make the difference between the work happening and not?
Stage fit. Does the ask match where the project actually is?
Feasibility. Can the artist do what they describe with this amount?
Reach. Priority goes to artists with less access to other funding.

Sponsors and donors never choose or influence who is funded. The Founding Partner names the Fund’s first grant cycle; naming never includes choosing a recipient.

Where The Money Goes

Held by Indigo. Spent on artists.

Donations and sponsorships go to Indigo Arts Alliance, a 501(c)(3), restricted to the A to Z Fund.
Indigo pays each grant directly to the artist and keeps the books.
Roots & Routes event costs are paid from ticket and bar revenue, not from Fund donations.

Accountability

Artists report briefly. The Fund reports publicly.

Reporting is kept light, so it never costs an artist more time than the grant saves.

From each artist

A one-page grant agreement before payment: the project, the budget, the stage.
After finishing, receipts or invoices for every cost the grant paid, even when it covered only part of a cost. A studio session, for example, needs the studio’s invoice showing the rate and the hours the grant covered.
A short note on what was made, with an image, clip or excerpt.
Credit to the A to Z Fund in the work’s credits, acknowledgments or wall card where it fits.
Unspent money returns to the Fund, or is reallocated with written approval.

From A Thousand WordZ

A public list of every grant each round: artist, stage and amount.
An annual summary of money raised, granted and held, reviewed with Indigo Arts Alliance.
A report to every donor and sponsor showing the work their money made.

How To Apply

The first round opens January 2027

Applications are short, online at athousandwordz.net, and take about 30 minutes. You’ll share:

Your name, town and discipline
Which stage you’re applying for: Start it, Continue it or Complete it
The project in 250 words or fewer: what it is and where it stands
A simple line-item budget, with a quote, rate sheet or invoice for each cost where possible
A work sample: up to 3 images, 5 minutes of audio or video, or 5 pages of writing

Help by phone or in person is available for anyone who needs it.