Grant Files Series, 1985-1993

Scope and content:

During roughly the first year of its existence, from 1985 to 1986, the Foundation awarded grants on an ad hoc basis. During its "second" year, 1987-1988, the Foundation decided to award two runs of grants -- a "spring" run and a "fall" run. In 1988-1989, only one annual run was awarded, covering the spring and the fall together. In 1988, a biennial grants cycle organized by artistic discipline was instituted so that proposals concerning visual and plastic arts were considered in even years, while those concerning writing and the performing arts were considered in odd years. In 1989, the Foundation decided to award grants at the beginning of each year, so starting in 1990 and continuing to the present, each grant run is dated by a single year only.

This series consists of two types of files: the "Grant Review Papers" and the individual grant files. The "Grant Review Papers" first appeared in the fall and spring of 1987-1988, and then appeared annually from 1989 to 1993. These files contain a list of the recipients for that year (or half year), descriptions of each recipients' project, notes on the decision making processes of the grant review committee, and in later years, notes on consultants brought in to advise on grant applications. Read alone, these files provide a quick overview of the types of grant projects supported by the Foundation and the ways in which those projects evolved over time. They also detail the goals and aims of the grant review committee members, including former grant recipients, and members of Sallie Bingham's immediate family (her husband Tim Peters and son Barry Ellsworth).

The individual grant files are arranged chronologically and alphabetized within each year, reflecting the original order maintained by the Foundation staff. In the files from 1985 to 1986, and 1990 to 1993, files for persons and institutions are intermingled and arranged alphabetically, whereas in the files from the spring and fall of 1987-1988, and 1989, the files for persons and institutions are separated, with the institutional files following the personal files. Each individual grant file contains the recipient's application and supporting materials, notes on the application by Board Members, letters of notification from the Foundation, a final report and follow-up materials on the ways in which recipients used grant monies. In certain cases, an individual or institution received many grants from the Foundation over the years, so that the relationship between the recipient and the Foundation was one of long-term patronage (e.g., Cass Irvin, Leslie Wood, Appalshop, the Speed Art Museum). The grant files also reflect the inter-twined nature of many of the Foundation's projects, since in several cases persons who received grants later became part of the Foundation's administration (e.g., Ann Stewart Anderson, Patty Wren Smith), while other grant recipients were involved with The American Voice (e.g., Lucinda Zoe, Marie Williams, Maryat Lee and Susan Griffin).

The projects described in the grant files cover a wide variety of topics relating to feminism, the arts and humanities, and women's culture. These topics include: literature and literary journals; poetry, prose and scholarly writing; historical and literary conferences; playwriting, theatrical production and performance; African-American storytelling; musical performance and composition; photography; documentary filmmaking; painting; sculpture; puppetry; quilting and other forms of fabric art; women in organized religions; women's political activism and employment issues; environmentalism, ecofeminism, naturalism, wilderness and outdoor adventure activities by women; and the work of lesbians, women of color, and physically handicapped women. The series is arranged by years, then alphabetically by name; note that from 1987 to 1989, corporate entities are filed in a separate alphabetical run after the files for individuals.

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