By Carli Doyle
Before I transferred to UAB, I used to tell people that I was a Theatre Major and their first response was to look crestfallen and offer a consolatory: Oh.
After transferring and switching my degree track, I can now proudly state that I’m an English major and receive a marginally softer oh
instead.For me, a traditional corporate job was never an option, and I know many others in the English department who feel the same way. So what do you do when you have a passion for the arts and a knack for writing? Simple: grant writing.
What is grant writing?
Rivka Levin has been writing grants for The Atlanta Shakespeare Company (ASC) for twelve years, and lives as proof that there can be a happy marriage between corporate writing and creativity.
With a musical theatre background and a passion for writing, Levin ensures that the ASC’s programs—such as their Shakespeare Intensive for Teens summer camp, and In-School Residencies—receive sufficient funding from charitable sources.
To secure this funding, Levin crafts letters to prospective investors/donors, such as the Georgia Council for the Arts or the National Endowment for the Arts, and appeals for grants. In her appeals, Levin outlines what programs the donations will support, the impact of the programs on the community and how the donations will be handled.
What makes writing for a theatre company unique?
Levin:My grants are allowed to be a little more passionate and descriptive than if I was writing for the American Heart Association. Though we use hard, quantifiable data to prove the economic, academic and social value of what we do, many times it comes down to the emotional response of the reader
So there’s a significant difference?
Levin:Yes. In some cases, I have to explain the benefit of the arts. No one needs an explanation of why cancer research is worthy of funding.
Why pursue grant writing?
Being a grant writer for a company that, at its core, is a massive proponent of the arts has allowed Levin to toggle back and forth a bit from dry business-speak to something a bit more personal.
Why write grants for the performing arts?
Levin:Many of the people who need our programming the most […] benefit from grants. The grant money often subsidizes programming, allowing an arts organization to offer free or discounted programming for those who can’t afford it. Not only is the act of grant writing personally fulfilling, the result directly impacts the lives of the children and teenagers who gain self-worth and insight from the ASC’s programs.
In your opinion, why should prospective English majors should consider grant writing?
Levin:If there is something about which you’re passionate—animal welfare, cancer research, the arts, prevention of domestic abuse—grant writing can be a way to earn a living as a writer…and advancing your cause at the same time.
