Campus organizations looking to host an event can get help in funding from the Arts Program. Through a selective process, The Ethnic Cultural Arts Program picks which events are eligible for funding throughout the semester. The funds are open to all University and Firelands organizations who provide evidence of financial need.

Organizations can tap into these funds by filling out an application online at the ECAP web site and submitting it to David Harnish, care of the College of Musical Arts by the due date. Although the deadline has already passed for events occurring after February 1st, events happening on or after May 15th have a March 15th deadline that is quickly approaching.

“We don’t typically reject any applications, we’ve always tried to provide some funding for projects that qualify,” Harnish said.

A committee made up of 11 faculty, staff and student members decide which events get funding. Harnish stressed that ECAP tries to provide equal representation around campus and that each application is looked at for its own merit.

Harnish explains 50 percent of a project’s budget up to 3,000 dollars can come directly from ECAP, although Harnish encourages organizations to request funds elsewhere on campus.

Past projects from ECAP include annual Kwanzaa celebrations, guitar recitals featuring authentic Indian classical music, an international dinner with Japanese music, an African choral ensemble and Latinopalooza.

“We really strive to have a performance element,” Harnish said.

“This can be poetry reading, it can be reading literature of course, plays, theatre music and dance,” Harnish said. “This is what this kind of money is earmarked for.”

The money given to the organization by ECAP can be used for travel expenses and rental fees or equipment not already located in the University.

ECAP will not fund supplies normally obtained through college or department budgets. Interest paid on loans and debts, scholarship money, fund-raising efforts, social or entrepreneurial events, events that present political, denominational religious or sectarian ideas or enhance the property of religious institutions will not receive funding from ECAP.

Proposals that show evidence of a broad base of financial support from outside funding from campus organizations are given priority according to Harnish.

“It is up to the applicant to come forward,” Harnish said, “student groups, individual students, or individual faculty or staff.”