Hugo Writers Fund

The Hugo Writers Fund supports individuals and organizations that are dedicated to creating and promoting literary work. We do this through grants of in-kind space (we will not be able to award cash grants in 2010). We are especially interested in promoting new work and emerging writers.

The Hugo Writers Fund offers two types of co-sponsorships: Single Events and Series. Since space is limited, these grants are highly competitive, and we cannot guarantee that everyone who applies will receive support. 

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What we support

Single Events: Individuals and organizations wishing to produce a single event may apply for up to three days per calendar year. This can mean two separate events or one event spanning three consecutive days. We operate on a quarterly granting cycle. Please see deadlines below to determine when to apply.

Series: Individuals and organizations wishing to produce four or more related events in a calendar year (not to exceed one event per month) may apply for up to 12 days. We accept applications for Series only one time per year, in the fall. Please see deadlines below to determine when to apply.

Please note: For single events or series, we will only be granting space for events that occur on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Thursday, Friday and weekend reservations are not available through the Writers Fund.

Hugo House policies

• We do not accept applications for fund-raisers for other organizations;
• Hugo House will list the event in our calendar, on our Web site and, when possible,  in our newsletter and e-news, but presenting artists and/or organizations have primary responsibility for publicizing and marketing their events;
• Hugo House is not responsible for ticket sales, cash box, set-up, staffing or clean-up after your event.
• The Hugo House Café, located in the Cabaret space, is open for Writers Fund events at a charge of $50. For more information about Cafe Hugo, please contact our facilities manager at joeslaby@hugohouse.org 

How to Apply

1. Applicants for both the Individual Events and Series grants MUST first contact the Hugo House facility manager Joe Slaby and make sure space is available for the date(s) and time you desire. Once you find an appropriate date, put a hold on it. You MUST do this before sending in an application;
2. The director of facilities will hold the date until the application deadline. If your application does not arrive on time, Hugo House will cancel the hold;
3. The director of facilities will not put a hold on space for an event more than six months in advance of that event. For example, if you would like to schedule your event between September and December 2010, you may not request a hold on space until March, 2010 at the earliest;

Fill out the application form completely.

1. Include a work sample that demonstrates aesthetic quality of the artist/organization featured in the event. Work sample can be up to five double-spaced pages of prose, five poems, or up to three minutes of a performance on video/DVD/CD (please identify which track or cue video tape to where you want us to start watching);
2. Application must arrive at Hugo House no later than the due date. Late applications will not be considered.

Single Event deadlines

• For events occurring between 1/1/10-3/31/10: November 6, 2009.
• For events occurring between 4/1/10-6/30/10: February 5, 2010.
• For events occurring between 7/1/10-9/30/10: May 7, 2010.
• For events occurring between 10/1/10-12/31/10: August 6, 2010. 

We realize that in rare cases, some artists and/or organizations might require a longer lead time to plan a major event (a festival, for example) for which you must guarantee the space sooner than three months in advance. We will consider these requests on a case-by-case basis. Please contact the director of facilities for further information.

Series Deadline

• For all series occurring in 2009: September 25, 2009.

Approval Process

Applications are reviewed by the Hugo Writers Fund Committee and are evaluated according to their relevance to Richard Hugo House's mission to support writers of all ages and backgrounds with the resources they need, connect audiences with the world of writing, foster the creation of new work and promote the literary arts as a vital part of our culture.      

The Committee will look for:

• Events that are relevant to our mission;
• Quality events that make good use of space and funds;
• Programs that are well organized and show attention to detail in event logistics;
• A viable budget;
• A sound publicity and marketing plan.

Applicants will be notified of the committee's decision within two weeks of the application deadline. 

Café Hugo

Café Hugo serves coffee and tea, beer, wine, cocktails and light snacks. The Café can be open for an event that takes place in the Cabaret. In order to assure a reasonable income, Café Hugo operates under the following arrangements:

ARRANGEMENTS FOR CO-SPONSORS
•    A Co-Sponsor may request Café be opened and staffed by Hugo House  for a fee of $50.

•    A Co-Sponsor may request for the Café to be closed.  With this arrangement, you may not serve your own food or beverages. If you would like, we can set up  a simple coffee and tea service a fee of $15.

•    If you plan to offer your own food and beverages at your event, a buyout fee of $50 is charged by Hugo House, and the Café will not open.  If you plan to serve alcohol, you must show the necessary liquor permits to the Facility Manager 24 hours before the event. 

What Hugo House asks in return

• Please acknowledge your Hugo House co-sponsorship in all printed materials as follows: "Co-sponsored by Richard Hugo House."
• Please allow Hugo House staff to introduce the audience to Hugo House from the stage and attendees to fill out contact information sheets provided by Hugo House.
• Applicants who receive support from the Hugo Writers Fund are expected to submit a brief final report on the event within one month of the final event date.

If you have questions about the Hugo Writers Fund, please e-mail Brian McGuigan.

Hugo Writers Fund Final Report

Please submit a brief (one- to two-page) typed report that answers the following questions about your event:

1. Give a brief description of what happened at your event. Please include how many people attended, what kind of program you presented and how you think both performers and audience responded.
2. Overall, what were the successes of your program? What were the challenges? These can include anything from fund-raising to promotion, to the event itself.
3. If you were to present this program, or another like it in the future, is there anything you would do differently?
4. Have you any suggestions or comments about your experience presenting a program through the Hugo Writers Fund?

This final report is due within 30 days after the final production of your event. Future support through the Hugo Writers Fund is contingent on receiving this report.