Profunds

Tisch Pro Funds is a grant program that funds extracurricular projects created by Tisch students for the Tisch community. The purpose of Pro Funds is to support interdepartmental collaboration and artistic growth from students and audiences alike. Pro Funds are funded by the Tisch Undergraduate Student Council (TUSC) and Dean Allyson Green. The application is open to all currently enrolled Tisch undergraduate students.

2024-2025 SCHEDULE:

APPLICATION DEADLINE: NOVEMBER 24th at 11:59PM EST

APPLICANTS WILL BE NOTIFIED OF THE RESULTS BY EARLY JANUARY

ALL PRO FUNDS PROJECTS MUST BE COMPLETED BY FRIDAY, MAY 2nd, 2025

CLICK HERE TO APPLY!

Contact tisch.profunds@nyu.edu if you have any questions.

NOTE: All projects that include filmed components must adhere to guidelines set by the Kanbar Institute of Film & Television and will be reviewed under those requirements. Projects may be subject to alteration as guidelines change. 

Information & Guidelines

Profunds Grant Rules

a. Applications must include participants from at least three (3) different undergraduate Tisch departments. Pro Funds are intended to support projects that embody a genuine collaboration between Tisch departments. Therefore, all participants must contribute to the project in a meaningful way.

b. All project participants must be enrolled full-time in a Tisch School of the Arts undergraduate major.

c. Each team member can only participate in one (1) project submitted for a Pro Funds grant.

d. Projects must be an experience open to the Tisch community either virtually or near the Manhattan (Washington Square) or Brooklyn (MetroTech) campuses. Projects can encompass a variety of artistic forms and genres including live performances, dance pieces, plays, art exhibitions, printed media, short films, digital media experiences and more.

e. We strongly recommend that your project take place somewhere on campus in an NYU-affiliated space. While hosting your project off-campus is possible, this involves a lengthy contract review process and expensive rental agreements.

e.  All applications must be for extracurricular projects and not for projects assigned in classes, seminars or lectures. Projects awarded Pro Funds cannot be used for class credit.

f.  Grant recipients are required to meet with Pro Funds advisors throughout the year and are encouraged to stay in contact with TUSC for assistance and support.

g.  If you receive Pro Funds, any changes or alterations you make to your project must be approved by your Pro Funds advisor in advance.

h. Applicants who plan to rent equipment, rehearsal spaces, or performance spaces for their project cannot sign contracts for these services. Any contracts required for rentals must be approved and signed by NYU. Contracts signed by students will not be accepted or honored and can result in funding being revoked.

i. NYU faculty, staff, and students may participate in Pro Funds projects, but cannot be paid using Pro Funds. Service providers who are not affiliated with NYU can be paid with Pro Funds, but this must be approved ahead of time and included in your budget proposal.

j. Projects that involve a film component will receive additional scrutiny and require production supervision from the Department of Film & Television. These projects will also require a detailed production plan. Please review the Kanbar Institute’s Film Production guidelines for more information.

Budget Guidelines

a.  Pro Funds applications must include a budget proposal that adheres to the Pro Funds budget template.

b. Budgets must include all anticipated project expenses including equipment rental, space rental, catering, publicity, honorariums, vendor payments, props, etc.

c. If you plan to use Pro Funds to pay someone for a service, you must include this in your budget proposal. Please note that anyone affiliated with NYU including faculty, staff, and students cannot be paid with Pro Funds. They must participate on a voluntary basis.

d. Students cannot sign any contracts related to their Pro Funds project. This includes contracts for space rentals, room rentals, equipment rentals, vendor payments, and payments to individuals. All such contracts must be approved ahead of time and must be signed by an NYU office. Contracts signed by students cannot be honored and may result in funding being revoked.

e.  If the project is partially funded by sources outside of Pro Funds, the budget must reflect which expenses will be covered by alternate funding. 

f. The maximum grant awarded is $5,000. Projects are not guaranteed to be awarded the full amount requested.

g. Projects that include a ticket charge or admissions fee must contact Student Affairs prior to submission. TUSC reserves the right to monitor the disbursement of collected funds.

h.  Grant recipients must attend a budget training session prior to incurring expenses.

 

GRANT ALLOCATION DETAILS

a. Pro Funds grants are distributed in the form of credit against which project expenses are incurred. No lump sums of money are transferred directly to students.

b. Grant recipients will be trained on expense processes and best practices in the first advising meeting.

 

Selection Process

a. The Pro Funds Selection Committee is composed of administrators, faculty, deans, and student leaders from Tisch School of the Arts. The committee will determine grant recipients and allocations after all applications are reviewed.

b. The committee is looking for projects that benefit more than just one person or department; in other words, projects that impact other artists inter-departmentally, Tisch-wide, socially, and in other important ways.