Dear Applicant:

As you know, August is normally the time when the Illinois Arts Council Board meets to review and award grants. The Council did not meet this August because of the uncertainties of the State's fiscal conditions, which will affect the amount of funding that may be available for grant awards.

While the peer panel review process for the applications has been completed, we do not expect to begin the award making process until after January 1, 2011. Once the grants awarding process is completed and payment information is submitted to the Comptroller, we will not know the time-frame when vouchers will be issued.

We will have more information available in the near future about the application process for FY2012. We realize there will be an overlap in the FY2011 and FY2012 processes and we will work with you to make this unusual circumstance as manageable as possible.

We feel it was important to apprise you of the current situation and we will keep you posted as further information becomes available.