The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH) relies on volunteer citizen panelists to evaluate and rate grant applications at various times throughout the year. Panelists review applications, provide comments, and score applications in order to advise on proposals submitted to the agency's various grant programs.

Residents of the District of Columbia metropolitan area are encouraged to apply to serve as a panelist. Selected panelists will demonstrate expertise through involvement in one or more sectors of the creative economy in the District. Individuals with arts and humanities backgrounds make the strongest candidates (i.e. artists, arts administrators, arts educators, gallery professionals, curators, art critics, etc.). The CAH supports panel diversity in all forms: age, race, gender, disabilities, sexual orientation, artistic discipline, location, etc.

For FY21, CAH offers grant programs which will be paneled during the spring, summer and fall of 2020 including:

Panelists will have 4-6 weeks to review a maximum of 35 applications. CAH estimates that a panelist will spend 40 hours reviewing applications on-line before one day of in-person service. All advisory panel meetings will take place at the CAH office at 200 I Street, SE, Washington, DC, unless otherwise noted. 

Panelists are appointed to one panel per year for a maximum of three consecutive years and do not receive compensation, stipends, honorariums and/or travel reimbursement.

CAH maintains a database to help us identify and select panelists throughout the year. To be included in this database, download the PDF form below and open in Adobe Acrobat. Please fill it out and email the completed form along with your resume (ensure your home address is clearly indicated at the top) to Travis Marcus, CAH Program Support Specialist, at [email protected] or call 202-724-5613. Please note that inclusion in this database does not guarantee an individual will be asked to serve on a panel.