Deadline: 8-Sep-20
Metro Regional Arts Council is seeking applications for its Flexible Support Grant Program to support the production of artistic projects, and/or activities that strengthen the organizational capacity and operations of groups providing access to the arts.
Flexible Support Grant Program opportunity is open to new applicants as well as applicants who have received funding in the past.
The Flexible Support grant provides up to $15,000 in funding to help groups create access to the arts and stay connected to audiences/community across the seven-county metro area: Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott and Washington counties.
Metro Regional Arts Council believes that Organizational Capacity, Arts Programming, and Operations are all critical to a group increasing a community’s access to the arts. Groups need to offer Arts Programming, systems and plans in place to provide that programming (Organizational Capacity), and the people/things to build and execute on those systems and deliver those programs (Operations).
Funding Information
- Metro Regional Arts Council is offering Amount: up to $15000
Eligibility Criteria
- This Metro Regional Arts Council program funds IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts and/or cultural organizations, non-arts nonprofits, and community education units with a history of arts programming, and informal/unincorporated arts groups applying with a nonprofit as a fiscal sponsor.
- The applicant group and project must be located in the 7-county metropolitan region
- The applicant group’s annualized operating/arts programming expenses must be less than $400,000.
- Fiscally Sponsored groups must have their own board of directors or advisory committee that provides input on the project and oversight of the grant funds.
- All applicant groups and project activities must be located within the seven-county (Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, Washington) Twin Cities metro area.
- Applicant group must implement and manage the proposed project. Groups that are new to Metro Regional Arts Council, and those returning again, are eligible to apply.
Applicant groups must be one of the following:
Arts groups and organizations
- Federally tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organizations with annual operating expenses of $400,000 or less.
- Metro Regional Arts Council may ask for more information, such as an audit or a board approved financial statement, if the organization appears to have been approaching the $400,000 limit in their previous year. If a previous year’s audit is not yet finished, a contingency may be placed on that award until the audit or board approved financial statement proves eligibility.
Cultural groups and organizations
- Federally tax-exempt 501(c)(3) culturally-specific nonprofit organizations that provide arts and non-arts programming with annual arts programming expenses of $400,000 or less.
Fiscally sponsored groups with arts projects and annual operating expenses of $400,000 or less.
- A fiscally sponsored group must be comprised of at least three people.
- The group must have an advisory committee of at least three people that is responsible for oversight of project and grant funds.
- Groups applying for Metro Regional Arts Council funds must have a fiscal sponsor. Fiscal Sponsors must be registered with the IRS as a 501(c)3 nonprofit with a Minnesota address and have an active registration with the Minnesota Secretary of State as a nonprofit organization.
Non-arts and non-cultural nonprofit organizations
- Non-arts and non-cultural nonprofit organizations with annual arts programming expenses of $400,000 or less. Non-arts and non-cultural nonprofit organizations must be able to isolate their arts programming revenues and expenses from non-arts and non-cultural financial activity.
- A public entity such as a unit of state, local, or tribal government with arts expenses of $400,000 or less.
- Community education units of a school district in the seven-county metro area with arts budgets of any size.
- Eligible nonprofit, non-arts and non-cultural organizations must describe how this request will create access to the arts and ensure connection to audiences across the seven-county metro.
For more information, visit https://mrac.org/grants/flexible-support/