Deadline: 1-Aug-22
The Metro regional Arts Council (MRAC) is pleased to announce the Flexible Support Grant Program to help groups create and sustain Minnesotans’ access to the arts. Groups’ primary addresses must be located in Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott or Washington county.
The program supports the production of artistic projects, and/or projects that strengthen the organizational capacity and operations of groups providing access to the arts.
Your grant proposal could include:
- Arts Programming activities, whether a single event (like a theater production) or a series (like a season of painting classes).
- Organizational Capacity activities, meaning a coordinated management effort that bolsters the organization’s ability to do its work (like rebranding, building a website, or overhauling financial tracking systems). Organizational Capacity projects could also be the purchase of equipment, or making facilities improvements.
- Operations activities that support the ongoing operations of a group (such as paying staff salaries or rent on a space) to provide arts access.
All of these types of activities, independently, or in some combination, could be the organization’s “project” or “program.”
Funding Information
You may request up to $15,000.
Eligibility Criteria
- Groups/organizations must have a primary address in Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, or Washington county.
- For all 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) must have approved and confirmed your organization’s 501(c)(3).
- MRAC staff may request a copy of the status determination letter and/or reinstatement letter from the IRS.
- Groups must also be one of the following:
- Arts groups and organizations: Federally recognized tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organizations with annual expenses of $400,000 or less.
- Cultural groups and organizations: Federally recognized tax-exempt 501(c)(3) cultural nonprofit organizations that provide arts and non-arts programming with annual arts programming expenses of $400,000 or less. Cultural nonprofit organizations must isolate their arts program ming expenses from non-arts financial activity.
- Fiscally sponsored groups with arts projects
- Groups not registered as a federally recognized tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization must apply with an eligible tax sponsor. Fiscally sponsored groups must consist of at least 3 people who are on the Leadership team and have annual operating expenses of $400,000 or less. A fiscal sponsor is a federally tax-exempt nonprofit organization that receives MRAC grant monies and manages the financial aspects of the project on behalf of a group that does not have tax-exempt status.
- Tax eligible sponsors must be:
- registered with the IRS as a federally tax-exempt 501(c)3 nonprofit
- with a Minnesota address and
- have an active registration with the Minnesota Secretary of State as a nonprofit organization.
- Fiscal sponsors may not be public, private, alternative, charter, transitional, or home schools (this includes school support organizations such as PTAs, PTOs, school foundations, etc.). Schools are groups/organizations providing K-12 education that meet state education requirements and post-secondary education leading to a degree or accreditation.
- Non-arts and non-cultural nonprofit organizations: Federally recognized tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations with annual arts programming expenses of $400,000 or less. Non-arts and non-cultural nonprofit organizations must isolate their arts programming expenses from non-arts and non-cultural financial activity.
- Public entities: A public entity such as a unit of state, local, or tribal government with annual arts expenses of $400,000 or less. The public entity must isolate their arts program ming expenses from non-arts and non- cultural financial activity.
- Community education units: Community education units of a school district with annual arts budgets of any size. Community education units must isolate their arts programming expenses from non-arts and non -cultural financial activity.
For more information, visit https://mrac.org/grants/flexible-support/