Art Project Grant

Eligibility

Arts organizations MUST be one of the following:

• 501(c)3 nonprofit organization (an organization with an IRS-designated 501(c)3 status)

• College or university (an established higher education institution in Minnesota)

• School (a public or private school serving students grades pre-K through 12) 1

• Tribal Government

Additionally:

• The project activity MUST occur within the seven Minnesota counties served by ARAC: Aitkin, Carlton, Cook, Itasca, Lake, Koochiching, and St Louis Counties, as well as the Fond du Lac, Grand Portage, Bois Forte, and Leech Lake nations within Itasca county

• The organization MUST produce or present arts programs, services or projects that are relevant to its community and are available to the public

• The organization has operated as an arts organization or arts program for one full fiscal year and can provide a financial statement for their most recently completed fiscal year at the time of application

• Only one application per project or program will be considered for funding

Grant funds are eligible for, but not limited to:

• Arts programs (an established or ongoing creative endeavor)

• Arts services (providing services for artists, arts organizations, or the arts community)

• Arts projects (the origination of a creative endeavor that may include collaborations with artists and other organizations)

• Support services needed relating to hosting artists and arts organizations (ex. performances by touring artists/companies)

• Exhibitions such as visual art shows

• Local theatre productions

• For hosting of arts events by contracting for the services of another organization or individual to provide arts programming to our local or regional community

• Residencies involving a professional artist or culture bearer

• Workshops, classes, publications, films, and presentations that promote artists or participation in the arts

• Public art projects

• Art equipment not exceeding 25% of overall funds requested

• Other projects providing access to the arts for community audiences

Ineligible for funding - ARAC funds CANNOT be used for the following:

• General Operating Support (costs related to organization overhead expenses)

• If your organization is receiving Operating Support from the Minnesota State Arts Board, or direct appropriations from the Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Amendment

• If you receive direct funding from the state you are ineligible to apply for any of our programs 2

• Re-granting; activities that are principally recreational, therapeutic, or rehabilitative

• Travel outside Minnesota

• Projects primarily for classroom use or in school activities

• School programs previously supported by state funds

• Activities not open to the general public

• Day-to-day expenses associated with the running of a for-profit business, including but not limited to LLC, C-Corp, S-Corp, etc

• Capital improvements or purchases of permanent equipment

• Equipment more than 25% of the total request amount

• Activities for the exclusive benefit of an organization’s members

• Contributions to any persons who hold, or are candidates for, elected office

• Contributions to any political party, organization, or action committee

• Activities in connection with any political campaign or referendum

• Lobbying activities

• Arts activities that involve the religious socialization of the audience or participants

Requirements for ALL Grant Recipients

• Must comply with Title VI, Section 601, of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which states that no persons, on the grounds of race, color, or national origin, shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination related to, the arts

• Must comply with Title IX, Section 1681 et seq. of the Education Amendments of 1972, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, Section 6101-6107, which prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex or age

• Must maintain complete and accurate records of all activities connected with the grant

• Must have filed satisfactory reporting with ARAC for the most recently completed fiscal year

• Must file a final report in alignment with the program requirements. Failure to report may jeopardize any future grant being received by the organization and may result in the organization being required to repay grant funds

• Must give credit to ARAC in accordance with the Logo Guidelines whenever and wherever credit is being given - https://aracouncil.org/logo-guidelines (Neglecting to do this may result in you having to return the funding)

• Must seek permission from the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council in writing if a significant change is made in any ARAC funded program or project, please contact grants@aracouncil.org

Application Process

• All applications are submitted via our secure online grants management system

• Applicants are required to complete and submit their applications by electronic means, including the use of an electronic signature

• If you don’t have access to a computer you can arrange a time to use a computer at the ARAC offices, or your local library

• Please contact us before, or early in the round, if you need special assistance

• Our staff is available to help you sort through your ideas, navigate through the application, provide feedback, and serve as a sounding board for all parts of the process

• Note: requests for review and feedback must be made in writing BEFORE 10 business days out, March 6, from the deadline, March 16. Requests made after this time are not guaranteed a response as we answer requests in the order received (Email requests to grants@aracouncil.org)

• Late applications are the responsibility of the applicant and will not be accepted. We recommend submitting well before the deadline to avoid technical difficulties that may delay your submitting the application. There are no exceptions, applications are closed automatically at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, March 16, 2025

ADA requires that organizations make access to publicly funded projects available to people with disabilities Accessibility Resources:

• ADA Minnesota

• Minnesota Access

• Accessibility in the Arts: A Promise and A Practice

Criteria

• Artistic Vision, both of past work and of the proposal presented

• Impact of the project on the organization and/or their community, and the region

• Ability to carry out the project

Applicants that demonstrate an ability to meet these criteria will be weighed together as a slate to ensure equitable distribution of geographic and demographic diversity, ability to reach underserved arts audiences, and diversity of arts disciplines.

Grant Application Questions

Criteria: ARTISTIC VISION (Inspiration)

Reviewers will use your answers in this section to assess the vision of the work you have completed to date and the vision of the work you propose to do. Use the first question to tell us about your previous work. The second is to help us understand the significance of what you propose to do.

• Please tell us about your past work Describe the artistic quality of the artist(s), group(s), and/or activities involved; and describe the qualifications of the project leaders. If the intended artists or groups have not been selected yet, explain the selection process that will be used. Be as specific as possible.

• Please tell us about the project you want to do What can you tell us about the artistic vision for this project? Does it continue the type of work you’ve completed in the past or are you heading in a different direction? You’ll be asked to attach a sample(s) of work your organization does.

Criteria: IMPACT AND EVALUATION

The impact of your project is determined by the project’s appropriateness to furthering or achieving your organization’s artistic goals.

• How does this opportunity/project impact you and the community you serve? Tell us about your goals and how you plan to know whether you succeeded in reaching them.

• What goals/outcomes do you hope to address or achieve through engaging in this activity? Note: Project goals should focus on how the project will benefit the organization and/or their community.

• How will the arts organization evaluate whether or not the goals have been met? Respond to each goal set above.

Click here for assistance in setting goals and evaluating outcomes.