Grant Reviewers
About Grant Review Panels
The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council uses a peer-panel process to thoroughly evaluate grant applications and make funding recommendations to our board of directors. This process is set up to keep the granting process as fair and unbiased as possible.
All grant applications are reviewed through our online grant portal, Foundant.
Become a Grant Reviewer!
The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council is looking for individuals with knowledge of the arts, artists, artists from communities of color, arts supporters/collectors, or individuals working in and with knowledge of the regional arts community. Potential reviewers must live in the Arrowhead Region, which includes one of the following seven counties: Aitkin, Carlton, Cook, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake, and St. Louis, and/or one of the following five Tribal Nations: Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, and Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe (District II).
Reviewers will be selected from a pool of interested individuals based on the needs of the particular review panel. ARAC will train reviewers prior to serving and reserves the right to remove a panelist if appropriate.
ARAC abides by all applicable laws relating to nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The Council does not discriminate against individuals on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, age, status as a legal alien, or any other legally protected status.
If you’re interested in becoming a grant reviewer, please fill out the form below!
Feel free to contact the office at (218)722-0952 or by email if you have any questions.
GRANT REVIEW PROCESS
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If you haven’t served on a grant review panel before, you need to apply using our online application form. If you’ve been a reviewer in the past, you’ll receive an availability form in your email inbox or in our Grant Reviewer Facebook Group.
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Our staff will l email you to confirm these dates and send you a Zoom meeting link to save to your calendar.
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These materials will be included in an email with additional instructions. You can also find all the training materials in the next section on this webpage.
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Foundant is the site you’ll use to read and score the grant applications.
If you do not have an account, you can create one now.
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Before assignment to these grant applications, ARAC staff checks the applications for eligibility, so you might not receive access to the applications until about two weeks before the grant review meeting.
You will receive an email when applications are available in your account.
View our training videos below to learn how to view and score applications.
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Scores can be changed after we have our discussion during the reviewer meeting.
*Scores and comments are required before we begin the grant review meeting
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Attend your scheduled grant review meeting where you’ll have an opportunity to share your feedback and adjust your score if necessary.
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You’ll receive a follow-up email with additional instructions on your stipend.
Upcoming review dates
Monday, October 26, 2026 | 1 PM
Tuesday, October 27, 2026 | 1 PM
Wednesday, October 28, 2026 | 1 PM
Thursday, October 29, 2026 | 1 PM
Friday, October 30, 2026 | 1 PM
If you’re an applicant and would like to attend the meeting your application will be reviewed, please email info@aracouncil.org.
Grant Reviewer Training Materials
Frequently Asked Questions
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Reviewers can plan to spend about 20-30 minutes reading and assessing each application prior to the online panel discussion.
Reviewers are assigned about 15-25 applications to review.
Reviewers will also attend an online grant review panel discussion which will take no longer than 4 hours.
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To be an ARAC grant reviewer, you must reside within one of ARAC's 7 county region and/or 5 tribal nations.
Counties include Aitkin, Carlton, Cook, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake, and St. Louis County
Tribal Nations include Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, and Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe (District II).
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Becoming a grant reviewer gives you the opportunity to see "behind the scenes" of our grant review process and understand how grant reviewers decide what makes a successful grant application. This has improved many reviewers own grant writing to apply for future grant opportunities.
Another benefit of joining a grant review panel is it's a great way to give back to the local arts community!
Lastly, you receive a $250 stipend for your time!
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To learn more about being a grant reviewer, please email media@aracouncil.org
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You can access our grant portal through this link
or this url
https://www.grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=aracouncil&
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Yes, please only sign up for grant reviews for grants that you have not currently applied for.
You cannot review for a grant that you have submitted an application for.
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Yes, anyone can attend our online grant review meetings. However, reviewers cannot address or ask questions of the applicants/public, and the applicants/public are not allowed to speak.