Operating Support Grant

Eligibility

Arts organizations must be a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization (an organization with an IRS-designated 501(c)3 status) In addition, a fiscally sponsored arts organization with 80% of its budget designated to the arts also qualifies.

Additionally:

• The organization must be located 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 for at least one full fiscal year and can provide a financial statement for their most recently completed fiscal year at the time of application.

Grant Funds are Eligible for but not limited to:

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

• Arts programs (an established or ongoing creative endeavor)

• Arts services (providing services for artists, arts organizations, or the arts community) 1

• 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:

• 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

• 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 4

• 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

  • Contact ARAC

  • Arrowhead Library System

• 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, 2025

• 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 Excellence and Merit 

• Community Accessibility and Impact

• Organizational Leadership and Capacity

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

Artistic Excellence and Merit: Tell us about your organization's arts programming in the past 24 months and how that programming advanced your mission - include information about artists involved and arts services provided. Then share your vision and programming plans for the coming year.
Community Accessibility and Impact: Describe the communities your organization serves and how you make your services accessible to your community. How does your organization work to engage underserved communities and address economic, geographical, physical, or cultural barriers?

Organizational Leadership and Capacity: Describe your organization's capacity. What are the roles and responsibilities of your staff and board? How does your organization address financial sustainability or growth? Describe your programmatic planning process and how progress is evaluated.

Does your organization's programming appropriately comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act? What actions do you take to ensure it does? Or what kinds of assistance would you need to do so? 

What measurable goals or outcomes do you hope to accomplish with this funding? How do you plan to measure those goals or outcomes? 

Is there anything more you would like to tell us about your organization or request? 

Click here for assistance in setting goals and evaluating outcomes. 

Additional Information

How Does ARAC Choose Who Gets Funded?
Decisions about the grants are made by panels of artist peers, art administrators, art supporters, and culture bearers from throughout the Arrowhead Region. If you fall into any of these categories and would like to become a reviewer, please complete a reviewer application. If you are interested, but have not previously been a reviewer, we provide training as well as a stipend.

Funding Source
The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council’s Operating Support Grants are made possible through the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and an appropriation from the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the State’s General Fund. In 2008, Minnesota voters passed a constitutional amendment creating a new 3/8-cent sales tax to support outdoor heritage, clean waters, sustainable drinking water, parks and trails, arts, history and cultural heritage projects and activities. This amendment is called the Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Amendment. Of the total proceeds from the sales tax, 19.75% are dedicated to the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund (ACHF). Those proceeds must be spent only on “…arts, arts education and arts access and to preserve Minnesota’s history and cultural heritage.” A large amount of that funding has been allocated to the Minnesota State Arts Board, Arrowhead Regional Arts Council, and the 10 other regional arts councils across the state. ACHF programming must be rooted in principles that guarantee the greatest positive impact with as many Minnesotans as possible and lead to the kind of social, cultural and economic development outlined in this vision. These principles are intended to inform decisions made by the Legislature regarding disbursement of the overall fund. Funding decisions [both at the appropriations level as well as at the grant-making level] will respect the constitutional requirement that ACHF funds not be a substitute for traditional sources of funding, including public operating and capital funds, both state and local. You can find more information on ACHF’s 25-Year plan here.