East Central Regional Arts Council
East Central Regional Arts Council (ECRAC) is a public charity based in Hinckley, Minnesota. It supports arts participation in East Central Minnesota through grants and initiatives for artists, culture bearers, arts organizations, schools, governmental units, and individuals, as well as technical assistance.
East Central Regional Arts Council at a glance
In short: East Central Regional Arts Council gave $403K across 24 grants in 2025 (avg $17K), mostly in Minnesota. 46% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $402,959
- +3.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 24
- +33.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $16,790
- -22.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,667
- Total assets
- $218,000
- -31.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 46% first-time grantees (11 of 24, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to East Central Regional Arts Council
- Review Cycle
- For the FY2027 Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund Legacy Grant, the listed deadlines are October 1, 2026, February 1, 2027, and April 1, 2027.
- Deadline
- For the FY2027 Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund Legacy Grant, the listed deadlines are October 1, 2026, February 1,…
- Contact
Mailing address: 540 Weber Ave Ste 109, Hinckley, MN 55037
Phone: (320) 336-0200
Website: https://ecrac.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
5 open opportunities from East Central Regional Arts Council
Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund Legacy Grant
East Central Regional Arts Council
Amount
US $5,000 - US $20,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
ECRAC Resiliency Grant for Arts Organizations
East Central Regional Arts Council
Amount
Up to US $600
Deadline
Deadline not published
ECRAC: Art In Our Schools Grant
East Central Regional Arts Council
Amount
Up to US $5,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who East Central Regional Arts Council funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Wyoming Area Creative Arts Community ($60K). Together the top 10 received $245K.
Grant Size Distribution
80 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 75 grants of 80 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
ECRAC identifies its service area as Region 7E: Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, and Pine counties in Minnesota. Its 2025 grant filing reports that 100% of grant dollars went to Minnesota recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 24 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is East Central Regional Arts Council open to new grantees?
46%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 11 of 24 grantees (46%) were first-time recipients. With only 24 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $13K; repeat grants $20K. How we count
Medians: $11K first-time, $17K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $131K (2022) to $403K (2025). In 2025 it made 24 grants totaling $403K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Wyoming Area Creative Arts Community Wyoming, MN | Art Project GRANT(S) | $60,132 |
| Franconia Sculpture Park Franconia, MN | Art Project GRANT(S) | $29,600 |
| Pine City Arts Council Pine City, MN | Art Project GRANT(S) | $21,675 |
| Unexpected Company Chorale Lindstrom, MN | Art Project GRANT(S) | $21,150 |
| Kanabec County Agricultural Society Mora, MN | Art Project GRANT(S) | $20,000 |
| City of Lindstrom Lindstrom, MN | Art Project GRANT(S) | $20,000 |
| North Branch Public Schools North Branch, MN | Art Project GRANT(S) | $20,000 |
| Mille Lacs County Agricultural Society Princeton, MN | Art Project GRANT(S) | $19,134 |
| East Central Minnesota Pride Braham, MN | Art Project GRANT(S) | $17,200 |
| City of Hinckley Hinckley, MN | Art Project GRANT(S) | $16,500 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $218,000 | $851,375 | $878,712 | $402,959 | 24 | $4,690 |
| 2024 | $317,764 | $815,468 | $879,483 | $389,557 | 18 | $5,196 |
| 2023 | $385,653 | $686,216 | $692,439 | $285,754 | 18 | $1,824 |
| 2022 | $265,696 | $628,144 | $566,238 | $131,425 | 8 | $1,235 |
| 2021 | $287,282 | $593,916 | $513,712 | $192,855 | 12 | $589 |
| 2020 | $253,598 | $596,804 | $619,766 | $266,157 | 22 | $1,905 |
| 2019 | $132,019 | $656,294 | $609,922 | $248,529 | 21 | $1,973 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
ECRAC’s mission is to support the arts and bring their life-enhancing values to Region 7E residents. Its stated vision is for all residents in the region to have opportunities to participate in, appreciate, create, and invest in the arts. The council says it works to foster inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility in its organization and the regional arts community.
ECRAC funds arts projects and provides related support services. Its programs include grants for individual artists and organizations, school arts programs, and larger arts projects supported through the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Its website also describes technical assistance, grant workshops, an annual regional art show, and other arts resources.
Examples of 2025 grantees include Franconia Sculpture Park, whose stated mission is to provide access to contemporary sculpture, installation, and land art; Bear Paws Cultural Art, which says it aims to revitalize Ojibwe cultural heritage and foster community healing through art; and the Kanabec County Agricultural Society, which says it supports county agriculture and coordinates and produces the county fair.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, ECRAC reported 24 grants totaling $402,959. Grant amounts ranged from $5,428 to $60,132, with a median of $15,667. Listed grant purposes were art project grants.
The largest reported awards included $60,132 to Wyoming Area Creative Arts Community, $29,600 to Franconia Sculpture Park, $21,675 to Pine City Arts Council, $21,150 to Unexpected Company Chorale, and $20,000 each to Kanabec County Agricultural Society, the City of Lindstrom, and North Branch Public Schools.
Applications are submitted through ECRAC’s online grant portal. Applicants can save and edit an application before submitting it; after submission, it can be viewed but not edited. ECRAC’s application guidance says program application links become available about four weeks before a deadline, while the Essentials Support Grant page says links become available about four to six weeks before a deadline. Its FY2027 Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund Legacy Grant guidelines list deadlines of October 1, 2026, February 1, 2027, and April 1, 2027.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Carla Vita as board chair; Roger Neiboer as board vice chair; Matthew Krousey as secretary; Pat Black as treasurer; Sarah Ratermann Beahan, Deborah Trent, and Stephanie Henry as directors; and Mary Minnick-Daniels as executive director.
East Central Regional Arts Council is led by Mary Minnick-Daniels, Executive Director on every filing since 2019; 1 of 8 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Mary Minnick-Daniels
Executive Director
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$78K (2019) → $94K (2025)
Carla Vita
Board Chair
Director → Board Chair, 2023
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Deborah Trent
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sarah Ratermann Beahan
Director
Director → Secretary, 2023
Secretary → Director, 2025
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stephanie Henry
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Pat Black
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Matthew Krousey
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Roger Neiboer
Board Vice Chair
Director → Board Vice Chair, 2023
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (11)
- Former: Chad Filley (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Alana Petersen (2019–2022) — Board Chair
- Former: Angela Ruddy (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Dee Ann Sibley (2019–2022) — Vice Chair
- Former: Maryann Cleary (2019–2022) — Secretary
- Former: Sydney Nelson (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Ward Mehlan (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Barrett R. Hindt (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Nancy Hoffman (2019–2020) — Treasurer
- Former: Terri Huro (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Eunice Boeringa (2019) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $94K, to Mary Minnick-Daniels (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about East Central Regional Arts Council
How much does East Central Regional Arts Council give each year?
East Central Regional Arts Council gave $403K across 24 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $390K across 18 grants.
What is East Central Regional Arts Council's typical grant size?
East Central Regional Arts Council's median grant in 2025 was $15,667, and its average grant was $16,790, across 24 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from East Central Regional Arts Council that year got $13K on average.
Where does East Central Regional Arts Council give grants?
East Central Regional Arts Council gives mostly in Minnesota: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Mora, MN (3 grants), Pine City, MN (3 grants), Lindstrom, MN (2 grants) and North Branch, MN (2 grants).
Does East Central Regional Arts Council give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 24 grants with a stated purpose on East Central Regional Arts Council's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Art Project GRANT(S)" (24 grants).
Who are East Central Regional Arts Council's largest grantees?
East Central Regional Arts Council's largest 2025 grantees include Wyoming Area Creative Arts Community ($60,132), Franconia Sculpture Park ($29,600) and Pine City Arts Council ($21,675), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 28% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is East Central Regional Arts Council?
East Central Regional Arts Council reported $218K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $851K.
What does East Central Regional Arts Council fund?
ECRAC’s mission is to support the arts and bring their life-enhancing values to Region 7E residents. Its stated vision is for all residents in the region to have opportunities to participate in, appreciate, create, and invest in the arts. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from East Central Regional Arts Council?
East Central Regional Arts Council has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check ecrac.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is East Central Regional Arts Council's EIN?
East Central Regional Arts Council's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-3386367. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 25, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 28, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in East Central Regional Arts Council's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). East Central Regional Arts Council funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/east-central-regional-arts-council-morg_e6a08db772174b058cceb9f73a02c152
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_273386367_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{East Central Regional Arts Council funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/east-central-regional-arts-council-morg_e6a08db772174b058cceb9f73a02c152},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from East Central Regional Arts Council's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
East Central Regional Arts Council down — hundreds of funders to go?