ECRAC: Essentials Support Grant

ECRAC: Essentials Support Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: East Central Regional Arts Council
Amount: US $3,000 - US $10,000
Last Updated: January 14, 2026

Summary

The East Central Regional Arts Council (ECRAC) offers the Essentials Support Grant, providing funding between $3,000 to $5,000 to non-profit arts organizations in Minnesota's Region 7E. This grant supports ongoing operational expenses, fostering arts access and education while enhancing community engagement through cultural heritage activities. Eligible applicants must be 501(c)3 organizations with a history of arts programming. This funding is crucial for sustaining the arts and enriching local cultural landscapes.

Overview

The East Central Regional Arts Council (ECRAC) is a regional grant-making agency that supports the arts through funding from the Minnesota State Legislature and The McKnight Foundation. The Council distributes grant awards to artists, arts and other non-profit organizations, educational institutions, and local units of government and provides technical assistance for these grants. About This Grant Formerly known as Operating Support Grants. Essentials Support Grant amounts will be $3,000 to $5,000. Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund (ACHF) Key Areas Following the direction of the Minnesota State Legislature, the ECRAC Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund will support activities in three key areas. ECRAC ACHF Legacy arts project funding may be spent only on arts and arts access, arts education, and arts and cultural heritage. The fund is intended to create a strong arts legacy in Minnesota. Arts & Arts Access ACHF funding will support artists and arts organizations in creating, producing, and presenting highquality arts activities; to overcome barriers to accessing high-quality arts activities; and to instill the arts into the community and public life in this state. Such grant activities may be, but are not limited to: Investing in activities that make the arts available to persons who might not otherwise have access due to economic, geographic, or physical barrier.Ensuring that artists and arts organizations have sufficient financial support to create high quality art.Investing in the long-term health and vitality of the arts sector by supporting capacity-building and professional development.Investing in efforts that enable residents to connect with arts/arts experiences and performances.Investing in efforts to fully integrate the arts into local community development efforts.Investing in efforts to integrate the arts into local and regional economic development planning.Investing in public art that is available throughout the region. (ECRAC encourages applicants to utilize Forecast Public Art and to include their consulting services in the grant budget.)Recognizing and rewarding artists/arts organizations/arts providers for exceptional artistic quality and service to their audiences and/or the region. Arts Education: Investing in lifelong learning in the arts ACHF funding will support high-quality, age-appropriate arts education for residents of all ages to develop knowledge, skills, and understanding of the arts. Such activities may be, but are not limited to: Investing in efforts that enable residents to connect with arts learning opportunities and residencies. Ensuring that artists/arts organizations/arts providers are able to invest in professional development and workshops.Ensuring that arts learning opportunities and professional development are achieving intended outcomes through ongoing assessment and evaluation. Arts & Cultural Heritage: Building bridges between Minnesotans through arts and culture ACHF funding may be used for events and activities that represent the diverse ethnic and cultural arts traditions, including folk and traditional artists and art organizations, represented in this state. Such activities may be, but are not limited to: Providing Region 7E residents with opportunities to celebrate our cultural heritage through events and activities that represent the range of Minnesota’s ethnic and cultural arts traditions including festivals. Ensuring that Region 7E residents are able to experience folk/traditional arts of diverse cultures by supporting the work of folk and traditional artists/arts organizations. What is Funded? ECRAC ACHF Essentials Support Grant proposals may include the following expenses based on your organizations identified needs and proposed outcomes. General operating expenses (e.g. – facility rental (not purchase) costs, operational insurance, Directors and Officer’s insurance, office or art supplies and equipment, utilities, general (not project specific) advertising, and phone or internet service, etc.)Board and staff training in non-profit or art best practices.Long range planning consultations (except fundraising).Purchase of equipment or small capital expenses necessary to the mission of the arts organization. (3 quotes (1 from a Minnesota vendor) and an equipment use plan are required for all capital expenses over $500.)Expenses related to ADA compliance, or upgrades, in the facility used.Memberships in organizations such as your local chamber of commerce, GPS 45:93, or the Minnesota Council of Non-Profits, etc. Travel (within Minnesota) for staff and board members to attend meetings, conferences, or trainings provided by these or other membership organizations. Please contact ECRAC staff if you have questions regarding which program is most appropriate for your grant request.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. WHO IS ELIGIBLE?ECRAC serves the non-profit arts organization community in the five Region 7E Minnesota counties of Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, and Pine. Eligible organizations must be located in one of these counties and must be a Minnesota private, non-profit arts organization which has obtained, for at least a year, 501(c)3 tax-exempt status under the Internal Revenue Code and have registered with the Minnesota Secretary of State and Department of Revenue. Applicants must submit their annual organization budget with these proposals.Applicants must not have been disqualified for ECRAC grant funding (due to overdue or incomplete past final reports or other grantee issues.)Your organization must also meet all of the following requirements:Your organization must be a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization physically located in Region 7E.Your programming, services, or activities must take place in Region 7E in Minnesota, and must primarily  serve and engage Region 7E audiences and participants.Your organization must be an arts organization defined as producing arts, presenting arts, a community arts  school, or an artist service agency. For the purposes of this program, public or private pre-K-12 schools, colleges, or universities; radio and television stations; libraries; friends of the libraries; zoos; children’s museums; historical societies or museums; natural history museums; civic organizations; human service organization; or other community service agencies do not meet the definition of “arts organization.”Your organization must have a history of at least two years of arts programming and services prior to  applying and at least one year as a designated 501(c)3 non-profit per your IRS determination letter.Your organization must be a regional arts organization. Local chapters of state or national organizations  are only eligible to apply if they are administratively independent or receive little or no funding from their  parent group.Your organization cannot have an annual organizational budget over $174,000.

Ineligibility

Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grantees are not eligible for this funding.ECRAC ACHF General Operating Support grants WILL NOT fund:Organizations that do not meet the eligibility criteria listed in the Eligibility section.Applications that do not have an arts and/or culture related focus.Applicants not located in or grant activities that do not take place in Region 7E or for activities that would relocate the applicant outside of Region 7E or Minnesota.Any travel outside of Minnesota.Activities of a for-profit project, organization, or business or from other direct recipients of the Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Amendment Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.Projects when funds are requested for deficits in projects or programs begun prior to the project earliest start date. In other words, payment of any debts incurred before the grant begins or outside of the grant start and end dates cannot be approved.Applicants with either unacceptable or past due ECRAC final grant reports, or applicants that contact ECRAC members/panelists regarding the proposal before final grant approval.Applications when funds are to be used to match other ECRAC grants or grant applications.Requests for new building construction, purchase of real property, or endowment funds.Fundraising events.Administrative staffing or contract employee expenses.Organizations that are not open to the entire public or are not ADA accessible.Religious organizations or projects that are for the religious socialization of participants or audience.Activities that engage in political lobbying or intend to influence public policy.Applicants that have been found to be ineligible for ECRAC funding.Projects when artists are required to pay excessive entry or exhibition fees in order to exhibit or perform at the organization seeking funds.Organizations that will not use the proper ECRAC funding credit line (in a legible font) and that don’t use both the ECRAC logo and the ACHF Clean Water Land and Legacy logo, as required. Also, projects that will not take responsibility for their own publicity, media coverage, and public relations, or won’t provide timely promotion.Projects that try and substitute traditional sources of funding with an ACHF grant. The Minnesota Constitution requires that arts and cultural heritage fund dollars must be used to supplement not substitute for traditional sources of funding. All recipients of ACHF dollars must ensure that they are in compliance with this constitutional requirement.Projects unwilling to track and report costs appropriately. ACHF grant dollars must not be spent on administrative costs, indirect costs, or other institutional overhead charges that are not directly related to and necessary for the specific projects or activities that will be funded with Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund dollars. If awarded Arts and Cultural Heritage Funds, a grantee must track and be able to clearly document what portion of ACHF funds is spent on direct program or project costs and what portion of ACHF funds is spent on administrative costs, indirect, or overhead costs that are “directly related to and necessary” to carry out the programs or projects that are supported with ACHF dollars. In order to ensure this, ECRAC requires that proof of all grant related costs are submitted with the final report.Applicants with a Misuse of Funds determination from the Minnesota State Arts Board or a Minnesota Regional Arts Council.