Equipment & Facilities Improvement Grants

The Equipment & Facilities Improvement Grants provide up to $10,000 in matching funds to nonprofit arts organizations in the Southwest Minnesota region. This funding supports the purchase of equipment and facilities upgrades that enhance organizational capacity to meet community arts needs. Eligible applicants include arts-focused nonprofits and government units, with no cash match required for fiscal year 2023. The aim is to strengthen the region's arts infrastructure while fostering accessibility and inclusivity in arts projects.

SMAC: Equipment & Facilities Grants
Provides up to $10,000 in matching funds to arts organizations for the purchase of equipment items and facilities improvements that will strengthen the organization’s capacity to serve the arts needs of the SMAC region.
Program Intent
The Equipment and Facilities Improvement grant program provides funding for the purchase of equipment items and facilities improvements that will strengthen arts organizations’ capacity to serve the arts needs of the region. Common requests include items like sound and lighting equipment, structural and accessibility improvements, office equipment, and storage. Non-arts organizations may also apply if the main purpose of the equipment or improvements is to support community arts projects.
Funding
Funds received through this grant program are capped at $50,000 per organization within a 10-year timeframe. Applicants can only receive up to $50,000 for equipment & facilities improvement within a decade.
The Equipment and Facilities Improvement grant program is dependent on funding from the voters of Minnesota, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

Eligibility

The Equipment and Facilities Improvement grant program is open to nonprofit organizations as described in Section 501 (c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code with Articles of Incorporation on file with the State of Minnesota or official units of city, county, or state government of the State of Minnesota. The main focus of this program is organizations whose mission is focused primarily on the arts, but non-arts organizations may also apply if their project directly serves community arts needs. If your organization is not yet a registered nonprofit, you may apply using a fiscal sponsor.Applicant organizations must be located within the eighteen counties of the SW MN Arts Council service region (Big Stone, Chippewa, Cottonwood, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, Lincoln, Lyon, McLeod, Meeker, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Redwood, Renville, Rock, Swift, and Yellow Medicine counties) or on tribal lands within our service area.

Ineligibility

The following projects and organizations are not eligible for SMAC Equip/Facilities grants:

• Applications that do not have an art focus.
• Activities of a for-profit project, organization, or business.
• Applications that are primarily for educational projects within a school system.
• Payment of costs for projects that will take place outside the geographic boundaries of the state of
• Minnesota or costs related to travel outside the state of Minnesota, including performer, artist, or consultant travel.
• Costs for relocating the applicant’s legal address/residence outside the state of Minnesota.
• Projects for which artists are required to pay excessive entry or exhibition fees in order to exhibit or perform in the project for which funds are sought.
• Requests for new building construction, purchase of real estate, or endowment funds.

Fundraising events. Grant funding should allow projects to break even, not make a profit.
Activities that are not open to the public.
Projects must be inclusive and accessible in their process and/or final product, considering economic, geographic, and physical accessibility, as well as the cultural, racial, ethnic, age, and gender make-up of the community.
Activities essentially for the religious socialization of the participants or audience.
Activities that attempt to influence any state or federal legislation or appropriation.
Applications submitted for the purpose of regranting, lobbying, or scholarships.
Projects that don’t provide timely promotion of the project throughout the SMAC region with use of the proper funding credit line and logo.
Requests for funds to account for deficits in projects or programs begun prior to the project earliest start date. In other words, payment of debts incurred before the grant activities begin or outside of the grant project scope of activity.
Applications in which funds are to be used to match other SMAC grant projects.
Budgets including prorated operating costs if the organization is already receiving SMAC operating support for the same time period.
Budgets exceeding 90% of the total project’s cash expenses in combined support from the Minnesota State Arts Board and SW MN Arts Council.
Applicants with past due SMAC final (or other) reports.