R2AC: Community Arts Support Grant

R2AC: Community Arts Support Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Region 2 Arts Council
Amount: US $2,000 - US $7,000
Last Updated: June 04, 2025

Summary

The R2AC Community Arts Support Grant provides essential operational funding for arts organizations in the Region 2 area, enhancing their capacity to deliver accessible and innovative arts programming. This grant supports initiatives aimed at community engagement and arts education, with funding ranging from $2,000 to $7,000 annually, based on the organization's yearly expenses. Eligible applicants include arts organizations and affiliates that have demonstrated a commitment to serving their communities through the arts.

Overview

Mission The Region 2 Arts Council strengthens the presence of the arts by supporting opportunities for arts creation, promotion, and education for the people of Beltrami, Clearwater, Hubbard, Lake of the Woods, and Mahnomen counties. Community Arts Support Grant This is an operating support grant. Two-year award amounts between $2,000 and $7,000 per year will be paid out in two installments. Eligible Proposals An organization’s proposal must show both a commitment to the organization’s mission and the communities it serves by using this operational support grant funding for operations that support and organization’s capacity to offer expanded and/or new arts programming that is accessible and open to the public. Eligible Uses for Funding Administrative and operating expenses such as rent, utilities, wages/salaries, facility maintenance that support an organization’s growth, expansion, and improvementCapital improvement projects, which support arts access, education, and arts and cultural heritage activity, made to property owned by the applicant arts organization.Training for staff and board to expand and/or improve an organization’s accessibility and equity in its programming and practices.Development/improvement of diversity, equity, inclusion, and/or accessibility plans.Development/improvement of marketing and publicity plans including website development, engagement of consultants, etc. that will support an organization’s new or updated initiativesFree standing equipment for an arts organization’s office or facility, or non-expendable items, such as instruments, easels, computers, updated technology.Capacity building, audience and board development, feasibility studies, strategic planning, facilitation of networking, collaborative projects, outreach.Expenses associated with obtaining 501(c)3 tax exempt status for arts organizations or groups with a mission and purpose focused solely on the arts, to prepare organizations for increased arts programming. Determining Funding Levels Average Annual Expenses under $5,000 receive $2,000/year funding support Average Annual Expenses between $5,000-$10,999 receive $3,000/year funding support$11,000-$20,999 receive $4,000/year funding support$21,000-$34,999 receive $5,000/year funding support$35,000-$90,999 receive $6,000/year funding support$91,000-$173,999 receive $7,000/year funding support Organizations with averaged expenses of $174,000 and over are eligible to apply for a Minnesota State Arts Board (MSAB) operating support grant, but are NOT eligible for an R2AC Community Arts Support grant.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. All eligible arts organizations, arts affiliates, and arts groups seeking 501(c)3 status have arts programming at the center of their mission, and have been providing arts programming to our Region 2 Arts Council communities during two years of the past four years.Arts OrganizationsEligible arts organizations are physically located with a legal address in one of the five counties of the Region 2 Arts Council service area (Beltrami, Clearwater, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Hubbard).Arts AffiliatesEligible arts affiliates are physically located with a legal address in one of the five counties of the Region 2 Arts Council service area (Beltrami, Clearwater, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Hubbard). An Arts Affiliate by definition is a distinct arts program or established arts division with an arts-focused mission that is hosted within a Minnesota nonprofit 501(c)(3) non arts institution or public entity (such as city government or a university) or within a Minnesota nonprofit 501(c)(3), tax‐exempt, community service organization; and for whom arts programming or services represent at least 90 percent of the affiliate’s annual operating expenses.The arts affiliate mustprovide or plan to provide a consistent menu of arts programming or services for the general public in Minnesota, not just for the host institution or its constituents, as would be the case with an academic degree program and its students;have a citizen advisory or governing board either independent from or acting as a subset of the host organization’s board, providing community oversight of the affiliate’s activities as distinct from the host organization’s activities;have a distinct budget indicating all revenue and expenses, that can be documented through financial statements;meet any additional Community Arts Support grant eligibility criteria.Groups Seeking 501c3 nonprofit statusGroups without 501(c)3 nonprofit tax status must be formed for non-profit purposes, must have the equivalent of a governing body similar to a board of directors or advisory council, and must use a Minnesota-based non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)3 organization as a fiscal sponsor for this application.

Ineligibility

R2AC CAS operating support funds may not be used to cover an organization’s arts programming and project costs.Individuals, groups or organizations are NOT eligible for funding if theyAre a for-profit business.Are a parochial school.Are a religious organization.Are an organization whose primary purpose is to influence public policy.Do not have 501(c)3 tax exempt status or a fiscal sponsor with 501(c)3 tax exempt status.Are a grant applicant who is a current member, or are using a grant writer or project director who is a current member, of the R2AC Staff, Board, AAI Council or an immediate family member of an R2AC Staff, Board, or AAI Council member. (Immediate family is defined as: spouse, domestic partner, parent, child, child’s spouse, brother, brother’s spouse, sister, or sister’s spouse.) Are applying for either an Artist Support Grant or an Anishinaabe Arts Initiative Grant and have received an Individual Artist Grant, an R2AC Artist Fellowship, an Anishinaabe Arts Initiative Fellowship or an Anishinaabe Arts Initiative Grant within the past two years.Are applying for an Anishinaabe Arts Initiative Fellowship and have not submitted your final report for an Individual Artist Grant or Anishinaabe Arts Initiative Grant or R2AC Artist Fellowship. Final reports must be submitted and approved before an applicant is eligible to apply.Are nominating yourself for an R2AC Artist Fellowship and have already received an R2AC Artist Fellowship or an R2AC/McKnight Career Development Fellowship.Are applying for an Anishinaabe Arts Initiative Fellowship and are a full or part time degree-seeking student in your artistic discipline at an institution of higher learning.Have a grant project in the state of open modification, in which the grantee has mentioned that a project needs to be modified, but specific modifications have not been requested or approved.Are in violation of any past contractual agreements with R2AC, such as an overdue final report or a misuse of funds.Have had an R2AC grant contract/agreement terminated and funding revoked, but did not return funds to the R2AC.R2AC Grants will NOT fundIncomplete applications.Tuition for academic course work.Teaching licensure or continuing education requirements (CEUs) to retain teaching licensure.Classes, workshops, or projects resulting in academic credit.Two or more organizations applying for funding for the same project. (i.e. Multiple organizations cannot apply for grants to fund projects that include the same artists and activities and occur at the same date, time and location.)Purchases made prior to the grant’s Earliest Start Date as posted on the application and on the R2AC website.Relocation of the grantee’s legal address outside the geographic boundaries of Beltrami, Clearwater, Hubbard, Lake of the Woods, or Mahnoman counties or outside the geographic boundaries of the state of Minnesota.Projects or activities that do not have the arts or arts and culture as their primary focus.Projects or activities that are currently being funded by an R2AC grant award.Projects or activities intending to use funding from more than one R2AC grant.Projects or activities which are essentially the same as a previously grant-funded project, which has either not been completed or for which the final report deadline has been extended, such as an annually occurring arts activity such as, but not limited to, Concert Series, Arts Festivals, or Arts Tours.Projects or activities that are intended to raise funds for an organization, charity or cause.Projects or activities intending to start or build an endowment.Projects or activities promoting use of illegal substances, violence, and/or racism or works with pornographic content. (It is at the R2AC board’s discretion to deem an activity objectionable.)Projects or activities meant to proselytize a belief or activities that involve the religious socialization of the participants or audience.Projects or activities that attempt to influence any state or federal legislation or appropriation.Projects or activities which are not in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, rules, regulations, and ordinances in relation to the use of our grant funds.Projects or activities started prior to the Earliest Start Date, as posted on the grant application form and R2AC website, with the exception of auditions or rehearsals for theater projects. If auditions and rehearsals happen prior to the Earliest Start Date, those activities must be paid for with applicant’s funds and may not be used as a cash match on the grant application budget form.Projects or activities that do not adhere to the Public Art Policy.Projects or activities that do not adhere to the Literary Arts Policy.Projects or activities that do not adhere to the Film/Television/Media Policy.Projects or activities that do not adhere to the Plagiarism Policy.Projects or activities that require artists to pay an unreasonable entry fee in order to exhibit, perform, or be included in the project.