Arts Operations Support Grant

The City of Bloomington and the Bloomington Arts Commission offer the Bloomington Arts Commission Arts Operations Support Grant to provide operational support to nonprofit arts organizations serving Bloomington, Indiana. The program is intended for 501(c)(3) organizations whose central mission and focus are the arts and whose impact is based in Bloomington. Grants are available for up to $5,000, although the guidelines state that most awardees will not receive the full $5,000. Funding allocations will be based on application score and the size of the applicant organization's budget. Grant funds may support a broad range of operational expenses. Allowable costs include general artistic and administrative expenses, salaries, hourly compensation, marketing, program planning, education, evaluation, and other organizational costs. Supported expenses must occur during the grant period from December 1, 2026 through November 30, 2027. Funds may not be used for alcoholic beverages, private reception expenses, vehicles, gifts or prizes, contributions or donations to other entities, goods purchased for resale, or costs incurred outside the grant period. Additional restrictions apply to programming delivered primarily outside Bloomington, visa costs paid to the U.S. Government, ongoing college or university residencies or curricular programs, higher education course or degree requirements, scholarships for academic credit, school or government agency salaries and overhead, certain political or religious projects, and sub-granting or re-granting. Eligible applicants must be nonprofit arts organizations with current IRS 501(c)(3) designation, must be incorporated at the time of application, and must upload an electronic copy of their IRS exemption determination letter with the application. The organization must be based in Bloomington, Indiana, and the majority of its activity must take place there. Arts must be the organization's central mission and focus as reflected in both its legal documents and operating budget. Organizations are eligible only if their annual operating budget is $500,000 or less. All funded activities must be open to participation regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or other protected characteristics. The guidelines do not state a cost share or matching requirement. Applications open August 17, 2026 and are due September 24, 2026 by 11:59 EST. The guidelines identify no required letter of intent, concept paper, pre-proposal, notice of intent, or other pre-application gating step. Applicants must submit the required application materials, including the IRS exemption determination letter. The source does not provide a complete application-question preview or enough detail to determine the full volume of narrative or financial attachments required. Grantees will later be required to submit a final report, which may include the total number of people involved, the total number of people impacted, a brief narrative, and documentation such as an event image or press coverage. Applications will be reviewed by a conflict-free panel. Evaluation is based on Community Impact and Organizational Capacity. Community Impact considers how the organization's mission and activities improve public understanding of, appreciation for, or engagement with the arts; whether the organization's work fills a community need or participates in larger community dialogues; and how the organization connects with the different communities within Bloomington. Organizational Capacity considers whether the organization has a clear mission and plan, adequate staff or volunteers, fiscal soundness, and sound governance, financial oversight, and management practices. Funding notifications are expected by November 4, 2026. The grant period runs from December 1, 2026 through November 30, 2027, with funding disbursement identified as January 31, 2027; the guidelines caution that payment may be delayed because of the contracting process and encourage submission of required materials as early as possible. Final reports are due December 16, 2027. Questions about eligibility, criteria, application content, or the program may be directed to Paige Sharp, city liaison to the Bloomington Arts Commission, at paige.sharp@bloomington.in.gov. Technical issues involving account creation, login, or submission may be directed to civiform@bloomington.in.gov. The source does not state that the program recurs annually or on another regular schedule, so no recurrence is recorded.

Demonstrate how the organization's mission and activities strengthen public understanding of, appreciation for, or engagement with the arts; explain how the work fills a community need or contributes to larger community dialogues; show meaningful connections with Bloomington communities; demonstrate a clear mission and plan, adequate staff or volunteers, fiscal soundness, sound governance, financial oversight, and management practices; submit required contracting materials as early as possible because payment may be delayed.