Programming and Project Support Grants for Organizations

Programming and Project Support Grants for Organizations are offered by SEMAC for organizations located in the 11-county SEMAC region of southeastern Minnesota. The program is designed to support activities directly involved in the creation, performance, publication, and exhibition of the arts. Supported activities must focus on one or more of the three key areas identified in the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund Legacy Amendment: Arts Access, Arts Education, and Cultural Heritage. The program is part of SEMAC's broader funding opportunities intended to support artistic development, community engagement, and organizational sustainability in southeastern Minnesota. For nonprofit arts organizations, Programming and Project Support Grants provide awards ranging from $3,000 to $11,000. Proposed project budgets should give priority to paying fees to artists or culture bearers, creative production team members, and people providing technical assistance. SEMAC states that this priority is intended to help create and support a thriving arts ecosystem throughout southeastern Minnesota. An accessible public event is required as part of the funded project. The provided information does not state a matching or cost-share requirement, total program funding, or a fixed number of awards. Arts organization applicants must be located in the SEMAC Region, have a clearly defined mission statement, preferably available on the organization's website, and be registered with the State of Minnesota as a nonprofit corporation. Applicants must have current 501(c)(3) status or use a Minnesota fiscal sponsor with current 501(c)(3) status that has agreed to accept the grant funding on the applicant's behalf. Applicants also cannot have overdue final reports. Any final report due before a new grant deadline must be approved before the organization applies in the new round. Arts organizations receiving Operating Support from the Minnesota State Arts Board may receive one Programming and Project Support Grant per year. Other qualifying arts organizations may receive two Programming and Project Support Grants per year, subject to the applicable annual maximums described by SEMAC. Projects may not include activities essentially intended for religious socialization, activities attempting to influence state or federal legislation or appropriations, benefits, fundraisers, donations, re-granting, outside scholarships, endowment funds, prize money, capital improvements, construction, real property purchases, historic preservation projects, or activities violating federal, state, or local laws. Feasibility studies are also prohibited under this grant program. Disallowed expenses include costs for relocating outside Minnesota, out-of-state travel or activities, expenses incurred before the approved start date including publicity, legal fees other than copyrights or royalties, alcoholic beverages, and grant writing expenses. Grant recipients must comply with the terms of their grant, use the required credit line and Legacy Logo on publicity, and carry out grant activities consistently with the approved application unless changes receive prior approval. Participation cannot be limited on the basis of disability, ethnicity, gender identity, marital status, race, religion, sexual orientation, or political or sectarian differences. Grantees must send letters of thanks to Minnesota legislative representatives and submit a final report within 30 days after the project's End Date. Funding cannot be used for out-of-state travel. Applications have recurring deadlines of September 30 and March 30. For the September deadline, the earliest project start date is January 1; for the March deadline, the earliest project start date is July 1. Based on the August 10, 2026 analysis date, the next stated recurring deadline is September 30, 2026. The following recurring deadline is March 30, 2027. The source directs applicants to review SEMAC's General Application Instructions, which include tips intended to increase applicants' chances of receiving funding, but the provided material does not specify an application opening date, pre-application requirement, application portal, detailed application questions, evaluation scoring criteria, award notification date, or individual program contact. Collaborations between arts and non-arts organizations are encouraged, although partner organizations may not submit applications for the same project during the same grant round. The broader program information states that nonprofit arts and non-arts organizations, schools, local government entities, and tribal entities may apply, with different grant limits applying according to organization type. For the arts organization track described here, applicants should ensure that the proposed activity directly advances Arts Access, Arts Education, or Cultural Heritage, includes the required accessible public event, prioritizes compensation for artists, culture bearers, production personnel, and technical assistance where applicable, and complies with all stated project and expense restrictions.

Focus the proposed activity on Arts Access, Arts Education, or Cultural Heritage; include the required accessible public event; prioritize budgeted fees for artists or culture bearers, creative production team members, and technical assistance providers; ensure final reports due before the deadline are approved; do not have partner organizations submit for the same project in the same grant round; exclude prohibited projects and expenses.