This grant is made possible with support from the McKnight Foundation.
Next Step Fund: The Basics
Have an idea for an arts project or program that fits the description above? First review a few basics with these frequently asked questions.
What is the purpose of this grant?
Requests must outline strategies that will help the applicant sustain the trajectory of their artistic career, overcome a barrier to success, and/or leverage a beneficial career opportunity.
Requests should be appropriate to the career stage of the applicant and in alignment with their stated goals.
Examples of what applicants may seek support for include:
- Learning new skills to adapt, transition, or expand their creative process or artistic practice
- Professionalizing or increasing artistic output and quality
- Researching, producing, or presenting new creative work
- Developing a business plan, promotional materials, and/or documentation of a creative portfolio
Who is eligible to apply?
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Identify as an artist, working in any discipline, at any stage in their career, and have evidence of artistic output indicative of their career stage.
- Be able to submit work samples of their own artwork. Artists should have had decision-making authority over the artwork depicted in the work samples.
- Maintain a primary residential street address in Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, or Washington county (P.O. boxes are not accepted). Eligible applicants must reside in the seven-county metro region for at least six (6) months prior to the application deadline (from September 16, 2025) and continue to do so for the entirety of their proposed grant period. If a grantee moves away during that time, MRAC may recall the grant funds.
- Be at least 18 years of age on the grant deadline date (March 16, 2026).
Where can my proposal happen?
There are no restrictions on where applicants can execute their proposals.
However, they must maintain their primary residence in Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, or Washington county (P.O. boxes are not accepted) for at least six (6) months prior to the application deadline (from September 16, 2025) and continue to reside in this region for the entirety of their proposal period.
What if I received a Next Step Fund grant in a previous year?
Grantees who received a Next Step Fund award in FY23, FY24, or FY25 are not eligible to apply in FY26.
Important Dates for Next Step Fund
| Application Opens in Submittable | Application Services Ends | Application Deadline |
| February 2, 2026, 12:01 am | March 13, 2026, 5 pm | March 16, 2026, 12 noon |
Grant Program Overview and Application Instructions
To find out about Next Step Fund, read through the Grant Program Overview and Application Instructions (previously known as our “Guidelines”), available below. In it, you’ll learn:
- Information about when and where your proposal can happen.
- What funding requests are allowed, including eligible and ineligible expenses.
- Details about how applications are reviewed and scored by our review panelists.
- What to do if you’ve received an MRAC grant in previous years.
- The narrative questions you’ll be asked when you describe your proposal.
- Instructions on providing your proposal budget.
- How to use Submittable to complete your application.
View and Download the Grant Overview
To submit an application, you’ll need to be very familiar with the requirements for Next Step Fund. View and download the version that works best for you!
Branded PDF
Great for viewing on your phone or computer, or for printing a hard copy. This PDF opens in a new window.
Next Step Fund Program Overview (PDF version)
Interactive Word Document
Created for screen readers and other assistive technologies. Also a good choice if you like a standard, clickable table of contents. This Word file downloads directly to your computer.
Next Step Fund Program Overview (Word version)
Apply on Submittable
Ready to get started? Head over to Submittable to make an account or begin your application.
Application Assistance
We provide the following resources to help you complete your application.
Pre-recorded Informational Webinar
Hosted by grant program staff, this webinar reviews the information in our Grant Program Overview and Application Instructions, available above. Staff go through each section step by step, including what happens after you submit your application. Helpful to use if you take in information better by listening or by seeing it laid out on slides!
Public Q&A Sessions
Still have questions after reading the Grant Program Overview or watching the Webinar? Sign up for one of our Q&As, hosted by program staff. They will answer questions related to eligibility, using Submittable, and more!
Sign up links not working for you? Send an email to nextstepfund@mrac.org to get added to the list.
| Date | Time | Location | RSVP Link |
| Wed, Feb 18, 2026 | 6–7 pm | Virtual, on Zoom | Register for Feb 18 |
| Sat, Mar 7, 2026 | 2–3 pm | Virtual, on Zoom | Register for Mar 7 |
| Thu, Mar 12, 2026 | 5:30–6:30 pm | Virtual, on Zoom | Register for Mar 12 |
One-on-One Assistance
If you would like to meet with a program staff member with specific questions related to your eligibility or the eligibility of your proposal, please fill out this meeting request form. A staff member will be in touch shortly!
Please note that application assistance ends at 5 pm on February 13, 2025.
Application Assistance Request Form
Additional Resources
You can download and use the following resources to help you prepare and plan your application.
Application Scoring Guide for Review Panelists
Review panelists use these criteria when they are scoring Next Step Fund applications. This PDF opens in a new window.
Application Questions and Explanations
This PDF opens in a new window.
Narrative Drafting Document
This Word document downloads directly to your computer.
Budget Plan Drafting Sheet
This Excel file downloads directly to your computer.
Previous Next Step Fund Grantee Projects
Check out the Next Step Fund grantees from previous years below.