Flexible Support Round 2
The Flexible Support grant provides up to $15,000 in funding to help groups create and sustain Minnesotans’ access to the arts. Groups’ primary addresses must be located in Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott or Washington county. This program supports the production of artistic projects, and/or projects that strengthen the organizational capacity and operations of groups providing access to the arts.
Your grant proposal could include:
- Arts Programming activities, whether a single event (like a theater production) or a series (like a season of painting classes).
- Organizational Capacity activities, meaning a coordinated management effort that bolsters the organization’s ability to do its work (like rebranding, building a website, or overhauling financial tracking systems). Organizational Capacity projects could also be the purchase of equipment, or making facilities improvements.
- Operations activities that support the ongoing operations of a group (such as paying staff salaries or rent on a space) to provide arts access.
All of these types of activities, independently, or in some combination, could be the organization’s “project” or “program.”
The deadline for Flexible Support Round 2 applications is Monday, February 13, 2023 at 11:59 PM.
Please note and plan accordingly: the online grant interface will be down for updates on Sunday, February 12 from 1:00 AM to 5:00 AM.
Flexible Support Program Page
Guidelines & Appendices
- Flexible Support Guidelines FY23: all applicants must read the guidelines.
- Appendix: Sample Budgets: includes sample budgets and budget checklists.
- Appendix: Leadership Identities Examples: examples of Leadership identities.
- Appendix: Have an awarded or pending MRAC Grant: groups who have an awarded or pending grant must review this document, as awarded or pending grants may affect your eligibility.
Recorded Grant Information Webinar
A recorded Grant Information Webinar on Flexible Support is available on on the MRAC website and YouTube page. The webinar will include captions, automated translated captions into other languages, and adjustable playback speeds.
Additional Documents
- Templates
- Application template: A Word template that you may use to create your application prior to uploading it to the grant interface.
- Fiscal sponsorship letter template: A template that fiscally-sponsored groups may use to create their fiscal sponsorship letters.
- The Panel Rating Guide: This document describes how the information you provide will be used to review your application.
- Sample applications: These proposals have been successfully funded in past rounds.
Program Directors
Program directors are available to help with your application via video or phone meeting. Schedule a meeting via the application assistance meeting request form.
There are three types of meetings you may request:
- Group Eligibility/Project Ideas Check-in (early in the process)
- Application Eligibility Review (for when you have a draft ready for us to review for eligibility)
- Project Check-In (once you received a grant and want to discuss any project changes)
We will do some initial brainstorming/refining with you about ideas, and will review application materials for eligibility and completeness. We are not able to help with reviewing content beyond eligibility. This is intended to provide general guidance ahead of submission; final eligibility determinations depend on a variety of factors and are made only after an application is submitted.
Please do your best to read the guidelines thoroughly before reaching out with questions.
Photo from “Freeing Assata,” part of Exposed Brick’s Through Our Eyes Festival. Photo Credit: Dan Norman.
Image description: a Black woman is wearing loose-fitting pants and shirt. She is sitting on a bench on a stage, looking up with a slight smile. Behind her is a man sitting at a drum kit.