MRAC uses a peer-panel process to thoughtfully evaluate applications and make funding recommendations to our board of directors. Each year, we seek panelists to support the most critical components of our funding process. To learn more about our process and if this is something you would enjoy, check out the information here and let us know if you are interested. Please note that all applications will be reviewed by panelists through an online rating and comment system; no in-person panels are scheduled.
MRAC’s panel policies can be downloaded at this link.
Information about our grant review process can be downloaded at this link.
Who can serve as a MRAC panelist?
YOU are a great candidate to be a panelist at MRAC if you:
- are an artist, are employed or volunteer in the arts, or are an arts enthusiast
- live in the 7-county Twin Cities Metro area
- are at least 18 years old and
- are dedicated to advancing equitable grantmaking across the Twin Cities Metro region
Those who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), a person with a disability, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual/Agender, Two-Spirit (LGBTQIA2+), and/or live outside of Hennepin and Ramsey counties are highly encouraged to apply. We are happy to make accessibility accommodations to have you serve as a panelist if you have a disability.
We build very diverse panels and therefore seek individuals from a range of artistic disciplines, experiences in community, metro geographies, ages, genders, races, abilities, and ethnicities.
If you are involved with a group that applies to MRAC we would consider you a great panelist, but we also seek individuals who are not directly seeking MRAC funding.
What are the benefits for serving?
Panelists receive thorough training and in exchange for serving on a panel receive a stipend and if applicable, caregiver reimbursement. We sincerely thank you for your time and effort to review the grant proposals.
By serving you can expect to:
- have a greater understanding about what makes a strong grant application
- meet interesting people who also have an investment in the arts of our community
- learn about a variety of arts groups, organizations, and projects
- be empowered and prepared for this role through our trainings and support
- be respected for your role in this important process
Over 90% of our panelists who serve ask to return again!
How much work is it to be a panelist?
It can easily be 25 hours of your time to serve as a grant review panelist. We acknowledge that this is a big time commitment and ask you to serve once per year at the most, but there is no requirement for serving more than once.
There is a 2 hour online training orientation where you learn about the grant criteria and how you are to assess your assigned applications.
Approximately 25 applications are assigned to be reviewed on your own time in preparation for your panel day. We estimate that it takes 30 minutes to assess each one of these approximately 5 page applications. Panelists are given approximately 4 weeks to review these applications and submit ratings and comments via an online grant portal.
How can I learn more about serving the arts community in this way?
If you are new to the MRAC panel and would like to be considered to serve as a panelist, please submit your information via this online form.
If you are a returning MRAC panelist, please email mrac@mrac.org.
Panels are held throughout the year. You may hear from us quickly or it may take a while depending on when you inquire and when it aligns with our needs.
Thank you so much for your interest in serving the arts community as a MRAC grant review panelist!
Thank You To The FY23 Flexible Support Round 1 Panelists
Michaëlle Abraham, Shaiwna Adams, Jeff Ambroz, Jen Arlen, Denise Baerg, Bob Bierscheid, Cristeta Boarini, Vie Boheme, Maura Bosch, Ancinetta Caldwell, Claire Chenoweth, Christopher Clouser, Nicole Conti, Monica Cruz Zorrilla, Adam Devitt, Raquel Diaz Goutierez, Ni’kol Dowls, Craig Drehmel, Mitch Fantin, Xianping He, Nancy Hicks, Rayna Howard, Kate Hujda, Jennifer Ilse, Jeanne Junge, Sarah Kass, Lucina Kayee, Tumelo Khupe, Davida Kilgore, Sarah Kleinsasser Tan, Tracy Krumm, Sharon Kwan, Jimmy Longoria, Chia Lor, Pa Na Lor, Carmen Lucia Lincoln, Raymond Luczak, Samantha Manz, Bill Mathis, Kristina Mengis, Kong Moua, Loren Niemi, Miluska Novota, Karla Nweje, Anna Ostroushko, Sarah Paquin, Loriene Pearson, Michael-jon Pease, Michael Perez, Dante Pirtle, Jes Reyes, Miranda Rosa, Rodrigo Sanchez-Chavarria, Amanda Shopa, Susan Tarnowski, Yuki Tokuda, Daniel Tran, Joshua Vang, July Vang, Quinn Villagomez, G Vue, Todd Wardrope, Anna Weggel, Keri Wiese, Amy Wilderson, Emma Wood
Thank You To The FY23 Arts Impact for Individuals Panelists
Karla Arredondo-Payan, Jeanne Bain, Daniela Bianchini, Sasha Blinnikova, Mike Brown, Anitra Budd, Alexandra Buffalohead, Felicia Cooper, J.M. Culver, Alicia de la Cruz, Juan Diego Pérez La Cruz, Sannia Elzia, Athena Estimé, E.A. Farro, Fidencio Fifield-Perez, Joshua Gillespie, Emily Huemann Xiong, Nastaaja Johnson, Divya Karan, Mina Kinukawa, Reynaldo Lara, Laura Leffler, Anna Lehner, Isabel Lopez, Fei Ma, Andrea Manolov, Dayna Martinez, Alana McQuirter, Benjamin Merritt, Teresa Perez, Gary Peterson, Michelle Poss, Halla Pulver, Eric Romani, Akiem Scott, Xin Shen, Paddy Tay, Jacob Timmons, Lizz Windnagel, Suzanne Wint, Cici Yixuan Wu, Julie Zhou
Thank You To The FY23 Flexible Support Round 2 Panelists
Dan Adolphson, Cigale Ahlquist, Mair Allen, Jolene Anderson, Kelly Anderson, A Andrews, Jason Andriano, Racquel Banaszak, Shelley Beaumont, Anna Becker, Martha Bird, Gigi Bisong, Stephani Booker, Artemis Brown, Jessica Buege, Savannah Bustillo, Amber Cameron, Victoria Carpenter, Courtney Cochran, Pam Colby, Tiphanie PH Copeland, Raye Cordes, Michael Curran, Christy Dickinson, Juleana Enright, Tamra Falk, Siena Forest, Rebecca Froehlich, Nancy Fushan, Robin Getsug, Bethany Gladhill, Erin Gunelson, Sequoia Hauck, Barbara Haugen, Lupita Herrera, Jaysen Hohlen, Chad Holliday, Katharine Horowitz, Megan Johnston, Sara Kahn, Thalia Kostman, Pallav Kumar, Kiki le Fey, Sophie Liu-Othmer, Hillary Lor, José Luis, Betty Mackay, Anthony Marchetti, Theresa McConnon, Yang Mee Moua, Laura Narhi, Sho Nikaido, Sherine Onukwuwe, Yan Pang, Carolyn Payne, Emily Peck, Carmen Perez, Felicia Perry, Kat Purcell, Adán Rangel, Atlese Robinson, Kirstine Rosenmeier, Pam Russell Warder, Heather Rutledge, Lydia Sadoff, Luverne Seifert, Billy Soden, Eva Song Margolis, Justin Spenner, Scott Stafford, Dustin Steuck, Glorianne Svitak, Holly Tappen, Jim Tarbox, Trish Vaillancourt, Kristine Vlaich, Cass Wall, Maurice Ward, Kimberly Whiteford, Steven Wicht, Briauna Williams, Tonya Williams, Yue Wu, Isela Xitlali Gómez, Kabo Yang, Mee Yang, Hawwa Youngmark
Thank You To The FY23 Next Step Fund Panelists
MaLLy, Hend Al-Mansour, Keila Anali Saucedo, Alexandra Beaumont, Chen Chen, Shayna Dunkelman, Maiya Hartman, Jonathan Herrera Soto, Alison Hiltner, Ellie Kingsbury, May Ling Kopecky, Meghan Kreidler, Garrett McQueen, Alanna Morris, Marlena Myles, Kase Peña, Chris Rackley, Lia Rivamonte, Sagirah Shahid, Crown Shepherd, Jennie Tang, Katie Ka Vang, Alvan Washington, Terrell Woods