Flexible Support

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Overview

The Flexible Support grant provides funding to help organizations/groups create and sustain Minnesotans’ access to the arts. Eligible projects include operations, and/or organizational capacity, and/or arts programming: 

  • Activities that support the operations of an organization/group (such as paying staff salaries or rent on a space) to provide arts access to Minnesotans.
  • Organizational capacity activities, meaning ​​a coordinated management effort that bolsters an organization/group’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 and/or making facilities improvements to provide arts access. 
  • Arts Programming activities in Minnesota, whether a single event (such as a theater production) or a series (such as a series of music workshops).

There is approximately $4 million available in funding for this year’s Flexible Support program. 

MRAC has set aside $3 million specifically for groups whose Leadership is majority people who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC); and/or disabled people/people with disabilities; and/or Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual/Agender, Two-Spirit (LGBTQIA2+). These groups may request up to $25,000. Other eligible groups may request up to $15,000.

In Fiscal Year 2024 (July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024), we are combining Arts Impact for Groups into Flexible Support. Learn more about MRAC’s Fiscal Year 2024 grants calendar.

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Important Dates

September 11, 2023: Grant guidelines & grant information webinar published, Flexible Support grant application opens in Submittable, registration opens for online Q & A Sessions with program directors, program directors start offering application assistance

September 28, 2023, 1:00 to 2:00 pm Central Standard Time (CST): Program Directors will host an Online Question & Answer Session on Zoom. Register at https://tinyurl.com/2wpmx34f 

October 25, 2023, 6:00 to 7:00 pm CST: Program Directors will host an Online Question & Answer Session on Zoom. Register at https://tinyurl.com/2rtactzd

November 6, 2023, 5 pm CST: Staff assistance for the Flexible Support grant ends. Inquiries received after this time will not be answered before the deadline.

November 6, 2023, 11:59 pm CST: Flexible Support deadline. Applications must be received by this time. MRAC does not accept late applications. Applicants may not edit or change their submissions after the deadline.

Starting November 7, 2023: Eligibility review by MRAC staff. Applicants should check their email regularly, as Program Directors may reach out with questions or request additional information.

March 8, 2024 to April 5, 2024: Panel Review

April 23, 2024: MRAC Board of Directors will approve Flexible Support grants

May 1, 2024: Applicants are notified about the Flexible Support grant results

May 1, 2024 to May 31, 2025: Eligible Funding Period for Flexible Support projects

Online Question & Answer Sessions

Do you have more questions after reviewing the guidelines and/or viewing the webinar? MRAC program directors will host informal drop-in Zoom sessions to answer brief questions in a large group setting. Please note, this is not a grant information webinar. We recommend viewing the webinar and/or reading the guidelines in advance of attending a Q & A Session, as many frequently asked questions can be found there. These sessions are not recorded.

Registration for the Online Q&A sessions is required.

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Grant Guidelines

All applicants must read the guidelines:

Other Grant Documents

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Grant Information Webinar

Captions can be translated into multiple languages; you may play the video at various speeds.

Flexible Support Grant Information Webinar Slides – PDF

Flexible Support Grant Information Webinar Slides – Text only

Submit

MRAC is using Submittable (https://mrac.submittable.com/submit) for the FY2024 Flexible Support application process.


submit

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Assistance from MRAC

MRAC staff encourage you to connect with us for help navigating the process. You may request one-on-one support to discuss organization/group eligibility and project eligibility. Please use the application assistance request form (also embedded in the webpage below) to request these services.

 

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Additional Online Resources

Visit the Welcome to MRAC page (https://mrac.org/grants) to learn about the MRAC grant application process, an overview of all our grant programs, and more resources related to seeking and receiving MRAC funding.

Language & Disability Accessibility

Applicants are encouraged to apply in their preferred language. With advance notice, MRAC can contract an interpreter and/or translator to assist during the application process. Guidelines and other materials are translated in Spanish and will be made available on this page. MRAC’s website can also be translated into Spanish by clicking the language button in the top left corner.

MRAC requests that all applicants apply online. Applicants with disabilities wishing to use other means to apply can work with MRAC staff to adapt our typical processes to ensure you have equal opportunity to submit an application. To begin a conversation about how we can do so, please reach out to us at least one week prior to the deadline for assistance.

MRAC is using Submittable for the FY2024 Flexible Support application process. The Submittable platform has been certified to meet the needs of people with blindness, low-vision, deafness and hearing loss, learning disabilities, cognitive limitations, limited movement, speech disabilities, photosensitivity, and combinations of these. Submittable follows Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (2.0) and meets Level AA Accessibility to ensure people using assistive technologies can easily navigate Submittable’s pages and forms. To begin a conversation about how we can help, contact a Program Director at least one week prior to the deadline for assistance. 

MRAC works to ensure that grant guidelines, workshop presentations, and any other written materials are created with accessibility principles in mind. Additionally, we are happy to provide materials in Braille, Large Print, or other formats with advanced notice that varies according to format, from one week to on-demand, but even if the notice timeline has elapsed, we may still be able to accommodate the request.

On each grant webpage there will be a link to the guidelines in a text format that is friendly to screen readers and text resizing.

FY2022 Flexible Support grantees

Your final report was due by August 30, 2023. Log onto the MRAC Organizational Grant Interface to complete and submit your final report. Please be aware that your organization is not eligible to apply for MRAC grants until the final report has been approved. Contact Masami Kawazato if you have any questions.

FY2023 Flexible Support grantees

Your grant materials and final report are in Submittable. Contact Masami Kawazato or Scott Artley if you have any questions.

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Deadlines

November 6, 2023 at 11:59 PM

Program directors

Mirella Espino
651-523-6380| mirella@mrac.org

Masami Kawazato
651-523-6386| masami@mrac.org

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