MN CARES Act Grants
The federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act recognizes that the nonprofit arts industry is an important sector of America’s economy. With CARES Act funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Minnesota State Arts Board will award MN CARES Act Grants to arts organizations across the state to help these entities, their employees, and their contracted artists and workers weather the economic hardships caused by the forced cancellation of their activities or closure of their operations due to the spread of COVID-19.
Program overview and application instructions
FY 2021 Program Overview and Application Instructions — All applicants should read this document thoroughly before beginning the online application.
Application deadline
October 2, 2020, before 4:30 p.m.
When will funds will be awarded?
All Minnesota State Arts Board FY 2021 grant applications will be reviewed remotely by a team of individuals who have experience in the arts or in nonprofit management. Each review team will be designed to mirror the state’s geography and demographics. Reviews will begin in October 2020; grant awards will be determined in December. Once awarded, grantees will have one year to use the funds.
Who can apply?
Carefully review the eligibility requirements in the Overview document. **Please note that only arts organizations that have received Operating Support from Southwest Minnesota Arts Council in fiscal years 2018, 2019, or 2020 are eligible from our region.**
Grant range
Grants will be a fixed amount, based on the budget size of the organization:
| • | $10,000 for organizations with annual operating expenses greater than $870,000 in their most recently completed fiscal year. No match required. |
| • | $5,000 for organizations with annual operating expenses less than $870,000 in their most recently completed fiscal year. No match required. |
Resources for applicants
If you have questions or need assistance
If you have questions about eligibility or the content of the application, please contact:
Richard Hitchler, program officer
(651) 539-2653
Richard.Hitchler@arts.state.mn.us
If you have questions about the technical aspects of the application form, or questions about electronic submission, please contact:
Justine Pearson, WebGrants manager
(651) 539-2663
Apply.Arts@state.mn.us
E-mail is preferred.
For accessibility inquiries or accommodation requests, please contact:
Natalie Kennedy-Schuck, accessibility coordinator
(651) 539-2666
Natalie.Kennedy@arts.state.mn.us
All staff can be reached toll-free at (800) 866-2787.
How to apply
Application method
All applicants are required to use the WebGrants system to apply and will submit all materials electronically. Registration is required of all applicants before beginning an application to any Arts Board program. It is only necessary to register once.
Two online tutorials are available to acquaint users with the WebGrants system:
- How to register as a WebGrants user: online tutorial, pdf version
- How to use WebGrants: online tutorial, pdf version
