Grant Application Policies
Grant Writing Support Policy
R2AC staff offer grant info. sessions, online and in-person, designed to assist applicants in writing a grant application, gathering documentation to support a grant application proposal (such as work samples, resumes, nonprofit documentation, etc.), creating a budget for arts activities proposed for funding, and navigating the online grant submission process. We also offer informative videos on our website outlining the grant application process and covering solutions to technical problems that could be encountered.
Applicants may request one-on-one assistance from R2AC staff before submitting their grant applications.
Online meetings, chat, email, and phone assistance via voice and text is available for grant applicants and grantees during posted office hours. We also offer use of a computer and/or Wi-Fi access to applicants who visit in-person at our office.
Applicants who would like staff to review an application that is in-progress must contact staff requesting a review. Requests for review made two weeks prior to the deadline date or earlier guarantee staff response. Requests made after the two weeks prior to the deadline date will be responded to as staff time allows.
•
Grant Submission Policy
Only applications submitted in their complete form by the deadline time and date will be considered eligible and sent to the grant review panel.
Staff will review all applications that have been submitted by the deadline date for eligibility. No additional materials will be solicited or accepted after the deadline date.
Applicants may initiate conversations with R2AC staff regarding a submitted application at any time.
Staff may initiate conversations with an applicant regarding a submitted application at any time.
Applicants may not initiate communication with R2AC board members or panelists regarding a submitted application until the grants have been awarded. If an applicant does this, their application will be deemed ineligible for funding consideration.
Board members or panelists may not solicit input from an applicant following the submission of a grant.
Anishinaabe Arts Initiative Grant Submission Policy
All online applications must be submitted in their complete form online.
All paper applications must be submitted in their complete form either in-person at the R2AC office and accepted by a staff member by 5:00 p.m. on the deadline date, or mailed to the R2AC office with a postmark on or before the deadline date.
Incomplete applications, late applications, emailed or faxed applications, or applications slipped under the R2AC office door will be ineligible.
Grant Budget Policy
Arts Grants for Organizations
Season/Series Arts Support Grant
Arts Access Grant
NOTE: Project-specific costs incurred and paid prior to a grant program’s Earliest Start Date will make a project ineligible for funding. (e.g. down payments made on venues, scripts, scores, or to arts teachers, presenters, performers or other contractors)
Unallowable expenses: Those few expenses that must NOT be added to your budget, but may be part of a project without making a project itself ineligible.
Costs related to the proposed project incurred and paid prior to a grant program’s Earliest Start Date. (e.g. venue rental for an entire year, promotional materials for an entire season or concert series if you are applying for only one concert or production)
Cost of any item that was purchased prior to the Earliest Start Date for a different purpose or project but will be used in the proposed project. (e.g. Lights or sound equipment, leftover materials or supplies, etc.)
Grant Writer Fees
Equipment purchases for applicant groups that are not explicitly 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations such as Schools, Community Education Offices, Libraries, Colleges, Universities, Federal/State/County/Municipal or Tribal Government entities, or groups formed for nonprofit purposes that are applying through a fiscal sponsor.
Rent, mortgage or payment for use of space that is owned/leased by the applicant organization or group.
Salary or wages for an employee of the applicant organization for services that are part of the employee’s regular duties.
Project specific administrative expenses that go above 15% of the total project cost.
Administrative expenses that have already been covered by a Region 2 Arts Council Community Arts Support grant.
Purchase of food and drink for events (e.g. refreshments for sale, celebratory dinners, etc.)
Festival Costs
Grant budget and income for a proposed festival must only be for the arts portion of the overall festival activity. If rentals or other items will be shared by arts and non-arts activities at the festival, indicate in your project budget only the percentage of the rental expenses that will be used for the arts portion of the festival activity. Remember to provide details.
Expense Categories – List allowable expenses only
Artist Fees – artists’ labor $/hour, honoraria, etc. Note: Region 2 Arts Council suggests payment for artists-in-residence = $300 per 4 contact hours or approximately $75/hr.
Contractor Fees – compensation paid to non-artist personnel for project activities. (e.g. project coordinator, outreach consultant, assistants to the artists, project specific contractors, ASL interpreters) Grant funds may NOT be used to pay employees of the organization, unless the organization contracts for their specific services and can prove that the planned arts programming goes above and beyond the employee’s paid position and is not part of their normal salary or wages.
Travel – mileage, airfare, lodging, meals. Provide details, such as how much you are paying per diem, and follow guidelines for any out-of-state travel expenses. Mileage rates should be calculated at less than or equal to the current IRS recommended rates per mile.
Publicity – ads (print, radio/tv, social media), printing (posters, tickets, programs, etc.), postage for mailing promotional materials.
Equipment Rental – include payment for the rental of equipment or other non-expendable items including rental of equipment related to ensuring equitable access for people with disabilities.
Venue Rental – rental of space directly related to the project and only for the duration of the project, beginning with the earliest start date, concluding with the project’s end date. Rent, mortgage or payment for use of a space that is owned by the applicant organization/group is NOT an allowable project expense (in-kind or actual).
Supplies and Materials – expendable items only, such as paints, clay, fabric, or other materials or supplies needed for your project.
Equipment- includes payment for the purchase of equipment or non-expendable items essential for the project. Equipment/nonexpendable items are any items that can be utilized again and retain usefulness beyond the duration of this project, such as easels, amplifiers, sheet music, etc. Equipment is also NOT an allowable expense for Schools, Community Education Offices, Libraries, Colleges, Universities, Federal/State/County/Municipal or Tribal Government entities, or groups formed for nonprofit purposes that are applying through a fiscal sponsor.
Administrative Expenses – include general expenses such as accounting and other administrative activity necessary for the completion of the project such as supervisory personnel, custodial services, phone, tech, office supplies, utilities costs, and insurance, for the duration of the project and ONLY if necessary to running and/or managing the project. These costs must be kept to a minimum and may not exceed 15% of the total project costs. Administrative duties that are part of an employee’s paid position and part of their normal salary and wages are NOT an allowable administrative expense.
In-Kind Donations – include non-cash donations of goods, rental (performance venue/tents/tables/chairs) or professional services. Unallowable expenses are not allowable in-kind expenses. Rent, mortgage or payment for use of a space that is owned/leased by the applicant organization/group is an unallowable expense. Artist fees are not allowable in-kind expenses nor are they an allowable source of in-kind income.
Other – includes expenses that do not fit the categories listed above.
Estimated Project Income
Includes applicant funds, grants (from NEA, MSAB, or other funders), donations (cash or in-kind), and earned income (tickets, registration fees, etc.) for this project only. Note:Your proposed project may NOT be over 80% funded by Minnesota State Arts Board, Library Legacy, Historical Legacy, Department of Agriculture or other grant awards funded by the Clean Water, Land & Legacy Amendment and may not become over 80% funded if awarded this grant.
Earned Income – List sources and provide detail. Indicate ticket prices, estimate of tickets sold, fees charged, number of audience members/participants expected, etc.
Other Grants/Donations – Do not include this grant. List other grants or donation sources and indicate which are anticipated and which have been secured. In an additional document, please provide information about where your organization will seek funding if anticipated funding falls through.
In-Kind – include sources of non-cash donations of goods, rental (performance venue/tents/tables/chairs or professional services) that appear in your budget above. Note:Unallowable expenses cannot be used as in-kind. Rent, mortgage or payment for use of a space that is owned by the applicant organization/group is an unallowable expense. Artist fees are not allowable in-kind expenses nor are they an allowable source of in-kind income.
Applicant Funds – include funds your organization has available to use for this project that do not fall into any other category above.
Misuse of Funds Policy
All 11 regional arts councils and the Minnesota State Arts Board adhere to the new Misuse of Funds Policy. Grantees will be required to indicate that they have read the misuse of funds policy as part of signing their contract. There will always be consequences when misuse of funds occurs, from returning the funds to being ineligible for receiving funds within the state.
Change Forms
If an organization changes project dates, location, contracted artists, expected expenditures, the content of the project or program, outcomes or evaluation methods, project leadership, the applicant will be expected to submit a change form. Specifically:
Budget amendments 20% or more on budget items that were originally $1,000 or more.
Artist changes
Authorizing official and/or project director changes
Revised start/end dates
Revised project dates
Change in location
Change in outcomes and/or evaluation methods
Contractor, vendor, or in-kind service provider changes
Other changes, please contact our office
Operating Support Grants for Arts Organizations & Arts Affiliates
Community Arts Support Grant
Two-year award amounts between $2,000 and $7,000 per year are based on an applicant organization’s averaged expenses for the two completed fiscal years previous to the application deadline. Payout of the 1st year award amount is contingent on completion and R2AC approval of the organization’s outcomes and evaluation measures. Pay out of the 2nd year of this grant award is contingent upon a completed interim report including evidence of expenditure of the first year of funding, and a renewed commitment to the organization’s proposed outcomes, organizational growth, and stability as evidenced in the original application.
Funding Levels
Average Annual Expenses:
Under $5,000 receive $2,000/year funding support
$5,000-$10,999 receive $3,000/year funding support
$11,000-$20,999 receive $4,000/year funding support
$21,000-$34,999 receive $5,000/year funding support
$35,000-$90,999 receive $6,000/year funding support
$91,000-$173,999 receive $7,000/year funding support
Note:Organizations with two-year averaged expenses of $174,000 and over are eligible to apply for a Minnesota State Arts Board (MSAB) operating support grant, but are NOT eligible for an R2AC Community Arts Support grant. Funds cannot cover arts project and programming production costs other than administrative or operational support costs associated with arts projects and programming. (Community Arts Support Grant funding is designated for an organization’s administrative or operational costs; those costs that support an organization’s ability to provide arts programming).
Eligible Uses for Funding
Administrative and operating expenses such as rent, utilities, wages/salaries, facility maintenance that support an organization’s growth, expansion, and improvement
Capital improvement projects, which support arts access, education, and arts and cultural heritage activity, made to property owned by the applicant arts organization.
Training for staff and board to expand and/or improve an organization’s accessibility and equity in its programming and practices.
Development/improvement of diversity, equity, inclusion, and/or accessibility plans.
Development/improvement of marketing and publicity plans including website development, engagement of consultants, etc. that will support an organization’s new or updated initiatives
Free standing equipment for an arts organization’s office or facility, or non-expendable items, such as instruments, easels, computers, updated technology.
Capacity building, audience and board development, feasibility studies, strategic planning, facilitation of networking, collaborative projects, outreach.
Expenses associated with obtaining 501(c)3 tax exempt status for arts organizations or groups with a mission and purpose focused solely on the arts, to prepare organizations for increased arts programming.
Arts Grants for Individuals
Artist Support Grant
Artists Engage Communities Grant
Anishinaabe Arts Initiative Grant
Anishinaabe Arts Initiative Fellowship
Note: Anishinaabe Arts Initiative Fellowships do not require a budget.
Total Estimated Project Expenses: Please list all of the allowable budgetary expenses associated with this project. The Estimated Project Costs may be greater than, less than, or equal the funding limit.
Allowable Budgetary Expenses Include:
Fees, honoraria, contracted labor
Mileage (the current IRS rate may be used to calculate mileage), air fare, lodging, meals
Publicity
Printing
Equipment
Materials & Supplies
Rental space
Artist time to engage in grant project
Unallowable Budgetary Expenses for Artists Engage Community Grant Include:
Costs related to the proposed project incurred and paid prior to a grant program’s Earliest Start Date. (e.g. venue rental for an entire year, promotional materials for an entire workshop series if you are applying for only one workshop)
Cost of any item that was purchased prior to the Earliest Start Date for a different purpose or project but will be used in the proposed project. (e.g. an easel you already own, materials or supplies from a previous project, etc.)
Grant Writer Fees
Rent, mortgage or payment for use of space that is owned/leased by the applicant.
Salary or wages for an employee of the fiscal sponsor or any partner organization for services that are part of the employee’s regular duties.
Project specific administrative expenses that go above 15% of the total project cost.
Purchase of food and drink for events (e.g. refreshments for sale, celebratory dinners, snacks for participants, etc.)
Change Forms
If an artist changes project dates, location, contracted mentor artists or collaborating artists, workshop providers or contractors, expected expenditures, and/or the content of their project, they will be expected to submit a change form. Specifically:
Revised start/end dates
Revised project dates
Change in location
Budget amendments (such as a change in equipment you plan to purchase)
Mentor artist or collaborating artist changes
Contractor, vendor, or service provider changes
Other changes – please contact our office
Arts Awards for Individuals
R2AC Artist Fellowship
Two $6,000 McKnight funded Fellowships Awards will be given to artists who demonstrate artistic vision and engagement, artistic quality, and artistic merit or accomplishment. Artists will be nominated in the form of a letter of recommendation submitted to the Region 2 Arts Council Board of Directors. Nominated artists who are eligible for the award will be contacted and asked to provide an artist statement, artist resume, and work samples. A board-appointed committee will select up to two artists to receive the Artist Fellowship Award per year.
Work Sample Submission Policy
Online Submissions
There is only 25MB of bandwidth available for each grant application and reviewers will be accessing the samples from their personal computers running a myriad of different operating systems and software. Therefore we must limit the number of samples artists and organizations are allowed to provide, and the file size (1 MB) and formats (jpg, pdf) of those samples.
Work samples are meant to show high artistic quality, and support the artistic merit of the project.
CDs and DVDs will not be accepted due to the inability to share the work online with the review panel, with the exception of Anishinaabe Arts Initiative Grants.
No digital music files (mp3, aiff, wav) or video files (mp4, avi, mov) will be accepted because application software has limited bandwidth and reviewers may not have the ability to see/listen to samples in these formats. Performing artists will need to provide links to YouTube, Vimeo, Dropbox, SoundCloud or similar file sharing sites. All links must be able to be viewed by any browser without use of a subscription, password, special software, or plug-ins.
Mentor/Instructor samples will need to be shared as a link to the mentor’s website or a link to YouTube, Vimeo, Dropbox, SoundCloud or similar file sharing site.
No print or digital news, or social media reviews/reports (e.g. Lakeland Public television, Bemidji Pioneer, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, etc.) will be accepted as work samples. These can be included as supplemental information on the grant application or included with final reports.
An organization or individual will only use work samples that are evidence of their own artistic creativity or capacity. If the organization or individual was a collaborator in the activity depicted, credit must be given to all collaborators/originators of the activity on the work sample description page.
Grant-applicants and grantees assume full responsibility for properly licensing any intellectual property that they are using or intend on using as part of their submissions and/or arts performances, exhibitions, publications, displays or presentations. Further, The Region 2 Arts Council shall be held indemnified from any liability, by any grant-applicant or grant-funded individual or organization with regard to intellectual property laws.
2-D & 3-D Visual Art or Artisan Crafts
Artists may submit samples of their work only up to the maximum number allowed for the grant program they are applying for or may provide a link to no more than the maximum number allowed via Dropbox or a similar file sharing site.
If more than the maximum number of images are submitted, any excess images will be deleted by the grants manager prior to review. Any applicant that fails to submit the minimum number of work samples jeopardizes the eligibility of their grant application. Images may be submitted in .jpg. Each image should be no larger than 1 MB. We recommend 72 dpi or screen resolution.
Submission of actual original artwork (books, paintings, photographs) is only allowed for Anishinaabe Arts Initiative Grant applications.
Links to online portfolios may appear on your artist’s resume, but may not be used as a work sample submission.
2&3 Dimensional Visual Artists applying to work with a mentor must either provide a link to the mentor’s website, or provide a link to
to Dropbox or a similar file sharing site to a gallery/folder with no fewer than 5 and no more than 10 images of the mentor’s work.
Multiple Artists or Artist/Craft Groups must provide 2-5 work samples (.jpg) per artist, or per group if the group works together to create a single work of art. If a proposed project will have more than 5 artists working on it, choose the top five artists (groups) and provide 2 work samples from each artist or group.
Literary Arts
Literary artists may upload up to 10 pages of poetry or prose as a pdf. If more than 10 pages are submitted, only the first 10 will be shared with the review panel. Any applicant that fails to submit the minimum number of work samples jeopardizes the eligibility of their grant application.
Literary artists applying to work with a mentor must provide up to ten pages of a mentor artist’s poetry or prose. If more than 10 pages are submitted, only the first 10 will be shared with the review panel.
Multiple Literary Artists or Literary Groups must provide 3-5 pages of writing (.pdf) per artist/group. If a proposed project will have more than 3 artists working on it, choose the top 3 artists/groups and provide at least three pages of writing for each.
Performing Arts
For applications involving the performing arts such as music, theater, dance, or film: Applicants submit up to three relevant links to Vimeo, YouTube or other website showing approximately 2-4 minutes of the artists’
For applications involving theater: Images of a past production may be submitted in cases where copyright has prohibited video/sound recording.
For applications involving music: Applicants may submit up to 3 pieces of 4 minutes or less via links to a site that stores sound such as SoundCloud.
Performing Artists or Musicians provide 1-3 links to work samples of 2-4 minutes each per artist/group. If a proposed project will have more than 3 performing artists or groups, pick your top three with one sample of each.
Multidisciplinary
Multimedia or Multidisciplinary Artists may provide a combination of links and/or uploads as best suits the work, but cannot exceed the maximum number of work samples. Note:Each photo, each page of writing, each video or audio link equals one work sample.
If a proposed project will be utilizing artists from multiple disciplines include samples from each arts discipline if possible without exceeding the maximum number of work samples. Note:Each photo, each page of writing, each video or audio link equals one work sample.
Submissions for Paper Version of the Anishinaabe Arts Initiative Grant
Submissions for Paper Version of the Anishinaabe Arts Initiative Grants
2-D & 3-D Visual Art or Artisan Crafts
Artists may submit up to 10 images of their work with their application.
If more than 10 images are submitted, the first 10 images will be selected. Any applicant that fails to submit the minimum number of work samples jeopardizes the eligibility of their grant application.
Submission of actual original artwork (books, paintings, photographs) is allowed.
Links to online portfolios may appear on your artist’s resume, but may not be used as a work sample submission.
2&3 Dimensional Visual Artists applying to work with a mentor must either provide a link to the mentor’s website, or submit no fewer than 5 and no more than 10 images of a mentor’s work.
Literary Arts
Literary artists may provide up to 10 pages of poetry or prose. If more than 10 pages are submitted, only the first 10 will be shared with the review panel. If fewer than 5 pages are submitted, the grant will be ineligible. Any applicant that fails to submit the minimum number of work samples jeopardizes the eligibility of their grant application.
Literary artists applying to work with a mentor must provide up to ten pages of a mentor artist’s poetry or prose. If more than 10 pages are submitted, only the first 10 will be shared with the review panel.
Performing Arts
For applications involving the performing arts such as music, theater, dance, or film: Applicants submit up to three relevant links to Vimeo, YouTube or other website or provide a DVD.
For applications involving theater: Up to 10 images of a past production may be submitted in cases where copyright has inhibited video/sound recording.
For applications involving music: Applicants may submit up to 3 pieces of 4 minutes or less via links to a site that stores sound such as SoundCloud or on a CD.