The Illinois Arts Council’s (IAC) General Operating Support (GOS) Grants are offered to eligible not-for-profit organizations that provide arts programming to their defined communities in a manner that supports the mission of the organization.
Donor Name: Illinois Arts Council
State: Illinois
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 03/18/2026
Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
Successful applicants demonstrate ongoing arts programs and a strong commitment to making artistic programs accessible and relevant to a diverse range of participants. GOS is a non-competitive grant program that funds eligible applicants that meet the review criteria dependent on available funds.
- For Youth Employment in the Arts Grant
- IAC’s Youth Employment in the Arts (YEA) program is an optional additional grant that may be applied for yearly as part of IAC’s GOS application process. The YEA grant program may provide funds to organizations who are awarded the GOS grant to support employment opportunities for Illinois youth (ages 14-22). Jobs may be administrative or artistic in nature, or a combination of both. YEA is not intended to support ongoing employees at organizations. The grant is intended to support temporary, intern-style opportunities for youth across Illinois. Due to limitation of funds YEA is a competitive grant program and not all applicants will receive funding.
Funding Information
- For General Operating Support Grant
- For reference, in FY26 the minimum award amount was $2,500.
- For Youth Employment in the Arts Grant
- Applicants may request up to $4,500
Grant Period
September 1, 2026, to August 31, 2027.
Allowable Expenses
For an organization with a mission dedicated to the arts IAC GOS funds may be used to support any eligible expenses associated with the general operations, including but not limited to rent, utilities, and staff salaries. For organizations that have ongoing arts programming, but do not have a mission dedicated to the arts, IAC GOS funds must be used to directly support the ongoing arts programs. Allowable Expenses, not limited to:
- Fees for artists and contractual personnel
- Position support / salaries
- Facilities costs, such as rent and utilities
- Supply costs, office supplies, printing, art supplies, etc.
- Generally, equipment costs. For durable equipment with a useful life of more than one-year equipment may not exceed $5,000 per unit.
- Information Technology (e.g., computer software/hardware, captioning, streaming – including increased bandwidth, hardware, specialized audio-visual equipment, etc.)
- Marketing and promotion costs
- General overhead/administrative costs
- Building maintenance, cleaning services, security, personal protective equipment
- Indirect costs (general overhead/administrative costs may not be claimed as direct AND indirect costs)
- General overhead/administrative costs.
Eligibility Criteria
All applicants must apply using a registered Salesforce account and include proof of eligibility at the time of application.
- Applicants must serve as one of the following:
- Registered 501(c)(3) Not-For-Profit Organizations in good standing with the Office of the Illinois Secretary of State
- Branches of Government (e.g., Municipal, County, Libraries, Park Districts, etc.)
- Applicants must also:
- Have been providing public arts programming for at least the past 12 months
- Apply utilizing a Salesforce account registered to the organizational applicant
- Have a valid FEIN and UEI number
- Submit all required application materials by the deadline
- Be pre-qualified in the state’s Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) system.
For more information, visit Arts Council.
