The Metropolitan Regional Arts Council is seeking applications for its 2026 Flexible Support Grant Program.
Donor Name: Metropolitan Regional Arts Council
State: Minnesota
County: Anoka County (MN), Carver County (MN), Dakota County (MN), Hennepin County (MN), Ramsey County (MN), Scott County (MN), Washington County (MN)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 02/17/2026
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
Providing up to $25,000 to help organizations/groups create and sustain Minnesotans’ access to the arts. Grant funds may go to a number of eligible expenses:
- Support for operations and/or organizational capacity to directly provide arts access to Minnesotans
- Capital expenses, including facility improvements and/or equipment purchases (with some restrictions)
- Arts programming activities in Minnesota, whether a single event or a series.
Grant Period
June 2, 2026–May 31, 2027.
Eligibility Criteria
All applicant organizations/groups must meet the following requirements:
- Maintain a primary address in one of the seven metro area counties: Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, or Washington.
- Meet one of the following classifications:
- Arts nonprofit organizations with total annual cash expenses of $400,000 or less during the most recently completed fiscal year.
- Cultural or non-arts/non-cultural 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations with annual cash expenses for arts programming of $400,000 or less during the most recently completed fiscal year. These groups must isolate their arts programming expenses from non-arts financial activity.
- Community education units of a school district with annual cash expenses for arts programming of any size during their most recently completed fiscal year. Community education units must isolate their arts programming expenses from non-arts financial activity.
- Public entities such as units of state, local, or tribal government with annual cash ex- penses for arts programming of $400,000 or less during their most recently completed fiscal year. The public entity must isolate their arts programming expenses from non-arts financial activity.
- Groups not registered as a federally recognized tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit may apply with an eligible fiscal sponsor. The group applying with a fiscal sponsor must have total annual cash expenses of $400,000 or less during its most recently completed fiscal year. In addition, eligible fiscal sponsors must be registered with the IRS as a federally tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit, have Minnesota address, and have an active registration with the Minnesota Secretary of State as a nonprofit organization.
- All applicant organizations/groups must have a minimum of three (3) people in a leadership position. At MRAC, a leader is an individual with the authority to make final decisions about the organization/group’s operations, direction, goals, or mission.
For more information, visit Metropolitan Regional Arts Council.
