Metropolitan Regional Arts Council

Programs: The arts activities support program offers grants of up to $10,000 in project support for groups wishing to offer quality arts activities in any discipline to communities within the seven-county metro area. Grant requests may include costs for artists and other personnel, postage, supplies, equipment, printing, travel and other expenses necessary to carry out the project. In fy2017, mrac received 344 applications requesting $3,272,158 and awarded 157 grants totaling $1,513,711 in this program. The community arts grant program provides grants of up to $5,000 in project support for metro groups wishing to offer quality arts activities in any discipline to communities within the seven-county metropolitan area. The program utilizes a block grant system to distribute funds. Each of the counties in mrac's service area anoka, carver, dakota, hennepin, ramsey, scott and washington receives a block of funds designated for arts activities occurring within that county. Community arts is intended for community based and volunteer groups; smaller, established arts groups; and newly formed groups or first-time initiatives. Grant requests may include costs for artists and other personnel, postage, supplies, equipment, printing, travel and other expenses necessary to carry out the project. In fy2017, mrac received 218 applications requesting $1,037,877, and awarded 141 grants totaling $670,118 in this program. The arts learning program provides grants of up to $10,000 for high-quality, age-appropriate arts education for minnesotans of all ages to develop knowledge, skills, and understanding of the arts. Mrac's goals for the arts learning program are to cultivate creativity and deepen knowledge of and/or through the arts for children, youth and adults by engaging people in extended arts experiences and activities with clearly articulated learning objectives. In fy2017, mrac received 145 applications requesting $1,385,650, and awarded 49 grants totaling $474,344 in this program. The organizational development program offers grants of up to $10,000 for projects designed to strengthen the management or administration of nonprofit arts groups. Such projects must 1) advance the mission of the group and 2) have the potential for significant or long-term impact. In fy2017, mrac received 57 applications requesting $562,783, and awarded 31 grants totaling $306,955 in this program. The capital grant program provides funds of up to $10,000 to purchase equipment and related supplies and services, or to make capital improvements. Such activities must 1) advance the mission of the group and 2) have the potential for significant or long-term impact. In fy2017, mrac received 35 applications requesting $278,851, and awarded 19 grants totaling $152,610 in this program. The ada access improvement fund is operated in partnership with vsa minnesota, a nonprofit organization specializing in arts programs and services for people with disabilities. The program provides grants of up to $15,000 for arts organizations to increase accessibility to consumers and participants in their activities. In fy2017, mrac paid vsa minnesota a grant of $195,000 for administration and grants for this program. In addition, mrac awarded one request of $371 to the emergency accessibility program designed to meet unforseen audience accessibility needs; the proposal was not funded. The management consulting fund program offers grants of up to $1,500 to provide consultants for groups to complete small projects to strengthen the management or administration of the group. Such management consulting projects must 1) strengthen the management or administration of nonprofit arts groups, 2) advance the mission of the group, and 3) have the potential for significant or long-term impact. In fy2017, mrac received 87 applications requesting $129,900, and awarded 38 grants totaling $56,950. The management training fund program offers grants of up to $600 to provide training funds for the staff and volunteers of nonprofit arts groups to attend management workshops, seminars or conferences. In fy2017, mrac received 42 applications and awarded 35 grants totaling $5,588 in these two programs. The next step fund is mracs grant program for individual artists, providing grants up to $5,000 to professional artists in any discipline for the purpose of career development and artistic achievement. The next step fund is funded entirely by the mcknight foundation. In fy2017, mrac received 403 applications and awarded 35 grants totaling $173,214 in this program. Mrac also provides skill-building training and workshops for administrators of small arts organizations at no charge tp participants in areas such as marketing, finance, fundraising, and governance. In fy2017, mrac provided 28 trainings for approximately 590 participantsin addition to the trainings and workshops, mrac also provides four to six grant-writing workshops for prospective applicants prior to each program deadline.