-Minnesota State Arts Board - Minnesota North Star

MN CARES Act Grants

This grant program has been discontinued. It was offered in the fiscal year 2021 grant cycle; this page is a reference for past grantees.

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.

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:
Sue Gens, executive director
(651) 539-2658
Sue.Gens@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:
Annick Dall-Desbois, accessibility coordinator
Annick.Dall-Desbois@arts.state.mn.us
(651) 539-2651

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:

Grantee reports and amendments

The following links provide information and instructions regarding final reports and related material required from Arts Board grantees.

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