-Minnesota State Arts Board - Minnesota North Star

Accessible Arts

People with disabilities face significant barriers to the arts as creators, participants, and attendees. This pilot program will offer project grants to increase the capacity of the arts sector to make arts experiences more accessible. Funds will be used for investments that will have a longer-term impact on the applicant, such as professional development related to accessibility (i.e., staff or volunteer training, etc.), hiring accessibility consultants to conduct accessibility audits and/or develop accessibility plans, etc. Funds may also be used for small physical or equipment investments (costing less than $5,000) that will make programming more accessible (i.e. assisted listening, captioning equipment, grab bars, etc.).

Program overview and application instructions

FY 2024 Accessible Arts Program Overview and Application Instructions—This document will be posted approximately eight weeks before the application deadline.

Application deadline

June 30, 2023, before 4:30 p.m.

When will funds be awarded?

Grant awards will be approved at the January 2024 board meeting. The grant period for these awards will be March 2024 to February 2025; all funded activities must take place within the grant period.

Who can apply?

   •  A 501(c)(3) tax-exempt arts organization; or
   •  An arts affiliates of a nonprofit organization or public entity.

Additional eligibility requirements will be included in the FY 2024 Accessible Arts Program Overview and Application Instructions. Please review all eligibility requirements carefully before beginning an application.

Grant range

Applicants may request between $10,000 - $20,000. No cash match is required.

Resources for applicants

Resources will be posted approximately eight weeks before the application deadline.

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:

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