Arts in Neighborhoods Community Event Mini-Grants is a grant from Fund for the Arts that funds creative community events in the Greater Louisville area. Part of the Arts in Neighborhoods initiative, this program supports the implementation of events that engage communities based on identity, neighborhood, or special interest.

Individual artists, informal groups, and nonprofit organizations based in Bullitt, Jefferson, Oldham, and Shelby counties in Kentucky, as well as Clark, Floyd, and Harrison counties in Indiana are eligible to apply. Applicants do not need tax-exempt status to participate. Recipients are eligible to receive the Community Event Mini-Grant only once per grant cycle.

Grant guidelines detail funding limits, match requirements, and review criteria.

Arts in Neighborhoods Community Event Mini Grants | Fund for the Arts Arts in Neighborhoods Community Event Mini-Grants Fund for the Arts Community Event Mini-Grants support the implementation of creative events that engage communities based on identity, neighborhood, special interest, or more. This grant program is part of the Arts in Neighborhoods initiative .

Past Mini-Grant recipients: Fall 2023 , Winter 2024 , Spring 2024, Summer 2024 , Fall 2024 , Winter 2024 , Spring 2025 , Summer 2025 . If you are interested in applying for a Community Event Mini-Grant, please read through the G rant G uidelines before starting an application.

We highly recommend that you prepare your responses offline in a word processing program and then copy and paste them into the appropriate sections of the online application. Questions? Join us for virtual office hours every Tuesday at 4 pm to answer questions related to your grant application in advance of the deadline!

Click here to join the meeting.

Click here to view the updated Mini-Grant Guidelines The Community Event Mini-Grant Guidelines contain information including: Program and Applicant Guidelines Funding Limit and Match Requirements Application Format and Materials Required for the Application Grant Criteria and Review Process Reporting and Recognition Guidelines for Grantees Frequently Asked Questions: Individuals, Groups, and Organizations who are based in the Greater Louisville area, including the following counties: Bullitt, Jefferson, Oldham, and Shelby counties in Kentucky; Clark, Floyd, and Harrison counties in Indiana are eligible to apply.

Applicants may submit proposals as an individual, a group, or organization without tax-exempt status, or as a nonprofit organization. Recipients are only eligible to receive the Community Event Mini-Grant once a year. Partnership Guidelines (Updated June 2024) Community-based applicants are strongly encouraged to apply with an artist or arts organization as a Partner.

Artists and arts organizations are strongly encouraged to apply with a community-based individual or group as a Partner. Individuals, groups, or organizations that are both community-based and arts-based are welcome to apply with additional Partners, but this is not required if the applicant represents both the community connection and arts elements for this application.

Ideally, a Partner will make a significant contribution to the event, deepening either the community connection or the arts component. A Partner will also provide a Statement of Commitment letter, included in the application. – Does a community need to be linked to a specific neighborhood?

A community can be tied to a specific geographic location in Louisville, and can also be a community linked by a common interest, such as gardening or dance, or a community linked by a common culture, such as an immigrant community or the LGBTQ+ community. – Is there a funding limit? Applicants may request between $500 and $5,000 in Mini-Grant funding.

Requests up to $2,000 do not require matching funds. A 1:1 match is required for all funds requested above $2 , 000, so that a $2,500 request would require a $500 match and a $5,000 request would require a $3,000 match. The 1:1 match for funds requested above $2 , 000 may consist of cash or the value of in-kind donations of goods and services.

– How often may a person, group, or organization apply? Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and may be submitted at any time during the year. An applicant may only submit one application per grant cycle.

If a grant is awarded, applicants will be required to wait for the next 3 grant cycles before applying again. An event or event series is eligible to receive one grant per year. If an event receives funding, applicants will be required to wait for the next 3 grant cycles before being eligible to apply again, and during that time, different applicants are not eligible to apply for the same event or event series.

Applicants are not required to resubmit their application. If an application does not receive funding and the event date has passed, the applicant can apply for a new event at any time. Organizations, groups, or individuals serving as Partners or fiscal agents for another awarded project may apply for their own event during the 12-month period.

We strongly recommend that you begin your application in advance of the due date to familiarize yourself with the online grant portal and to address any technical concerns. Please see the Mini-Grant Guidelines for more information on the matching component , Partner component , and what makes a strong community-based application.

Event must contain an element that is artistic in nature, including either performance, exhibit, culinary arts, or creation and engagement in artistic exercise. Event should include a physical, in-person event to happen in a specific neighborhood in Greater Louisville. Event budget should be reasonable and sufficient to execute the project within the project period.

Event must be free and open to the public General operating support. Religious or primarily faith-based programs or organizations receiving a significant portion of their funding from a religious organization. Advocacy of specific political causes or candidates.

Fund for the Arts will not award grant support to organizations that, in their constitution, bylaws, or practices, discriminate against a person or group because of age, race, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, or religious belief. In doing so, we seek to promote respect for all people.

Format and Materials for the Application The Mini-Grant Application consists of 5 main sections; Community Event Information Please see the Mini-Grant Guidelines for more detailed information on the content of each section, including specific questions asked and word count limits. Need extra help? A video tutorial guiding you through each step of the application is embedded at the bottom of this page.

Award Criteria and Determination All applications will be reviewed and evaluated by a panel consisting of community volunteers who represent a broad range of artistic and cultural viewpoints, geographic, racial, and ethnic diversity, and a strong, proven desire to support our local arts ecosystem.

If you are interested in volunteering to be a part of a community review panel, you can apply to serve as a panelist by filling out the short form on our website . The full Community Event Mini-Grant Scoring Rubric provided to reviewers is available here . Please see the Mini-Grant Guidelines for more detailed information on the review process and award criteria.

Grant Periods and Deadlines You can view the 2025-2026 Mini-Grant Deadlines in the timeline graphic above or in this linked document. *If an application’s event date does not fall within the grant period, the application will be carried forward into the next round of reviews. Grants will not be awarded retroactively for events that took place or began before the grant period.

Helpful tip: If your event spans different grant periods, consider applying for a specific opening event, closing event, or a free community night Questions or Additional Information Learn more at the recorded info session below or join virtual office hours: Tuesdays at 4 pm. Click here to join LOGIN TO ACCESS A NEW APPLICATION NOTE: The Fund for the Arts’ online grant portal updated at the beginning of 2026.

The content of the Mini-Grant application has not changed, but the software has been updated. Applications started in the old portal will no longer be accessible, but new applications can be started at the link to the new grant portal above. *new applicants will be asked to create an account *returning applicants, this link gives you access to the Community Events Mini-Grant application Still Have Questions?

Contact the Fund for the Arts Community Investment & Support team at grants@fundforthearts. org This video was created for our 2024-2025 application cycle. There have been some minor updates to the application since then, but no sign ificant changes .

1:55 – Mini-Grants Webpage 5:27 – Discussion of Updated Grant Periods and Deadlines 7:52 – Mini-Grant Guidelines 16:16 – Discussion of Updated Match Requirements 43:03 – Instructions and Contact Information sections on the Application 45:45 – Event Logistics Section on the Application 49:29 – Event Information Section on the Application (3 out of 4 of the longer questions in the Application) 54:24 – The Budget Section on the Application, including template, helpful tips, and example budget 1:15:52 – The Attachments Section on the Application, including the Partner Statement of Commitment Letter 1:20:35 – The Demographic Information Section on the Application 1:24:14 – How to be sure an application is submitted