Creative Communities Grants is a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board that funds arts education, cultural understanding, and community arts development projects throughout Wisconsin. Awards range from $1,500 to $6,000 with a required one-to-one match. Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, local government entities, and educational institutions in Wisconsin.

Projects must be collaborative, less than three years old or represent a newly expanded dimension of an existing program. The application process is two-phased, beginning with an Intent to Apply followed by a full application upon invitation. For FY27, the program also includes a special one-time America250 grant opportunity.

Applicants must choose between the Creative Communities program and the Creation and Presentation program and may not apply to both.

Creative Communities Program (and America250) Creative Communities Program (and America250) ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​FY27​ Application Calendar for Creative Communities ​Intent to Apply Deadline ​Phase 1 Application Deadline Announcement of Phase 2 Invitation or Rejection ​Phase 2 Application Deadline ​Earliest Announcement of Grant Award or Rejection ​Earliest Beginning Date for Grant-Related Activi tie s* * Grant award checks may not arrive until well after your project begins, depending on when the Legislature passes the state budget.

​Note: You must choose between the Creative Communities (CC) grant program and the Creation and Presentation (C&P) grant program. You may not apply to both. If you currently participate in the C&P grant program, please do not apply to CC.

======================================================================================= SPECIAL NOTE FOR THIS GRANT ROUND ONLY : ​ The Creative Communities Phase 1 application form also serves as the application form for the one-time America250 grant funding that the WI Arts Board offers this year. To learn more about the America250 grant , please click on this A merica250 Grant Guidelines link: ​​ https://artsboard. wisconsin.

gov/pages/America-250-Grant-Program. aspx ​ Applicants must choose between applying for a Creative Communities grant OR an America250 grant at the February 18, 2026 deadline. Small and mid-sized organizations that received a FY26 Creation and Presentation grant may also apply for an America250 grant, which is different than a Creative Communities grant.

======================================================================================= The Creative Communities (CC) grants program encourages arts education, cultural understanding, and community arts development in Wisconsin. It provides support for p​rojects that further the Arts Board’s goals in the following three areas: Arts Education , Folk and Traditional Arts , and Local Arts .

Through direct financial support of specific art​s projects, the Arts Board sustains the vitality of Wisconsin culturally, educationally and economically. Organizations that have 501(c)3 nonprofit status or are part of local government/educational institutions are eligible to apply. Individuals are not eligible to apply.

An eligible Creative Communities project is a collaborative endeavor that is carefully planned and designed to achieve a particular aim within an identified community.

It is either: less than three years old at the time of application (this means that the project itself must have been in existence for less than three years, not that the project has received WAB funding for less than three years), or a newly expanded dimension of an existing project (this means that the grant application must request support for costs related only to the new elements).

A project must be distinct from the organization's regular, ongoing programs/services. Please be sure to review the Applicant and Project Eligibility Inform​ation page for additional details. ​ NOTE: ​Organizations that received a FY26 Creative Communities grant are not eligible to apply to the FY26 Creation and Presentation Program in October, 2026.

Grants will range from a minimum of $1,500 to a maximum of $6,000. A 1:1 match, at least half of which must be cash, is required from the applicant for these funds. (The amount of the grant request cannot be more than half the overall budget of the project.)

Complete a simple Phase 1 application after reading the FY27 Phase 1 guidelines by clicking 'Apply Here' at the top of the righthand column on this webpage. Be invited to submit a Phase 2 application Why use a two-phase application process?

​ Public Service AND Public Value Application Calendar for FY27: As of April 2022, all applicants are required to obtain a “Unique Entity Identifier” (UEI) through the System of Award Management (SAM) at https://sam. gov . Please do this before applying.

February ​11, 2026: Virtual Q&A for Phase 1, 12:15 pm (not required)* A recording of the session is available he​re ​ . ​ February 11, 2026: Intent to apply deadline. Applicants that have not previously applied to WAB’s Creative Communities program must notify the Arts Board of their intent to apply by this date.

(Notification should be in the form of an email to artsboard@wisconsin. gov ).

​ February 18, 2026: DEADLINE - Creative Communities Phase 1 application deadline, 3 pm March 6, 2026: Eligible applicants receive invitation to continue into Phase 2 March 12, 2026: Virtual Q&A for Phase 2 (Phase 2 eligible groups only)* March 26, 2026 : DEADLINE - Only applicants that received the panel's invitation to apply to Phase 2, submit application materials by 3 pm April 2026: Separate panels meet to review appl​​​ications to the Arts Education, Folk Arts and Local Arts components - see specific dates in the righthand column of this webpage May 2026: Wisconsin Arts Board meets to consider recommendations from panels July 1, 2026: Awarded projects may begin *Virtual Q&A - Use this time to ask questions of WAB staff and hear other applicants' questions.

A meeting link will be sent directly to Phase 2 applicants. If you need alternative access, please email artsboard@wisconsin. gov ​.

While this is not required, it is encouraged. ​ Resources for Grant Applicants ​ Grant Proposal Writing 101 Updating your Organization's Mission Statement and Organizational History​ SAM.

gov UEI Registration Instructions ​ Phase 2 N​arrative Questions ​​ ​ Phase 2 Budget Categories​​​​​​ Sample Evaluation Tools ​ ​ Sample In-Kind Contribution Report FY21-FY23 Panel Review Re​cordings ​ Successful Arts Education Proposals and Proje​cts from Schools and School Districts ​ Wisconsin's Arts & Creativity (Art and Design, Dance, Media Arts, Music, and Theatre) Standards for Arts Education applicants​ Learning assessment ideas for Arts Education applicants​ ​ Resources for Grant Recipients: What Comes Next?

​ ​ Questions? Contact Arts Board staff via e-mail​​ or phone 608-267-2026 (Karen Goeschko) or 608-264-8191 (Dale Johnson​). ​​​​​ ​ FY27 Phase 1 Guideline s FY27 Phase 2 Guidelin​e s ​ ​FY27 peer review meetings: ​Arts Education - April 23, 2026 ​ Folk Arts - April 28, 2026 Local Arts - April 30, 2026 ​ ​​Peer review meetings are held virtually and are open to the public.

All applicants are encouraged to observe via the livestream on WAB's youtube channel​ . FY26: July 31, 2026​ deadline FY25: July 31, 2025 deadline ​​Final report available through WAB's online application system, SmartSimple. Prior to FY20, Arts Board used a form service called JotForm for Creative Communities final reports.

Call Dale Johnson at 608-264-8191 with questions. After contacting staff to discuss your need for an extension, please complete a Final Report or Grant Activity Extension Request Form​ .

Acting As a Fiscal Receiver W-9 Form (please note that the organization name on this form must match the name (or fiscal receiver, if used) on the grant application form) New Supplier Form ​ (required of first-time grantees) ​ Join the Arts Board mailing list! ​