Operating Support Grants is a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board that provides general operating support to high-quality, established arts organizations in Minnesota.

The program serves organizations that produce, present, or exhibit works of art; organizations that provide broad services to practicing artists; and community arts schools and conservatories that make arts learning available to Minnesotans of all ages and abilities.

The program recognizes that established organizations with strong programmatic and administrative track records should have access to unrestricted operating funds without needing to emphasize new initiatives. Eligible applicants must be established arts organizations in Minnesota. Funding amounts vary.

First-time applicants are encouraged to review program guidelines and consult with a program officer before applying.

Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant program Operating Support provides general support to high quality, established arts organizations that produce, present, or exhibit works of art; to organizations that provide a broad range of services to practicing artists; and to community arts schools and conservatories that make arts learning available to Minnesotans of all ages and abilities.

The Operating Support program recognizes that organizations with an established record of programmatic service and administrative stability should have access to funds to support their organizational goals and objectives, and to maintain their ongoing programs, services, and facilities without special emphasis on new initiatives as justification for funding.

First time applicants are encouraged to carefully review the Program Overview and Application Instructions and then call the program officer prior to beginning an application. Program overview and application instructions FY 2027 Operating Support Program Overview and Application Instructions — All applicants should read this document thoroughly before beginning an application.

Application deadline and project period FY 2027 applications must be submitted and accepted before 4:30 p. m. on Friday, January 16, 2026.

For more information about the application timeline and the project period, see the calendar page .

To be eligible for the Operating Support program, an applicant must be structured in one of the following ways: • A nonprofit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt arts organization with an arts focused mission; or • An arts affiliate , operating as a distinct arts focused program hosted within a Minnesota public or nonprofit 501(c)(3) AND must be one of the following: • An arts producing organization, • An arts presenting organization, • A community arts school or conservatory, or • An artist service organization Additional eligibility information, along with definitions for the terms above, can be found in the FY 2027 Operating Support Program Overview and Application Instructions.

Multiyear funding: full and interim applications Arts organizations and arts affiliates must submit an Operating Support application each year to be considered for funding. Depending on the type of applicant, a full or interim application is required. The application requirements for full and interim applications are different.

Full application - The following types of applicants must submit a FY 2027 full application: • Applicants that have never received an Arts Board Operating Support grant.

• Applicants that may have received an Arts Board Operating Support grant in a previous year, • FY 2026 Operating Support grantees who are in the final year of their four-year Operating Interim application - The following applicants must submit a FY 2027 interim application: • FY 2026 Operating Support grantees who are not in the final year of their four-year Operating (*) Current, FY 2026 Operating Support grantees should refer to the FY 2026 grantees - interim or full application list to ensure they submit the correct application.

Applicants to the Operating Support program may want to view an online presentation that gives a more detailed overview of the program. The presentation is available as a MS Powerpoint (24 MB with audio annotation). Help for working with this file .

Varies; minimum award amount is $15,000 Operating Support grants include two components: formula award and merit award. The formula award will vary, depending on the overall number of grantees and the total dollars available for this program, and will be based on the applicant's qualifying expenses, averaged over fiscal year 2023 and fiscal year 2024.

The merit award will vary based on the number of grantees in the applicant's assigned budget group that are recommended for merit awards, the merit dollars available for this program, and the merit score assigned by the advisory review panel. FY 2027 Operating Support Information Session and Q&A with program officer Recording | Download PowerPoint Learn more about the FY 2027 Operating Support grant program.

First-time applicants, and individuals in new roles who will be preparing an Operating Support application for the first time, will find this session particularly valuable. Information on what's new for fiscal year 2027 will also be covered, so returning applicants may find the session valuable, as well.

This session covers eligibility, full versus interim applications, review criteria, required financial information, and other important applicant and grantee requirements. The following applications were submitted by fiscal year 2026 grantees. The files may take several minutes to download.

• New York Mills Regional Cultural Center • Southeastern Minnesota Youth Orchestra, Inc If you have questions or need assistance For questions about eligibility or content of the application, please contact: Lindi Holliday , program officer Lindi. Holliday@arts. state.

mn. us For questions about the required financial documents, please contact: Keith Deckert , director, finance Keith. Deckert@arts.

state. mn. us For questions about the technical aspects of the online application form, or about how to submit the online forms, please send an e-mail message to: For questions about accessibility, or to request materials in an alternate format, please contact: Sue Gens , executive director Sue.

Gens@arts. state. mn.

us All staff can be reached toll-free at (800) 866-2787. All applicants are required to use the WebGrants system to apply, and will submit all materials electronically. Applicants must be a registered user.

New users need to register in advance in order to create an account and set up a user ID and password. Two online tutorials are available to acquaint users with the WebGrants system: • How to register as a WebGrants user • FY 2025 New Operating Support Grantee Webinar Recording • Signing your contract-DocuSign Tutorial • Final Report WebGrants Instructions • FY 2025 Final Report Instructions