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.
FY 2026 applications must be submitted and accepted before 4:30 p.m. on Friday, January 17, 2025. For more information about the application timeline and the project period, see the calendar page.
General eligibility
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)
nonarts institution
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 2026 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 2026 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,
but not in FY 2025.
• FY 2025 Operating Support grantees who are in the final year of their four-year Operating
Support grant cycle(*).
Interim application - The following applicants must submit a FY 2026 interim application:
• FY 2025 Operating Support grantees who are not in the final year of their four-year Operating
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 2022 and fiscal year 2023. 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.
Learn more about the FY 2026 Operating Support grant program. First-time applicants, or those new to roles applying for support, will find this session particularly valuable. This session covers eligibility requirements, full versus interim applications, review criteria, and required financial information.
Sample applications
The following applications were submitted by fiscal year 2025 grantees.
If you have questions or need assistance
For questions about eligibility or content of the application, please contact: Lindi Holliday, program officer
(651) 539-2653 Lindi.Holliday@arts.state.mn.us
For questions about the required financial documents, please contact: Dave White, director, finance and grants administration
(651) 539-2669 David.White@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: Apply.Arts@state.mn.us
For questions about accessibility, or to request materials in an alternate format, please contact: Sue Gens, outreach and accessibility coordinator Sue.Gens@arts.state.mn.us
(651) 539-2658
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. 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:
