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Now Accepting Applications: 2025-26 GIG Fund

An African American musician encircled by musicians and audience members.
Photo Credit: Marc Monaghan
A performance by Avery R Young at the Hyde Park Jazz Festival in Chicago, IL, supported by Arts Midwest's GIG Fund.

Grants for nonprofit organizations in the Midwest to bring professional artists into their community and host creative, engaging public activities.

The GIG Fund is back, and applications are now open for the 2025–2026 cycle!

Through this grant, Midwestern organizations can now request up to $15,000 to bring a professional artist into their community and host creative, engaging public activities.

New this year: We’re thrilled to introduce GIG Fund: Arts and Wellness, a new opportunity that supports projects that connect art and wellness. This track also includes professional development sessions to support your team and your work.

We’re also continuing the regular GIG Fund, which seeks to ensure audiences across the Midwest have access to high quality arts activities. The grant amount has been increased to better serve a wider range of projects.

If you’re part of a Midwestern non-profit that wants to host an arts project or activity between December 2025 to June 2026, read on!

GIG Fund Overview

  • What is it? The GIG Fund is a grant of $2,000 – $15,000 that helps organizations bring artists into their community. This year, there are two tracks: GIG Fund and GIG Fund: Arts and Wellness.
  • Who can apply? 501c3 non-profit organizations, hospitals, and clinics; and tribal organizations.
    • GIG Fund is for organizations with budgets under $2 million annually whose projects reach underserved audiences.
    • GIG Fund: Arts and Wellness is for organizations of any budget size whose projects have an arts and wellness focus.
  • Where? Your organization must be located and operate in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, or Wisconsin, or the Native Nations that share this geography. 
  • When to apply? A mandatory Intent to Apply is due September 15, 2025, with final applications due September 29, 2025.

Read the Application Guidelines

Learn more about the two 2025-26 GIG Fund tracks.

GIG Fund GIG Fund: Arts and Wellness

Sign Up for an Informational Webinar

Thursday, July 24, 2025 at 11:00 AM Central Time

Hear from Arts Midwest staff about the latest round of GIG Fund, including a new track for Arts & Wellness projects. Join this session to hear about the changes and ask questions.

Sign Up

An actor stands in the middle of the floor in a dark theater space, with rugs underfoot and multicolored string lights overhead. Audience members sit on sofas and armchairs, some wearing ornate masks.
Photo Credit: Zach Rosing, courtesy of Indianapolis Shakespeare Company

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Explore tips and examples for how to design arts programming that supports personal and community wellness.

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Four older women around a steel drum.
Photo Credit: Thomas Sigel

Explore Past GIG Fund Projects

Read stories about select projects from the 2024-25 GIG Fund cycle.

Have questions about the GIG Fund?

Be sure to check out our FAQs, or contact our team

GIG Fund FAQ Contact Us