Cultural Sustainability: Equity-Based Operating Grants

The following organizations are eligible to apply: 

• 501c3 nonprofit organizations of color.   

• Fiscally sponsored organizations of color.  

• Federally recognized tribes or tribal communities.   

All eligible arts and cultural organizations of color must have at least two of the following: 

• Led by a person(s) of color, artistically and/or administratively (see our FAQ for more detail on this definition)

• Predominately in service of Indigenous/Native American, Black, Latine, Asian, Pacific Islander, and/or Caribbean communities, or another community of color. 

• Founded by and for a community of color. 

All applicants must be located and operate within Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and the Native Nations that share this geography.   

Applicants must have programs and services centered primarily on arts/culture and community.   

Applicants must have at least three years of creative practice or arts programming.    

Applicants with current operating expenses of up to $500,000, or pre-COVID (2021) annual operating expenses of up to $500,000, based on their most recent year’s completed budget. 

If an applicant is fiscally sponsored, the fiscal sponsor needs to provide application information on behalf of the group that is seeking the grant. 

There is no minimum budget requirement.    

Applicants are not required to have full or part-time staff.   

Nonprofit organizations and fiscal sponsors must be a 501c3 nonprofit.   

The following are not eligible to apply:  

• Individuals  

• For-profit entities  

• Federal agencies or local departments of federal agencies  

• Units of municipal, county, or state government  

• Colleges or universities and affiliated centers, institutes, and foundations  

• Public, private and charter K-12 schools and pre-schools  

• Organizations/entities that have had their IRS status revoked. Tax-exempt status of applicant or fiscal sponsor must be current at the time of application.  

Late applications are considered ineligible and will not be considered for funding.  

Applicants must be in good standing with Arts Midwest and have no overdue or incomplete reporting requirements on any other projects.  

Applicants may not receive support from both Cultural Sustainability and ArtsHERE.  

Cultural Sustainability is happening in different regions across the United States through the six US Regional Arts Organizations (USRAO). Applicants should only apply to the USRAO in which they are located. You can learn more about the other USRAO Cultural Sustainability grant programs on the USRAO website.   

Arts Midwest uses SmartSimple grants portal for applications. 501c3 organizations and fiscal sponsors must register in the system before you apply. Please follow the steps below to complete your registration and your application.  

SmartSimple Registration Instructions: https://artsmidwest.org/get-support/smartsimple/   

Step 1: Registration 

1. Register in our SmartSimple grants portal 

• On the registration page, click “Registered Non-Profit Organization” 
• Input your information

2. Once you have filled out your registration and submitted, you will receive an email with a login link. Click on the login link. 

3. The link will take you to a screen where you will create a new password for your account. Then click submit. 

• Once you have created the password, you will receive a verification code in your email. Copy the verification code from that email and paste it in the box on the login page. 

• Now you’re in the SmartSimple portal! Make sure your profile is correct. Go to the top right corner with your name letter symbol and click on Organization Profile. Confirm the info is correct from your registration.

Step 2: Apply 

• Navigate to the to the Home page. To begin, click on “Funding Opportunities.” Click “Apply Now” on Cultural Sustainability. 

• Click save and begin application. 

• Answer the questions and click the “Submit” button when you are finished. 

The application will request your organizational information, your operating expenses over the last 3 years, four narrative questions, and the following three eligibility questions (at least two answers must be “yes” to be eligible).  

• Is the applicant organization led by a person(s) of color, artistically and/or administratively? (yes/no)  

• Is the applicant organization predominantly in service of Indigenous/Native American, Black, Latine, Asian, Pacific Islander, and/or Caribbean communities, or another community of color?  (yes/no)  

• Is the applicant organization founded by and for a community of color? (yes/no).  

Answer: Are you acting as a fiscal sponsor for an applicant organization? If yes, please name the applicant group.  

Answer the following narrative questions. Each answer may be up to 1,000 words.  

• Tell us about your organization and any values that drive your work.  

• Describe the community you serve. How are you addressing your communities’ needs and interests through your work, and how has community support directly contributed to your organization’s success?  

• How will this grant impact your organization’s work and the well-being of the community you serve?  

• What could the pilot program and cohort provide you with to support your work, unique expertise, and knowledge?  

Support material is optional and can include work samples, community testimonials, quotes from partners, photos, excerpts from annual reports, and short videos.  

Support material will be limited to 3 uploads, 5 pages per upload, and videos may be up to 5 minutes long.  

You will receive an email confirmation to confirm receipt of your information. Arts Midwest staff will contact you if we have any questions. 

Applicants will be reviewed by a compensated panel consisting of arts & cultural leaders and BIPOC artists and community organizers.  

Review Criteria 

The panel will use three criteria in the review process. Each of these criteria has corresponding application questions that inform scoring. Each criterion is on a scale of 1-5 points for a maximum of 15 points per application. 

Criteria:  Relevance and impact of artistic or cultural work in community (5 points max)  

• Reviewers will be looking for how the artistic and/or cultural work your organization offers aligns with community needs and wants. Share how your community responds to your work and how you stay accountable to community feedback. 

Criteria: Potential impact of the grant on organization and community (5 points max)  

• Reviewers will look for ways this grant will support your organization and community’s well-being. Share your plan for the grant and any specific goals you intend to work towards that will impact your organization and community. 

Criteria: Potential impact of the organization within the pilot cohort (5 points max)  

• Reviewers will be looking for ways your organization will grow within the pilot cohort. Share some ways in which participating in the pilot cohort could support your work and organization.
  

• September 10, 2024: Applications open 
• September & October 2024: Weekly Office Hours  

• October 15, 2024: Application closes at 11:59 pm CT 

• November – December 2024: Applications reviewed by an independent panel 

• January 2025: Notifications of status sent to all applicants 

• February 2025: Public announcement of selected grantees 

• March 2025 – June 2026: Period of activity 

• June 15, 2026: Final report due 

Consider attending the live informational webinar to learn more about the program. The webinar will be held at 1pm CT, September 19, 2024. Please register here. All registrants will be sent a link to the recording afterwards, even if you cannot attend the live event.

If you have additional questions, we invite you to join Program Manager Holly Doll for office hours. 

You can sign up for office hours using the links below:  

• 11am-12pm CT, Monday, September 16, 2024. Sign up here. 

• 1-2pm CT, Monday, September 23, 2024. Sign up here. 

• 11am-12pm CT, Thursday October 3, 2024. Sign up here. 

• 1-2pm CT, Thursday October 10, 2024. Sign up here. 

You can also always email Holly with your questions at [email protected]  

Other Resources:  

• SmartSimple Registration Instructions: https://artsmidwest.org/get-support/smartsimple/   

• SmartSimple Application Walkthrough video: https://youtu.be/51odekJhUA4 

Arts Midwest works to ensure that grant guidelines, presentations, and any other written materials are created with accessibility and disability experiences in mind.  

For all grant applications, we use an online platform called SmartSimple, unless applicants request another route. SmartSimple has a dedicated Quality Assurance Team and a consultant who helps test usability on a quarterly basis.   

We want this opportunity to be accessible to all and will work with applicants who need to use other means to apply. Alternative application options may include:  

• Using an adapted form in Microsoft Word (available upon request)  

• Sharing a video application responding to application questions (available upon request)  

Please complete this form, as early as possible with accessibility requests. We may not be able to accommodate requests made after Thursday, October 10, 2024.  

Visit our Accessibility Policy for more information on our commitment to accessibility.  

Cultural Sustainability is made possible by support from The Wallace Foundation in partnership with the six US Regional Arts Organizations (USRAOs). This opportunity is part of the Wallace Foundation’s Advancing Well-Being in the Arts initiative, which funds arts organizations rooted in communities of color to advance their well-being, enhance understanding of their contributions to community, and ultimately help to build a more equitable and sustainable arts ecosystem.