GIG Fund: Interstate Touring

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, but are not limited to: 

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

• Sharing a video application (available upon request) 

• Working over the phone with a program manager on any questions about the application 

Please contact Katie Ortman, program manager, as early as possible with accessibility requests. We may not be able to accommodate requests made after November 1, 2026. Katie can be reached at katie.ortman@artsmidwest.org, or you can review the recorded informational video or sign up to attend an informational session or office hours (see schedule and details below in “What is the Timeline?” section).

You may also enlist assistance from another person to complete the application. Please see the “How to Use SmartSimple” section for more information. 

Who should apply? 

• Smaller Non-profit Organizations: 501c3 non-profit organizations with annual expenses of $2 million or less and tribal organizations of any budget size. 

• In the Midwest: Organizations located in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, or Wisconsin, and the Native Nations and communities that share this geography.  

• Focused on Arts & Culture: Arts and cultural organizations in any arts discipline (literature, performing arts, visual arts, traditional arts, multidisciplinary arts, etc.) or nonprofit organizations that provide arts programming (social service agencies, etc.) 

• With a UEI: Organizations will need to have a UEI number from SAM.gov in order to receive funding. Apply for a free UEI at SAM.gov. 

• In Good Standing: Organizations must not have overdue reports or funding restrictions with Arts Midwest. 

• In Compliance with Federal Requirements: These funds originate with the National Endowment for the Arts and require that applicants comply with federal eligibility requirements and the NEA’s Assurance of Compliance.

Only one application per organization will be accepted.  

November 4, 2026 – Phase 1 (Eligibility Review) due

November 17, 2026 – Phase 2 (Full Proposal) due

December 2026 –  Panel review

January 2027 –  Award notifications

March 1, 2027 to February 29, 2028  – Project period

Projects must meet all three requirements.  

1) Engage a Professional Artist or Ensemble  

The artist must: 

• live outside the applicant’s state. 

• be at least 18 years old and not a full-time student. 

• be the primary focus of the project. 

• demonstrate artistic, educational, or cultural excellence. 

A portion of the grant must be used for artist compensation. 

Priority will be given to applications featuring artists from Arts Midwest’s region but it is not a requirement. As long as the artist you’re working with is based in a state (or country) that is not your own, they will be eligible.

2) Offer at Least Two Activities Featuring the Artist(s)  

• Activities must include at least one public performance, exhibition, or workshop. 

• Activities may be in-person or virtual and must be fully accessible.

3) Reach an Underserved Audience  

• At least one activity must engage an audience with limited access to the arts due to geography, income, disability, or other barriers to participating in programming. 

Eligible and Ineligible Project Examples

Sample eligible activities could include: 

• A rural community hosting a short artist residency at a local school. 

• An artist hosting a creative writing program with justice-impacted citizens. 

• An artist talkback or meet & greet in an exhibition featuring the work of the contracted artist. 

• A concert series focused on the music of regional or national composers. 
• Working with visiting artists to provide classes for people with disabilities. 

Funding is not available for: 

• Capital projects 

• Murals 

• Self-produced artist projects (you may not hire yourself) 

• Projects featuring artists from the applicant’s state  

• Projects that feature mostly student performers 

• Fellowships or scholarships 

• Non-arts projects (e.g. fireworks displays, conference speakers, etc.) 

• Fundraisers or benefits 

• Projects that are funded by another Arts Midwest or federal grant 
• Applications featuring artists who are residents from the following countries will not be eligible for support given Federal restrictions by the Office of Foreign Assets Control: Belarus, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Syria, and Venezuela.

Applicants may request a grant between $2,000 and $10,000. These grants are supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and require a 1:1 non-federal match. To demonstrate the match, your expenses should be at least double your grant request. 

If you are unfamiliar with federal grants or matching budgets, we recommend reading our three-part guide, “Understanding Federal Award Requirements,” before applying.  

Matching funds may include:  

• Staff salaries and wages  

• Volunteer time and in-kind contributions 

• Donations, non-federal grants, and ticket revenue 

• Cash contributions from the applicant or partners   

Federal funds cannot be used as match.  

Eligible Expenses 

Eligible expenses include but are not limited to: Artist fees (required), materials (e.g., paint, costumes, props), staff salaries to administer the project, software licenses to host virtual activities, facility rental, equipment purchases, accessibility accommodations for individuals with disabilities or auto-immune conditions, marketing and promotion, and artist travel. 

Ineligible Expenses 

Please do not include unallowable costs in your budget. Unallowable costs include, but are not limited to: 

• Refreshments, concessions, food, and alcohol 

• Fellowships or cash prizes 

• Purchase of capital equipment 

• Overlapping project costs between federal awards, whether received directly from a federal agency or indirectly, such as through a state agency or other entity 

• Entertainment costs, such as opening parties, receptions, or fundraisers designed to raise funds for your own organization and on behalf of another person, organization, or cause 

Awards are federally funded, so all costs must be allowable per 2 CFR 200, also known as the Uniform Guidance.  

Arts Midwest uses SmartSimple grants portal for applications. You must register in the system before you apply, if you are a new user. Please follow the steps below to complete your registration and your application. Previous applicants and grantees will be able to access the application by visiting the “Begin a new application” tile on the “Grants for Organizations” home page. 

Step 1: Registration (for new users only) 

1. Register in our SmartSimple grants portal 
2. On the registration page, click “Registered Non-profit Organization.” 
3. Input your information. 
4. Once you have filled out your registration and submitted, you will receive an email with a login link. Click on the login link. 
5. The link will take you to a screen where you will create a new password for your account. Then click submit. 
6. Once you have created the password, you will receive a verification code in your email. Copy the verification code from that email, and paste in the box on the login page. 
7. 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 Personal Profile. Confirm the info is correct from your registration. 

Step 2: Application 

Navigate to the Organization Portal Home. To begin the application, click on “Begin a new application.” Click “Apply Now” on GIG Fund FY27. 

1. Click save and begin your application. 

Application Phase 1: Eligibility Review (Due November 4, 2026) 

Questions and Requirements: 

• Applicant organization details (EIN, UEI number from SAM.gov, annual operating budget, mission statement, organization location information, publicity name). 

• Primary contact information 

• How did you hear about this opportunity? 

• Publicity name 

• Short summary of proposed project (100 words) 

• Short description of project activities (250 words) 

• Have you received funding from Arts Midwest before? (yes/no) 

• Have you received funding from your state arts agency in the last five years? (yes/no) 

• Do you anticipate your local state arts agency will fund this project? (yes/no) 

• What is the population of the city where you are located? (0-9,999; 10,000-49,999; 50,000+) 

• Is your organization based in or within 25 miles of a city with a population of 50,000+?  (yes/no) 

• Project start and end dates 

• Grant request amount 

• Did your organization expend $1,000,000 or more in federal funds during your most recent fiscal year?  (yes/no) 
  • If yes, please provide your most recently completed Single Audit financial statement. (upload field) 

• Please provide your most recently completed Financial Statement Audit. 

• Within the last three years, has your organization experienced any of the following related to grant funding?  
  • Single and/or Financial Statement Audit findings, Repayment of grant funds, Revocation of a grant award, Corrective action required by a funder (select all that apply)
  • Please briefly describe the issues and any corrective actions taken (text field) 

• If grant funds are provided on a reimbursement basis, does your organization have the financial capacity to pay project expenses before requesting reimbursement? (yes/no) 

• Please review the following assurances, which are current as of September 14, 2026. If funded, you will need to comply with these assurances.

Application Phase 2: Full Proposal (Due November 17, 2026) 

Once Arts Midwest reviews your eligibility from Phase 1, you can move on to Phase 2. 

Initial Questions 

• Project discipline 

• Number of anticipated adults served 

• Number of anticipated youth served 

Narrative Questions 

• Artist summary (500 words). Please provide details about the artist(s) you intend to bring to your community. Where are they from? Why have you chosen them? 
• Activity summary (500 words). Describe the two proposed project activities that feature the artist/ensemble, including where and when they will take place. If exact dates are unknown, please provide a range of possible dates/months.  
• Describe the community your program impacts (500 words). Please describe the community you plan to reach with your programming with details about the underserved group(s) you intend to reach. 

Other Required Information 

• Project budget 

• Additional details about your budget (optional) 
• Did you use AI to help you complete your application?
  • If yes, please describe how you used AI.
  • Applicants may use AI in editing or proofreading narratives. Arts Midwest does not allow AI-generated artwork to be submitted as part of an application.

Applications are reviewed by an independent panel using four equally weighted criteria:  

• Artistic excellence and merit.  

• Audience engagement.  

• Organizational capacity and resource management.  

• Project planning and readiness.  

Priority will be given to applicants based in and serving rural communities and applicants who are programming artists from the Arts Midwest region. We anticipate that 40% of awards will go to rural organizations. Arts Midwest defines rural communities as being smaller than 10,000 people and more than 25 miles away from a metropolitan community.

Grantees must submit: 

• An activity listing at least 30 days before the project begins. 

• A final report within 30 days after project completion. To view the final report requirements, check out this Guide 

 All funded projects must acknowledge both the National Endowment for the Arts and Arts Midwest in promotional materials. 

Before applying, review the informational video and Frequently Asked Questions. 

Applicants are also welcome to attend Office Hours: 

• 12:30-1:30 pm CST, Monday, October 5, 2026. Sign up for Office Hours #1. 

• 4-5 pm CST, Wednesday, October 14, 2026. Sign up for Office Hours #2. 

• 10-11 am CST, Tuesday, October 27, 2026. Sign up for Office Hours #3. 

You can also email Katie Ortman, program manager, with your questions at katie.ortman@artsmidwest.org. 

Arts Midwest Resources 

• GIG Fund: Interstate Touring Frequently Asked Questions
• Understanding your Federal Award Requirements 

• How to Build your Federal Award Budget 

• Reporting on your Federal Award 

Sample Applications

• Sample Application 1: Wormfarm
• Sample Application 2: Chicago Composers Orchestra

Accessibility Resources 

• Section 504 Self-Evaluation Workbook 

• Arts Midwest’s Accessibility Center 

Crediting and Visibility 

• Downloadable logos for crediting. 

Other Resources 

• SmartSimple Registration Instructions 

• Getting a UEI from SAM.gov Instructions 

Why is the GIG Fund changing to GIG Fund: Interstate Touring?

Over the last few years, the GIG Fund has grown more popular, and more competitive. So this year we’ve focused it on something more specific: helping artists cross state lines. State arts agencies can only fund artists working within their own state, which leaves touring between states harder to support. GIG Fund: Interstate Touring aims to help fill that gap and bring artists to communities that rarely get to host them

What happened to the GIG Fund: Arts & Wellness?

The Arts & Wellness track was a one-year pilot program. Arts Midwest is currently working on a new grantmaking program building on these efforts, which will launch separately from GIG Fund: Interstate Touring, likely in early 2027. You can sign up to get updated about new funding opportunities through our email newsletter.

Does the artist I select have to be based in the Midwest?

Priority will be given to applications featuring artists from Arts Midwest’s region but it is not a requirement. As long as the artist you’re working with is based in a state (or country) that is not your own, they will be eligible.

However, applications featuring artists who are residents from the following countries will not be eligible for support given Federal restrictions by the Office of Foreign Assets Control: Belarus, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Syria, and Venezuela.

If my organization isn’t rural, should I still apply?

While rural organizations are prioritized, all eligible organizations can apply. We anticipate that 40% of awards will go to rural organizations.

What do you mean by rural?

Arts Midwest defines rural communities as being smaller than 10,000 people and more than 25 miles away from a metropolitan community.

If I received a grant award for a previous round of GIG Fund, may I still apply this year?

Yes. However, funding is determined on a state-by-state basis, and if we receive a high volume of applications from your state, funding priority may be given to applicants who have not previously been awarded.

How many applications will be funded?

We anticipate funding approximately 55-70 grants this cycle.

Will I receive the full award amount upfront?

No. If awarded, you may be eligible to receive 90% of your award upon full execution of a grant agreement. 10% will be reserved until Arts Midwest receives and confirms completion of a final report.

May I request more than $10,000? How about less than $2,000?

Grant awards are available between $2,000 and $10,000, regardless of an artist’s fee or your project’s total budget. You may not request more than $10,000 and you may not request less than $2,000.

I am part of a performing arts organization (theatre, dance company, orchestra, etc.). May I apply to fund a performance that features our artists?

No. The artist(s) featured in a funded performance must be outside the applicant’s own organization. We cannot fund the wages of an applicant’s own company members or resident artists. In other words, theatre/dance companies rarely qualify unless they serve as a venue or host organization for a visiting artist or production company. Self-produced productions do not qualify (you may not hire yourself).

May I request funding for a festival/event that features multiple artists?

Yes. However, we still recommend being as specific as possible regarding the events and the audience you intend to reach. The event must be featuring artists from outside the applicant’s state. It may be useful to focus your application on a single artist/ensemble or on a component of your project.

Why don’t you fund organizations with fiscal sponsorships?

Funding for this program is made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. As such, GIG Fund applicants and grantees must abide by federal eligibility requirements.

Learn more from the NEA about fiscal sponsorships.

Do you have a preview of the full application I can look at?

All application questions are outlined in the guidelines.

Can I get feedback on my application?

We are unable to deliver panel feedback on Arts Midwest programs. Funding opportunities can be very competitive and applicants may not receive funds despite a strong application.

I don’t qualify for the GIG Fund. What other funding sources would you suggest?

We encourage you to check with our Arts Funding Finder as well as your state arts agency for other funding opportunities.

I still have questions. Who do I contact?

Email grants@artsmidwest.org, or contact us by phone.

Katie Ortman, program manager, 612-238-8004