GIG Fund FAQ
The GIG Fund is a grant of $2,000-15,000 that helps Midwestern organizations bring artists into their community. This year, there are two tracks: GIG Fund and GIG Fund: Arts and Wellness.
About the GIG Fund
The GIG Fund provides grants of up to $15,000 for nonprofit organizations to offer public-facing arts projects and activities in Midwestern communities.
This year, we’re pleased to offer two tracks:
- 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.
Applicants may only apply for one GIG Fund grant per year.
We ask that all applicants complete an intent to apply via our SmartSimple grants portal so we can determine your organization’s eligibility and the eligibility of your proposed activities.
The intent to apply form asks for some basic details about your organization (location information, financials, etc) and about the project itself (description, start and end dates, and your grant request).
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/host organization for a visiting artist or production company. Self-produced productions do not qualify.
Yes. However, we still recommend being as specific as possible regarding the events and the audience you intend to reach. It may be useful to focus your application on a single artist/ensemble.
Grant awards are available between $2,000 and $15,000, regardless of an artist’s fee or your project’s total budget. You may not request more than $15,000 and you may not request less than $2,000.
You can view a PDF of the application questions for each opportunity below:
The character counts referenced in this document include spaces.
If your organization’s budget is under $2 million annually and your artist project reaches underserved audiences, you should apply for the regular GIG Fund.
If your organization has any size budget and your artist project has a specific wellness goal, you should apply for GIG Fund: Arts and Wellness.
Applicants may only apply for one GIG Fund grant per year. This means you cannot apply for regular GIG Fund and also apply for GIG Fund: Arts and Wellness. You must choose one track.
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.
Between the GIG Fund and the GIG Fund: Arts and Wellness, we anticipate funding approximately 80 grants this cycle.
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.