APPLY FOR FUNDING
If you are new to receiving funds from the Missouri Arts Council, or need a refresher, here’s how to start.
There are a few items that must be completed before you can apply.
If you are a nonprofit, you must register with the Secretary of State’s office. If you don’t know, check here.
If you are a nonprofit, you should be a 501(c)3.If you don’t know, check here.
You will need a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). If you don’t have one, go here. Select the Get Started button. There is no charge. For more information contact the Federal Service Desk at 866-606-8220. (Once you have registered, you will need to maintain this. Do not respond to third parties offering to help you renew. Make sure renewal notifications comes from a government email.)
You will need to register on our grant application website: SmartSimple. On that page, look for How to Register.
If your organizational budget is over $1,000,000, you will need an audit. Lucky you! This can be completed after you apply and before you get your funding in the fall. Look further down this page and you’ll find a tab with all the details.
The Missouri Arts Council, a state agency, provides funding to nonprofit organizations and public agencies through grants that support arts programming in Missouri. We are dedicated—as public leader, partner, and catalyst—to broadening the growth, availability, and appreciation of the arts in Missouri and fostering the diversity, vitality, and excellence of Missouri’s communities, economy, and cultural heritage.
We provide grants that meet our strategic goals:
– Engage people in meaningful arts experiences
– Grow Missouri’s economy using the arts
– Strengthen Missouri education through the arts.
The Missouri Arts Council funds art projects in most artistic disciplines that are open to the public. A project may include, but is not limited to, the following:
Performance of dance, music, opera, theatre, arts festival or arts component at a festival or fair, exhibition, literary journal, film screening, artist residencies and education programs (through Arts Education)
To be eligible to apply for Missouri Arts Council funding, an organization must fulfill these two requirements:
1) Be tax-exempt as determined by the Internal Revenue Service and incorporated in Missouri as a not-for-profit corporation. You must maintain not-for-profit status by filing the annual or biennial registration report with
the
Missouri Secretary of State’s office and annually filing Form 990 with the
Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
OR
Be a unit of federal or local government, such as a library, university, county, or municipal agency.
2) Conduct the proposed project in Missouri.
This may include organizations like the following:
Arts organizations, Arts education organizations, Community arts organizations, Social service organizations, Faith-based organizations, Youth organizations. Government agencies, Parks, Libraries, School (public and private
nonprofit), Colleges and Universities
The following entities are not eligible to apply for Missouri Arts Council funding:
Individuals
New organizations (in operation less than a year). New and emerging arts organizations must consult with the Missouri Arts Council before applying. Emerging groups need time and assistance to develop their mission and create effective events and programs.
Nonprofit organizations with foreign incorporation with the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office. Exception: Organizations that were previously funded may continue to be funded if they maintain a Missouri-based location and majority-Missouri board.
For-profit organizations (including B Corporations)
Nonexempt nonprofit organizations
An organization must maintain its eligibility throughout the grant period. The Missouri Arts Council will confirm the Missouri-based nonprofit eligibility when processing the application and double-check eligibility before paying invoice for reimbursement. The ineligibility issue(s) must be rectified before proceeding with the grant cycle, for example, forward application for panel review, issue Grant Agreement, and process invoice for reimbursement.
Missouri Arts Council funding will be jeopardized if any of the following occurs during the grant period:
Organization doesn’t file annual form 990 with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for the most recently completed fiscal year.
IRS revokes the organization’s tax-exempt status.
Organization doesn’t file timely registration reports with the Missouri Secretary of State’s office (SOS) or its nonprofit status is administratively dissolved.
Organization changes to a non-Missouri address as indicated with the IRS records, Form 990 returns, SOS nonprofit registration records (registered agent and organization’s principal place of business or corporate headquarters), and/or other public records, such as the organization’s website and Facebook page.
Additional Eligibility Requirement: SAM UEI
All Missouri Arts Council applicants must obtain a SAM.gov-assigned unique entity identifier (UEI). For details, consult the
Guide to Obtain a SAM-UEI Number.
Missouri Arts Council funds may be used for the following costs. All expenses must be specifically related to the MAC-funded project. Applicants must show the calculations for the project-related expenses in the Budget Detail.
Staff salary or fees for contractual personnel
Facilities costs, including rent, mortgage (principal only), utilities, security, insurance, and cleaning services
Marketing and promotion costs related to the project
Evaluation services and documentation (photo, video, audio, pre/post surveys, etc.)
Expenses to increase the accessibility of events, programs, and facilities for people with disabilities
Missouri Arts Council funding is available through the Express and Annual Grants. While both support arts programming, there are key differences in terms of deadline schedule, complexity of the application (and time required to prepare the application and support material), review time, and matching requirement.
Express Grants are designed for first-time applicants to Missouri Arts Council, shorter projects, smaller budget projects, or applicants that did not have access to the Annual grant. Express Grants have a simpler application, more flexible deadline schedule, and quicker turnaround. They require no match and receive 100% funding if the score is 75% or greater.
Express Grants deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling deadline, by the first Monday of the month which is at least two months before the project event date (or project incurs expenses, whichever occurs first). If the first Monday falls on a holiday, the deadline will be Tuesday. For example, if the project expenses will start December 2025 for a January 2026 performance, then the latest the application can be submitted by the first Monday of October 2025. The Missouri Arts Council encourages early submissions to support advance planning and ensure funding availability.
Annual Grants are designed for experienced Missouri Arts Council applicants with large budget arts projects. The annual application is extensive and more demanding with a rigid deadline schedule, a more competitive review process, and a longer turnaround. While the request amount is higher, organizations receive a smaller percentage of their request based on our funding.
Annual Grants deadlines: Optional draft application by last Monday in January. Final application by last Monday in February.
Payment of the Missouri Arts Council grant is always made on a reimbursement basis. Organizations must have sufficient cash reserves or incoming revenue to pay for all expenses upfront and wait for reimbursement. It is difficult to estimate processing time because there are many possible reasons for delays.
To receive payment of the grant, all Missouri Arts Council grant recipients must be registered with the State of Missouri as a vendor with current address and banking information for Electronic Funds Transfer. For more information, consult the federal System for Award Management at SAM.gov.
Annual Missouri Arts Council grants must be matched on a one-to-one basis. (Exception: Partnership match varies. Express Grants don’t require a match.)
The matching funds must come from other cash revenue sources (for example, ticket sales, concessions, program ads, local government grants, and corporate, foundation, or private support). MAC awards cannot be matched with state funding. Awards funded by MAC’s National Endowment for the Arts grant cannot be matched with federal funding..
You may apply for more than one grant under these circumstances:
Received > Annual Grant or Express Grant
Additional grant application allowed > Touring (Community) or Arts Education (Express or Annual
Received > Arts Council Grant
Additional grant application allowed > Touring (Community) or Arts Education (Express or Annual
Received > Mid-Sized Arts Organizations Annual Grant
Additional grant application allowed > Arts Education (Express or Annual)
Recipients of Established Institutions Annual Grants may not apply for any other grant.
Schools may also apply for School Touring or Big Yellow School Bus as part of their two grants. Partnership grants do not count towards your grant limit.
Projects that receive Missouri Arts Council funding must meet these requirements:
Be open to the general public
Projects that receive Missouri Arts Council funding must have a public presentation within the fiscal year of the award. Examples include exhibitions, publications, screenings, lectures, or performances. All public presentations
must be open and accessible to the general public and do not have to be free.
Be accessible to all persons with disabilities
MAC-funded programs must be accessible to persons with disabilities. Adequate accessibility includes timely notice of the event, space for disabled persons, proper scheduling to allow for the greatest number of persons to
attend, adequate parking, and signage. For accessibility assistance, contact Arts & Health Specialist Piper Hutson,
piper.hutson@ltgov.mo.gov or 314-244-8933
Fulfill contractual obligations
Grant recipients will sign a contract obligating the organization to responsibilities that accompany these funds. Missouri Arts Council will take the necessary action to rescind the awards of grant recipients that fail to
comply with the contractual requirements:
Recognize Missouri Arts Council funding
Projects that receive Missouri Arts Council funding must prominently recognize MAC’s contribution on their organization’s website as well as all project-related news releases, brochures, flyers, banners, etc., using
the Missouri Arts Council logo and this required credit line: “Financial assistance for this project has been provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.” Verbal acknowledgement should be given for events where
there are no printed materials and during communications with the media.
Be nondiscriminatory
You must comply with all local, state and federal laws and regulations concerning civil and human rights and must ensure that programs, employment practices and grants are free of any discrimination based on race, color,
national origin, disability, sex, or age.
Meet Fair Labor Standards
No part of any Missouri Arts Council-funded project should be performed or engaged in working conditions that are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to the health and safety of the employees engaged in such project. Compliance
with the state’s safety and sanitary laws is to take place. All professional performers and related or supporting professional personnel employed on Missouri Arts Council-funded projects must be paid at least minimum
compensation as determined by the U.S. Secretary of Labor to be the prevailing minimum compensation for persons employed in a similar activity.
Maintain records for review
Grant recipients are responsible for the accounting of funds awarded to them. Financial records are subject to audit or review by MAC, the state of Missouri,
and/or federal government. This may include all receipts, obligations, and disbursements of grant and matching monies. Records must be available for four years after the completion of the funded project.
You must inform the Missouri Arts Council in advance if there are changes to your grant after you receive your award notification. For changes to programs, schedules, or contact information, you may simply send an email from the authorizing agent to your program specialist. If you are releasing funds or changing the authorizing agent, this should be requested on your organizational letterhead to the program specialist. All changes must be approved by the Missouri Arts Council.
All organizations receiving Missouri Arts Council grant over $5,000 must enroll in E-Verify (a federal online authorization program), provide a Memorandum of Understanding, AND annually sign the Certification form that confirms ongoing compliance with E-Verify. This requirement ensures compliance with state legislation. In addition, Missouri Arts Council grantees must check their new employees’ immigration status with E-Verify.
Even though the federal guidelines apply to employees hired by the organization, Missouri’s law includes contracted staff that is internal to the organization and contracted to work on an ongoing basis. For example, executive directors, artistic directors, actors, and technicians. E-Verify is not necessary for individuals contracted to work for one or two events. Both the St. Louis and Kansas City Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts offices can assist you with information on E-Verify and Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification).
Applicants are required to submit unqualified audited financial statements without adverse opinion with their application (or by June 1) if they meet these criteria:
Organizations with operating expenses and/or income of $1,000,000 and over (if the applicant organizations to honor or recognize achievement
Cash reserves and endowments.
Commercial (for-profit) enterprises or activities, including concessions, food, T-shirts, artwork, or other items for resale. Unallowable costs include associated costs, such as staff.
Entertainment and social activities, such as receptions, parties, and community gatherings, and associated costs (such as food, supplies, catering, alcoholic beverages, planning, and staffing)
Development staff, contractors for fundraising purposes, and retail workers (such as gift shop employees and café workers), as well as costs associated with general fundraising for your organization
Rent for home office workspace
Recognize National Endowment for the Arts funding : Acknowledgment of the National Endowment for the Arts must be prominently displayed in all materials and announcements for the federally-funded project only. Use the NEA logo and credit line: “This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.” The National Endowment for the Arts should not be included in lists of donors that are not specific to the supported project or appear beyond the project period dates.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, provides that no otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States shall, solely by reason of his/her disability, be excluded from participation in, be denied benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance (29 USC 794).
Access should be integrated into all facets and activities of an organization, from day to day operations to long range goals and objectives. Access accommodations and services should be given a high priority and funds should be available for these services. All organizations are legally required to provide reasonable and necessary accommodations for staff and visitors with disabilities.
A staff member should be designated to serve as a 504 coordinator. Section 504 self-evaluation must be on file at your organization. The compliance and supporting documentation should be kept on file for a period of four years after the completion of the Missouri Arts Council-funded project. Accessibility resources, including the Section 504 Self Evaluation Workbook and Design for Accessibility: A Cultural Administrator’s Handbook, are available on the NEA’s website.
Debarment and suspension: Grant recipients must comply with requirements regarding debarment and suspension in Subpart C of 2 CFR 180, as adopted by the NEA in 2 CFR 32.3254, and Executive Order 12549. Grant recipient certifies that neither it nor its principals are presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in any federal program. Failure to comply may result in the debarment or suspension of the grantee and the National Endowment for the Arts suspending, terminating and/or recovering funds.
The Missouri Arts Council uses a portion of its National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Partnership to support grants in these grant categories:
Arts Council – Operating Support
Arts Education
Established Institutions
Mid-Sized Arts Organizations
Organizations of Color
Grantees that receive these funds are bound by requirements in pages 34-40 in
How to Manage Your NEA Award Handbook.
Listed below are common unallowable costs for grants supported with federal funds. The complete list is
available online.
Project costs supported by any other federal funding. This includes federal funding received directly from a federal agency or indirectly from a pass-through organization.
Awards to individuals or organizations to honor or recognize achievement
Cash reserves and endowments.
Commercial (for-profit) enterprises or activities, including concessions, food, T-shirts, artwork, or other items for resale. Unallowable costs include associated costs, such as staff.
Entertainment and social activities, such as receptions, parties, and community gatherings, and associated costs (such as food, supplies, catering, alcoholic beverages, planning, and staffing)
Development staff, contractors for fundraising purposes, and retail workers (such as gift shop employees and café workers), as well as costs associated with general fundraising for your organization
Rent for home office workspace
Recognize National Endowment for the Arts funding
Acknowledgment of the National Endowment for the Arts must be prominently displayed in all materials and announcements for the federally-funded project only. Use
the NEA logo and credit line: “This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.” The National Endowment for the Arts should not be included in lists of donors that are not specific to the supported
project or appear beyond the project period dates.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, provides that no otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States shall, solely by reason of his/her disability, be excluded from participation in, be denied benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance (29 USC 794).
Access should be integrated into all facets and activities of an organization, from day to day operations to long range goals and objectives. Access accommodations and services should be given a high priority and funds should be available for these services. All organizations are legally required to provide reasonable and necessary accommodations for staff and visitors with disabilities.
A staff member should be designated to serve as a 504 coordinator. Section 504 self-evaluation must be on file at your organization. The compliance and supporting documentation should be kept on file for a period of four years after the completion of the Missouri Arts Council-funded project. Accessibility resources, including the Section 504 Self Evaluation Workbook and Design for Accessibility: A Cultural Administrator’s Handbook, are available on the NEA’s website.
Debarment and suspension
Grant recipients must comply with requirements regarding debarment and suspension in Subpart C of 2 CFR 180, as adopted by the NEA in 2 CFR 32.3254, and Executive Order 12549. Grant recipient certifies that neither it nor
its principals are presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in any federal program. Failure to comply may result in the debarment or suspension
of the grantee and the National Endowment for the Arts suspending, terminating and/or recovering funds.
Grant recipients must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) assigned by System for Award Management (SAM) with the organization’s current legal name and physical address. Maintaining an active SAM registration is no longer required for grantees supported with federal funds through the Missouri Arts Council. If you don’t have a UEI, go here. Select the Get Started button. There is no charge. For more information contact the Federal Service Desk at 866-606-8220. (Once you have registered, you will need to maintain this. Do not respond to third parties offering to help you renew. Make sure renewal notifications comes from a government email.)
Missouri Arts Council provides Operating Support grants through the following grant programs: Arts Council – Operating Support, Established Institutions, and Mid-Sized Arts Organizations.
Allowable expenses for operating support grants include but not limited to the following:
– Salary support, full or partial, for one or more staff positions, including fringe benefits
– Fees and stipends for artists and/or contractual personnel to support the services they provide for specific activities
– Facilities costs, including rent, mortgage (principal only), utilities, security, insurance, and cleaning services
– Marketing and promotion costs related to the project
Some grant programs have additional eligibility or other program requirements: Folk Arts, dance, festivals, literature, media arts, multidiscipline, music, and theatre.
Folk Arts Program
The Missouri Folk Arts Program accepts applications for projects that perpetuate and present traditional arts and artists, preferably those associated with the state of Missouri. For the purposes of this grant category, folk
arts are defined as the living, functional and expressive arts of everyday people passed down informally by word of mouth or imitation within close-knit groups. Such groups include: family, community, occupational, ethnic,
regional, or religious groups. The Folk Arts Program accepts applications for a variety of folk arts projects that can include the following:
– Exhibitions
– Performances and concerts
– Cultural tourism
– Demonstrations and workshops
– Folk life festivals
– School programs and residencies
Funding priority for Folk Arts
MAC strives to reach underserved areas and groups with special attention toward living traditional arts that are in danger of disappearing
Traditional arts practiced in Missouri by Missouri traditional artists
Additional application instructions for Folk Arts
Folk Arts Program applicants should:
– Select the drop-down option for “Folk Arts” on the Annual Discipline application form.
– Answer the additional Folk Arts questions: How does the project support living traditional arts and the artists who practice them? Describe the cultural significance of the art form(s) and the cultural heritage of the artists.
Staff members of the Missouri Folk Arts Program are located on the campus of the University of Missouri-Columbia, serve as program specialists, and provide technical assistance to grant applicants. Their mission is to build
cross-cultural understanding by documenting, conserving, and presenting our state’s living folk arts and folklife in collaboration with Missouri’s residents. For more information contact Lisa Higgins, Ph.D., director, 573-882-6296,
higginsll@missouri.edu, and Debbie Bailey, folk arts specialist, 573-882-3653,
baileyda@missouri.edu.
Dance
Applicants requesting support for dance productions that include students should address the following:
– Number of professional performers vs. the number of student performers in the production
– Qualifications of the teacher
– Quality of the work being produced by the dance company/school
– Budget Detail should include ticket prices.
Festivals
These requirements only apply to organizations requesting Annual Discipline or Off Year support in the Festivals category.
Additional eligibility criteria
– An arts festival has a significant emphasis on the arts, often with a variety of media, even if it is focused on one artistic area.
– An arts festival has a concentration of many arts activities and provides a showcase for local, regional, or national artistic talent.
– An arts festival occurs in a condensed time period. The length of a festival depends largely on the intensity and types of events scheduled. At minimum, an arts festival is an all-day event, usually 8-10 hours long. It
may be longer than a day, for example, a weekend or an entire week.
– An arts festival revolves around a theme that is easily identified.
Not eligible
– Event that has one activity scheduled over several days
– Series of events (for example, a single performance that occurs every Friday night for a month)
– Special event (for example, a single evening performance of cowboy poetry)
– Carnival/fairway
Additional application requirements for festivals
– Financial Statement: Festivals applicants are required to submit a financial statement for the previous year’s festival (first-year festivals are exempt from this requirement).
– If applying for support of multiple festivals, the Festivals applicant must clearly indicate/label which festival the expenses and income are for. For example, Fall Fest-Insurance $500 and Jazz Fest-Stage Rental $1,000.
Previously, applicants submitted separate Budget Details, but the new grant system format requires a different approach.
– Festivals applicants are required to submit the festival schedule of events and activities from the previous year’s festival. This could be printed materials distributed to participants or an image of the schedule of activities
posted at the event.
– Only one organization may apply for funding for a particular festival. Additional participants may not request funds for the same event.
Literature
Missouri Arts Council focuses on literary projects, including public readings as well as print and/or digital journals and independent and university presses that publish poetry, fiction, drama, and/or creative nonfiction
by contemporary writers and translators.
Media Arts
Missouri Arts Council accepts for consideration projects of a primarily artistic nature in the following mediums: film, video, digital (for example, web-based), radio, and audio. MAC considers both the intent and content
of the proposed projects. If the primary intent is to exhibit or promote another art form (for example, visual arts, literature), MAC will refer the project to the appropriate discipline.
Missouri Arts Council supports projects that propose to exhibit or create works of art in electronic media. MAC encourages Missouri-based works and non-commercial short film and video for exhibition.
Missouri Arts Council will consider projects involving the creation of works at any stage in development. Higher priority is given to projects with smaller budgets (up to $150,000), noncommercial projects (for example, experimental,
or video works), and projects requesting funds to assist with their completion.
Multidiscipline
These requirements only apply to organizations requesting Annual Discipline or Off Year support in the Festivals category.
Organizations that present or produce projects involving at least two different art disciplines might consider applying to the Multidiscipline category. Sometimes proposals for a single-discipline project receive higher reviews
by the Discipline panel rather than proposals for two projects in different disciplines in the Multidiscipline category. For guidance, contact the multidiscipline program specialist.
Music
Applicants requesting support for music projects should include a proposed repertoire for the project in the project description.
Organizations applying for Annual Discipline support must choose Music Instrumental or Music Vocal/Presenters. For guidance, contact the music program specialist.
Theatre
Applicants interested in applying in Annual Discipline, Off Year, or Express Project support may include the following projects. This is not an exhaustive list.
– Production or presentation of existing contemporary or classical work
– Development and production of new work, translations, and adaptations
– Community-based projects that involve the creation and/or production of theatre with community members
– Development, production, or presentation of theatre work for young audiences
Visual Arts
Applicants requesting exhibit support (in any grant program or category) must provide the viewing hours. The minimum requirement is 16 hours during the week and six hours during weekends or evenings (after 5:00 p.m.).
Missouri Arts Council funds cannot be used for exhibitions in which only associates of the organization—students, faculty, and/or members—are eligible to exhibit.
Exhibitions displaying original works of art receive priority over exhibits of reproductions.
Exhibitions of the applicant’s permanent collection must demonstrate the following:
– “Newness” or original nature of the materials or information presented
– Rasonableness of the conservation/preservation expenses related to the program
– Program’s educational value and/or cultural enrichment for the public
Colleges and Universities may apply for Missouri Arts Council funding. Their programs must be marketed and accessible to the general public in addition to students, faculty, and staff. MAC requires that at least 30% of the audience for college/university-affiliated programs come from the general public.
Accessibility for programs occurring on the college/university campus includes, but is not limited to, providing adequate signage directing the general public to the space and providing parking for off-campus visitors during the performance, exhibition hours, or arts activity.
MAC will not accept applications for projects in which course credit is the primary purpose.
MAC will not accept proposals for projects of faculty members of college/university applicants.
College application limit
Each academic department may receive one application per fiscal year. However, when the department includes more than one artistic discipline, MAC will accept one application for each artistic discipline per fiscal year.
For example, the Theater and Dance department may submit two applications—one for Dance and another for Theatre. However, the University cannot submit two applications for Theatre. For administration departments (like student
affairs), MAC will accept one application per fiscal year.
College budgets
Please contact your Program Specialist for assistance with your budget.
F&A Costs: colleges/universities may not charge a F&A cost recovery fee. While MAC won’t pay standard F&A charges, the budget may include basic operating costs that are directly related to the arts project.
In Kind Contributions: MAC’s definition of in kind is different than a university definition. MAC defines in kind donation as a donation of products or services from an individual or company outside of the university. MAC considers contributions from different university departments as applicant cash, not in kind.
State funds cannot be matched with state funds.
College Applications vs. Interim/Final Report
In the application, the college/university should provide all of the project expenses and income for the proposed arts project.
MAC prefers to see the relevant project expenses/income in the Interim and Final Reports. However, MAC understands that this might not be possible due to some policies about matching funds. In such cases, the college/university applicant must clearly state that the Interim/Final Report reflects the minimum budget to satisfy MAC’s matching fund requirement. Sample text: XYZ College has decreased the Project Budget to the minimum needed to match the MAC award. Since MAC requires a one-to-one match, the college is matching the $5,000 MAC award with $5,000 in applicant cash. Although the Project Budget has been decreased to the minimum match amount, the college acknowledges that the MAC award is supporting the entire Arts Project.
College contact person
MAC encourages all applicants to coordinate with the university’s grants/sponsored research office.
Only one person can be the official contact person with one email address, phone number, fax, and mailing address. This is used for all correspondence. Colleges/universities may provide additional/back up contacts for the grant file.
Authorizing official
For college/university, the authorizing official is the President or Board Officer.
Most of Missouri Arts Council’s annual grants are reviewed every other year. This includes Arts Council Project, Discipline, Folk Arts Program, and Organizations of Color Program. Organizations that receive operating support (Arts Council Operating, Established Institutions, and Mid-Sized Arts Organizations) are reviewed every three years. This process provides project support for multiple years, resulting in reduced time for preparing applications and greater assurance of funding.
For the “on year,” an organization submits an application for an arts project that will occur in the upcoming fiscal year. The panel’s review of the proposal determines the organization’s score for two (or three) years—the review year and following year(s)—using the funding formula.
During the interim year, an organization submits an Off Year Application. The off year award is determined by a funding formula which is based on the “on year” score and request amount, as well as available funding for that fiscal year. Missouri Arts Council budget changes every year and MAC applicants should anticipate that the award amount for the interim grant cycle will be different. The available funding depends upon the funds provided by the General Assembly and National Endowment for the Arts, as well as the budget approved by the Missouri Arts Council board at the June meeting.
The Missouri Arts Council aims to distribute funds fairly and equitably among art forms and across the geographic and ethnic diversity of Missouri. Advisory panelists evaluate applications according to three weighted criteria:
Artistic Quality, Community Involvement, and Management Ability. Most discipline grants are weighted by 50%-30%-20%. Arts Council Program’s criteria are weighted 30%-40%-30%.
Artistic Quality
Artistic Quality
MAC considers the extent to which a project maintains and improves the quality of Missouri’s arts services and broadens the artistic scope of the state’s cultural activities. MAC also considers the degree to which the project
preserves and enriches the cultural resources of the state and encourages traditional artistic activities and new and imaginative endeavors. In making determinations about artistic quality, application reviewers are guided
by the following:
– Biographical summaries of key artistic and technical participants
– Support materials, such as photographs, CDs, catalogs, reviews and articles
– The project’s contribution to its respective art field
– Folk Arts Program: Evidence of the authenticity and artistic integrity of the traditional art form and artists
Creativity
MAC evaluates the extent to which a project challenges and develops the applicant organization’s creative capabilities and the aesthetics of their constituencies by considering the following:
– The utilization of original and unique works of art
– Originality in program concept, design, and presentation
Community Involvement
The applicant organization should be in dialogue with its community about local needs and strengths and arts programming should reflect that dialogue.
Community Need
MAC considers the community’s need for the project as determined by the following:
– Community location and reach of applicant and the geographic need for arts services
– The project’s contribution to the education of the local community
– Demographics of applicant organization’s board, staff and volunteers
– The estimated size and range of audiences directly served by the project
– Outreach services to new and diverse audiences (for example, racial and ethnic minorities, the elderly, the disadvantaged, and the physically or mentally challenged)
– Creativity in audience outreach strategies
– Development and/or exposure of Missouri artists
– Accessibility of the project to the general public (location of project, appropriateness of facility, cost of event, publicity, etc.)
Community Support
Community’s support of the project is determined by the following:
– Size of past audiences
– Financial backing and/or donated professional goods/services from the community or local government– Letters of support/interest from past or proposed participants in the project
– Folk Arts Program: Evidence of the involvement of representatives and cultural specialists from the traditional communities presented
Management Ability
Administrative Ability
The quality of the organization’s project management is determined by the following:
– Program management including personnel, program development, marketing, venue management, activities, sponsors, volunteers, etc.
– Biographical summaries of administrative staff, whether paid or volunteer
– Financial stability of the organization based upon financial reports
– Administration of previous MAC-funded programs, including submission of prompt and complete Missouri Arts Council paperwork, as reported by MAC staff
– Clarity and completeness of the application form
– The organization’s fulfillment of its stated mission and long-range goals
– Evaluations of past project
– Past program support materials
Program Budget
The project budget is evaluated by considering the following elements:
– Accuracy
– Feasibility of the proposed project expenses and income
– Amount and diversity of non-Missouri Arts Council financial support for the project
– Evidence of clear financial need for Missouri Arts Council support. There are different dimensions of need. One organization may need MAC funds to stay in business while another may need funds to improve the quality of
what it is doing. Both types of need are legitimate.