General Operating Support

The General Operating Support (GOS) grant program is designed to strengthen Kansas' cultural infrastructure by providing funding to public and private nonprofit arts and cultural organizations. These include museums, local arts councils and commissions, statewide arts and cultural service organizations, and other entities engaged in cultural programming across various disciplines such as music, dance, theatre, creative writing, literature, painting, sculpture, folk arts, photography, crafts, media arts, and visual arts. Organizations must have a mission that directly supports arts and cultural programming to be eligible for funding. All activities and expenditures covered by the grant must occur within the designated grant period, which runs from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. Applications must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. CST on Friday, February 28, 2025. The funding available through this program ranges from a minimum of $1,000 to a maximum of $25,000, depending on the eligibility and needs of the applicant. A matching requirement of at least 1:1 applies to all grants, meaning that applicants must contribute an equal amount to their grant request through a combination of cash and in-kind expenses. For instance, an organization requesting $10,000 in grant funding must demonstrate an additional $10,000 in non-state and non-federal funding sources for a total project budget of $20,000. Organizations located in designated Rural Opportunity Zones may use in-kind non-monetary donations to meet up to 100% of the required matching funds. Eligible applicants include established 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organizations whose primary purpose is to produce, present, promote, or serve the arts, federally recognized tribal communities, and units of local government. Arts-based units of public entities must maintain their own discrete operating budgets and have an advisory or governing board to qualify. Additional eligibility details and application guidelines can be found in the program's official documentation. Applications should provide detailed information on the organization's mission, proposed use of funds, and financial capacity to meet the matching requirement. The grant review process will assess factors such as the applicant’s organizational capacity, the impact of its cultural programming, and its ability to effectively utilize the funds. Final award decisions will be based on the overall alignment of the application with the grant's objectives and funding priorities.