The East Central Regional Arts Council (ECRAC) offers the Small/Art Project Grant to support local and regional arts initiatives in Region 7E of Minnesota. This includes the counties of Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Pine, and the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe lands. The program is open to schools, nonprofits, government units, and community arts organizations seeking to create, sponsor, or host arts events and services for their communities.
The grant supports a broad range of activities, such as performances, exhibitions, artist residencies, public art projects, educational workshops, publications, and arts-related presentations. Funded projects must provide community access to the arts and may also support artist development or services that benefit artists and arts organizations.
Applicants can request between $600 and $5,000, and must provide an equal cash match. There is no limit to how many grants an organization can receive per fiscal year, though only one application may be submitted per deadline per program. Applications are accepted three times annually: October 1, February 1, and April 1.
To apply, organizations must submit their application via the ECRAC Grant Portal. Required documents include a project narrative, detailed budget using the provided template, certification form, and additional materials if using a fiscal sponsor or seeking equipment funding. Applicants can begin their submission approximately 4–6 weeks prior to the deadline.
The grant portal allows applicants to save and return to their work before final submission. After submission, applications cannot be modified. Applicants are encouraged to read the FY 2024–2025 Small Art Project Grant Guidelines in full and may contact ECRAC for additional support at grantinfo@ecrac.org or by phone at (320) 336-0200.
This grant provides an excellent opportunity for Region 7E communities to expand access to the arts and support meaningful cultural programming at the local level.
Use official templates, match funds 1:1, submit through ECRAC portal only
