Grants Program Overview

Below are grants for the Fiscal Year 2026 (July 1st, 2025 - June 30th, 2026).
Questions? Send us an email at info@plrac.org.

GRANTS FOR ORGANIZATIONS

FLEXIBLE SUPPORT ($5,000-$15,000)

The Flexible Support grant provides funding to help organizations/groups create and sustain Minnesotans’ access to the arts. Eligible projects include operations, and/or organizational capacity, and/or arts programming:

  • Activities that support the operations of an organization/group (such as paying staff salaries or rent on a space) to provide arts access to Minnesotans in the 9-county area of Blue Earth, Brown, Faribault, LeSueur, Martin, Nicollet, Sibley, Waseca, Watonwan.

  • Organizational capacity activities, meaning ​​a coordinated management effort that bolsters an organization/group’s ability to do its work (like rebranding, building a website, or overhauling financial tracking systems) to enhance Minnesotans’ access to the arts. This could also be the purchase of equipment and/or making facilities improvements to provide arts access.

  • Arts Programming activities in the 9-county region of Blue Earth, Brown, Faribault, LeSueur, Martin, Nicollet, Sibley, Waseca, or Watonwan, whether a single event (such as a theater production) or a series (such as a series of music workshops).

K-12 SCHOOL ARTS PROJECTS ($3,000)

This program is for public and private non-parochial K-12 schools to fund residencies, live art performances, mini-workshops, or arts related field trips.

PILOT COLLABORATIVE SUPPORT for TWO ORGANIZATIONS ($25,000)

Application coming soon

The Pilot Collaborative Support program is a new grant to encourage and support collaboration between geographic and artistic spaces in our region.

  • Projects must include two 501(c)3s, government entities, or universities.

  • Applicants must be from two separate counties in the region.

  • Applicants must each apply separately for up to $12,500. The applications will be considered together and either both awarded or neither. Grant money will be issued to each applicant separately.

  • The award must be spent on the same project(s) within the 9-county region.

GRANTS FOR INDIVIDUALS

Creative Impact for Individuals ($3,000)

The Creative Impact for Individuals grant program provides $3,000 for artistic projects in the PLRAC region led by individuals. Projects must be focused on creating access to the arts for Minnesotans, and/or engaging with Minnesota communities through artistic endeavors.

Creativity in our Region ($250)

Here is a chance to try something new! The purpose of this grant is to encourage new types of people to interact with creative exploration and learnings that they might otherwise not prioritize without these funds. This program gives individuals the opportunity to register for a class or workshop and purchase supplies in an art discipline that they have been interested in, but haven’t had the chance or means to pursue.

Grants for Youth

Youth Scholarships

These scholarships award students in grades 7–12 $500, and grades 3–6 $300. Students have the opportunity to study their chosen art with a practicing professional artist by taking lessons over a period of months. Scholarships can be for all Art disciplines.

 

ONLINE APPLICATION  

Prairie Lakes uses an online grant process for all grant applications, contracts and final reports. First time users will be asked to register and create a grant account.