Equipment & Facilities Improvement Grants
Equipment & Facilities Improvement Grants support organizations with equipment purchases and facility upgrades that strengthen their capacity to offer high-quality community arts activities in southwest Minnesota.
Funder: McKnight Foundation
Due Dates: November 25, 2026 (Draft review request) | December 9, 2026 (Application, 11:59 pm) | January 9, 2027 (Panel review) | January 26, 2027 (Board action) | January 27–29, 2027 (Notification) | February 1, 2027 (Earliest project start) | February 15, 2027 (Estimated payment) | June 30, 2028 (Latest project end)
Funding Amounts: Up to $10,000; $50,000 program cap per organization within 10 years; $20,000 annual SMAC grant cap
Summary: Supports equipment purchases and facilities improvements that strengthen organizations’ ability to serve regional community arts needs.
Key Information: Applicants must be located in SMAC’s 18-county service region or its two tribal nations.
Description
The Southwest Minnesota Arts Council (SMAC) administers Equipment & Facilities Improvement Grants to strengthen organizations’ capacity to serve the arts needs of its region. Supported by Minnesota’s arts and cultural heritage fund, with additional SMAC funding from the McKnight Foundation, the program supports sound and lighting equipment, structural and accessibility improvements, office equipment, and storage.
The main focus is organizations whose missions are primarily arts-focused. Non-arts organizations may also apply when the equipment or improvements primarily support community arts projects. Review places the greatest weight on the project’s impact on the organization, including its ability to offer future high-quality arts activities and measure the changes resulting from the investment.
