Creativity Grants for Projects

Applicants must:

• Be an Independent Artist, or 

• An arts-related organization in operation for one year or more and within grant income requirements, and 

• Identify a specific event, activity or project to occur within the application time frame.

Please note that applications forms in Smart Simple have been updated for FY24. Your application ID # should begin with '2024.' If it does not, you are working off a draft started from a previous year and will not be able to submit it. Please open a new FY24 application under the "Funding Opportunities" menu.

To be eligible, the applicant must be either an organization or independent artist. For detailed eligibility requirements and use of funds, please see the grant guidelines. 

FY24 How to Apply Webinar - Independent Artists

FY24 How to Apply Slide Deck - Independent Artists

Deadlines for the Creativity Grant Program are rolling. Applications are reviewed monthly, and Creativity Grants are awarded throughout the fiscal year until allocated funding is depleted. For awarded activities, payment may take up to 90 days.

MSAC convenes a group of panelists, comprised of members of the public statewide representing a range of discipline expertise, to electronically review and score all applications according to the review criteria above.

New for FY2024: Creativity Grant applications submitted by the last day of the month will be reviewed by the panel in the following month, with notifications to follow early the following month.

See Guidelines for a detailed schedule.

After the monthly panel review, applicants will be notified of the grant status as soon as possible, and, if approved, receive a formal grant agreement form to process the grant payment (100% of award amount).

Upon execution of the grant agreement, payment will be processed for receipt in 6-8 weeks. Grantees are required to submit a final report at the completion of the funded project. 

For detailed reporting requirements, please see the grant guidelines.

All MSAC grants are paid on the same timeline. To learn more, click here.

If awarded a Creativity Grant, the recipient must file a final report online in Smart Simple. The report will be added to the grantee's Smart Simple profile as soon as the Grant Agreement Form is fully executed.

Applications submitted between June 2023 and December 2023 will have a Final Report deadline of August 15, 2024. Applications submitted between January 2024 and April 2024 will have a Final Report deadline of December 31, 2024.

See Grant Guidelines for further information.

All grantees are required to submit a Final Report communicating data required by the National Endowment for the Arts. This required data can be found in the resource section below. For program specific Report information, please see the corresponding grant guidelines.