SRAC Arts & Culture Grants
Springfield Regional Arts Council grants are designed to support worthy organizations that carry out arts and culture initiatives across the Springfield area. Learn more about funding opportunities, requirements and previous grant recipients.
What Are the Arts & Culture Grants?
The Springfield Regional Arts Council’s Arts & Culture Grant Program aims to transform lives and enrich the community through arts by providing funding support, collaborative partnership opportunities and program assistance for nonprofit arts and cultural organizations that are SRAC members.
The Arts & Culture Grants come in two options: Operating Support Grant (available every 3 years), to help with operational expenses and Program Support Grant (available annually), to help nonprofits fund various programs, projects and initiatives. Both grants prioritize advancing arts advocacy, education, collaboration and tourism, ensuring high-quality cultural access for the community.
The Arts & Culture Program Support Grant
The Arts and Culture Program Support grantmaking initiative, facilitated by the Springfield Regional Arts Council (SRAC), endeavors to enhance the local community through artistic endeavors. Supported by a portion of the local hotel/motel tax, along with contributions from the Community Foundation of the Ozarks and the Jeannette L. Musgrave Foundation, this program offers financial support, partnership opportunities and program assistance to nonprofit arts and cultural organizations within the SRAC’s membership.
With a total allocation of $120,000, this grant round supports a variety of arts-related activities, such as events, performances, classes, exhibitions and collaborative projects. Individual agencies are eligible to apply for up to $10,000 in funding. While $30,000 is earmarked for Springfield agencies, the remaining $90,000 is available to the SRAC’s 27-county region. Visit the Program Support Grant page for more details.
*Applications for Program Support Grant are due on April 17, 2025.
The Arts & Culture Program Support Grant
The Arts and Culture Program Support grantmaking initiative, facilitated by the Springfield Regional Arts Council (SRAC), endeavors to enhance the local community through artistic endeavors. Supported by a portion of the local hotel/motel tax, along with contributions from the Community Foundation of the Ozarks and the Jeannette L. Musgrave Foundation, this program offers financial support, partnership opportunities and program assistance to nonprofit arts and cultural organizations within the SRAC’s membership.
With a total allocation of $120,000, this grant round supports a variety of arts-related activities, such as events, performances, classes, exhibitions and collaborative projects. Individual agencies are eligible to apply for up to $10,000 in funding. While $30,000 is earmarked for Springfield agencies, the remaining $90,000 is available to the SRAC’s 27-county region. Visit the Program Support Grant page for more details.
*Applications for Program Support Grant are due on April 17, 2025.
The Arts & Culture Operating Support Grant (Available in 2027)
The SRAC’s Arts & Culture Grant Program, in collaboration with the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, aims to enhance the community through the arts by offering funding support, collaborative opportunities and program support to SRAC member nonprofit arts and cultural organizations. Funding, derived from a portion of local hotel/motel taxes, supports the operational needs of five Springfield arts organizations, providing $20,000 annually for three years. These funds, intended to supplement operational expenses, can be used for various purposes such as rent, marketing, facilities and technical equipment. The grant prioritizes advancing arts advocacy, education, collaboration and tourism, as well as supporting the professionalization of the sector while ensuring high-quality arts and culture access for the community. Requests cannot exceed 50% of an organization’s annual budget and the grant’s impact should align with boosting travel and tourism to Springfield. The maximum page length for full proposals is up to 10 pages (including executive summary). Visit the Operating Support Grant page for more details. The Operating Support grants were awarded in 2024. The next open cycle for this category will be in February 2027.
Grant FAQs
Have questions about the SRAC’s grants? View our FAQs below.
Q: Our organization is just getting started, and we don’t have our 501(c)(3) designation from the IRS yet. Are we eligible to apply?
A: No. Eligible organizations must be a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, government entity, school district or tax-exempt faith-based organization.
Q: Do I need to be a member of the Springfield Regional Arts Council?
A: Yes. Annual memberships range from $50 to $500, depending on the organization’s size. Give us a call! We can find the right membership for your organization and discuss the great benefits available to SRAC members.
Q: Are fiscally sponsored organizations eligible to apply?
A: No. Eligible organizations must be a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, government entity, school district, or tax-exempt faith-based organization.
Q: Our organization has received an Arts & Culture grant in the past. Are we eligible to apply again this year?
A: Absolutely! As long as your project or need matches the outlined priorities and guidelines, send us an application. Recipients of the Operating Support grant are not eligible for Project Support funding during the 3-year funding cycle.
Q: Who makes funding decisions for the grants?
A: All eligible grants are reviewed by a committee consisting of SRAC board members, experts in the arts and culture field, educators, and other qualified community members.
Q: When will funds be awarded?
A: During First Friday Art Walk on Friday, June 6, 2025.
Q: Who has received this grant in the past?
A: A wide variety of organizations have been awarded funding in the past, including film, festivals, visual arts, theatre, opera, vocal music ensembles and many others. You can view all of our past recipients on our Past Arts & Culture Grant Recipients page.
Past Arts & Culture Grant Recipients
View our list of our past grant recipients by year and see how grant funding helped these organizations in their endeavors to enrich the Springfield community.
