Program Guidelines

Program Guidelines   |   What We Don't Fund   |   Application Overview   |   Start an Application

Please note that if you are invited to submit a full proposal to The McKnight Foundation’s arts program, you will need to complete a Cultural Data Project data profile for your organization. For more information, visit mnculturaldata.org. You do not need the data profile for our initial inquiry.

Program Guidelines: Arts


Art is an essential part of life for all Minnesotans. The goal of our arts program is to support an environment in which artists are valued leaders in our community, with access to the resources and opportunities they need to succeed.

Arts organizations can play an important role in developing and championing the work of Minnesota artists. We believe that artists are the heart of all arts activity. As primary drivers of our cultural community, Minnesota’s artists are key contributors to the rich quality of life and opportunities our state provides. We are particularly interested in innovative approaches that connect artists with people and create opportunities for everyone to participate in the arts. We look for artists and organizations who produce leading work in their fields.

The arts program employs five strategies.

1. We support individual Minnesota artists

  • Fellowships for midcareer artists in 12 disciplines statewide. These $25,000 awards are administered by independent nonprofit partners, and provide money to allow artists time and resources for their work.
  • Grants to artists administered through Minnesota’s 11 Regional Arts Councils. Tailored to each region, these grants ensure that artists statewide have access to support.
  • The annual McKnight Distinguished Artist Award, which recognizes one world-class Minnesota artist who has made significant contributions to the quality of the state’s cultural life. 
2. We fund the general operations of artist service organizations that provide income opportunities, space, technical assistance, advocacy, camaraderie, training, and various support services. Our partners include organizations whose primary mission is to serve artists.

3. We provide general operating and limited project support for small and midsized arts organizations with annual operating budgets under $5 million.
  • We make grants to organizations that model innovation in connecting artists and people, or that develop and deliver the work of Minnesota artists.
  • The organizations whose general operations we support understand and engage the communities in which they operate, and respect artists’ vital role in them. To be considered for operating support, organizations must have operating budgets of at least $100,000.
  • The limited projects we support empower Minnesota artists to be leaders, or provide unique opportunities for artists. To be considered for project support, no operating budget minimum is required; we will assess organizational capacity to manage projects on a case-by-case basis. Please note that project support for small and midsized organizations is infrequent.

4. We provide targeted support to large organizations with operating budgets over $5 million for projects that empower Minnesota artists to be leaders or that provide unique opportunities for artists. We target funds to organizations that play an essential role in the arts ecosystem, providing a gateway to the arts for diverse audiences while drawing national attention to our region.

5. We make capital grants for space, equipment, or technology, in support of core strategies or key partners. These grants are very limited.

We encourage you to call the Foundation at 612-333-4220 to discuss your ideas with a program officer and to learn more about the strategies we're pursuing.

What We Don't Fund

Foundations can be most effective by concentrating their resources in a few areas. This means we cannot support many worthy projects outside our program interests. We only consider requests from incorporated nonprofit organizations. We do not make grants directly to individuals or through fiscal sponsorship. We do not make grants for the following:

  • organizations primarily focused on arts access and education;
  • particular productions, events, exhibitions, or festivals;
  • organizations that do not pay their artistic staff ;
  • start-up costs or new organizations;
  • historic preservation/programming;
  • art rehabilitation/therapy;
  • performing arts presenters, except in rare circumstances;
  • conferences;
  • scholarships;
  • endowments;
  • activities that have a specific religious purpose;
  • lobbying prohibited by the Internal Revenue Code (see link below)


Application Overview

  1. Read and review the above funding guidelines, and call us at 612-333-4220 to confirm your work fits our program strategies.
  2. Preview the initial inquiry and full proposal applications.
  3. Review the Internal Revenue Code's lobbying regulations.
  4. When ready, follow the link below to start a new application.
We have quarterly deadlines for inquiries. The date by which we receive your completed initial inquiry will determine when your full proposal (if invited) is considered by our board. Deadlines are as follows:
  • October 15 for February consideration
  • January 15 for May consideration
  • April 15 for August consideration
  • July 15 for November consideration
The online application system is accessible for two weeks prior to deadline. Board consideration is pending full proposal invitation.

Please note, if a proposal is invited, McKnight will email a request for bank routing information.


Questions?

Please visit the Funding FAQ section, send us an email, or call us at 612-333-4220.