Arts in Neighborhoods Community Event Mini-Grants
Arts in Neighborhoods Community Event Mini-Grants
Fund for the Arts Community Event Mini-Grants support the implementation of short-term or one-time innovative and creative events that engage communities within specific neighborhoods of Greater Louisville. This grant program is part of the Arts in Neighborhoods initiative. Past Mini-Grant recipients: Fall 2023, Winter 2024, Spring 2024.
If you are interested in applying for a Community Event Mini-Grant, please read through the Grant Guidelines before starting an application.
The Community Event Mini-Grant Guidelines contain information including:
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- Program and Applicant Guidelines
- Funding Limit and Match Requirements
- Application Format and Materials Required for the Application
- Grant Criteria and Review Process
- Reporting and Recognition Guidelines for Grantees
Who may apply?
Individuals, Groups, and Organizations who are based in the Greater Louisville area, including the following counties: Bullitt, Jefferson, Oldham, and Shelby counties in Kentucky; Clark, Floyd, and Harrison counties in Indiana are eligible to apply.
Applicants may submit proposals as an individual, a group, or organization without tax-exempt status, or as a nonprofit organization.
Partnership Guidelines (Updated June 2024)
- Community-based applicants are strongly encouraged to apply with an artist or arts organization as a Partner.
- Artists and arts organizations are strongly encouraged to apply with a community-based individual or group as a Partner.
- Individuals, groups, or organizations that are both community-based and arts-based are welcome to apply with additional Partners, but this is not required if the applicant represents both the community connection and arts elements for this application.
Ideally, a Partner will make a significant contribution to the event, deepening either the community connection or the arts component. A Partner will also provide a Statement of Commitment letter, included in the application.
Does a community need to be linked to a specific neighborhood?
A community does not need to be tied to a specific geographic location in Louisville, and can also be a community linked by a common interest, such as gardening or dance, or a community linked by a common culture, such as an immigrant community or the LGBTQ+ community.
Is there a funding limit?
- Applicants may request between $500 and $5,000 in Mini-Grant funding.
- Requests up to $2,000 do not require matching funds.
- A 1:1 match is required for all funds requested above $2,000, so that a $2,500 request would require a $500 match and a $5,000 request would require a $3,000 match.
- The 1:1 match for funds requested above $2,000 may consist of cash or the value of in-kind donations of goods and services.
Please see the Mini-Grant Guidelines for more information on the matching component, Partner component, and what makes a strong community-based application.
| Eligible Requests | Ineligible Requests |
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Format and Materials for the Application
The Mini-Grant Application consists of 5 main sections
- Contact Information
- Community Event Information
- Attachments
- Budget
- Demographic Information
Please see the Mini-Grant Guidelines for more detailed information on the content of each section, including specific questions asked and word count limits.
How often may a person, group, or organization apply?
- Applications are awarded on a rolling basis and may be submitted at any time during the year.
- An applicant may only submit one application per grant cycle.
- If a grant is awarded, applicants will be required to wait for the next 3 grant cycles before applying again.
- Applicants are not required to resubmit their application. If an application does not receive funding and the event date has passed, the applicant can apply for a new event at any time.
- Organizations, groups, or individuals serving as Partners or fiscal agents for another awarded project may apply for their own event during the 12-month period.
Award Criteria and Determination
All applications will be reviewed and evaluated by a panel consisting of community volunteers who represent a broad range of artistic and cultural viewpoints, geographic, racial, and ethnic diversity, and a strong, proven desire to support our local arts ecosystem.
If you are interested in volunteering to be a part of a community review panel, you can apply to serve as a panelist by filling out the short form on our website.
The full Community Event Mini-Grant Scoring Rubric provided to reviewers is available here.
Please see the Mini-Grant Guidelines for more detailed information on the review process and award criteria.
Grant Periods and Deadlines
Community Event Mini-Grant applications may be submitted on an ongoing basis and will be reviewed quarterly, with awards made on the following timeline (revised May 2024):
Fall/Winter Cycle
- Applications received through Friday, July 19 are eligible
- Due to the tech outage on July 19, applications are due July 22 at 11:59 pm
- Notification to applicants by Friday, August 16
- Grant Period – events happening September – February
- Grant Report due by February 28
Winter/Spring Cycle
- Applications received through Friday, October 18 are eligible
- Notification to applicants by Friday, November 15
- Grant Period – events happening December – May
- Grant Report due by May 31
Spring/Summer Cycle
- Applications received through Friday, January 17 are eligible
- Notification to applicants by Friday, February 14
- Grant Period – events happening March – August
- Grant Report due by August 31
Summer/Fall Cycle
- Applications received through Friday, April 18 are eligible
- Notification to applicants by Friday, May 16
- Grant Period – events happening June – November
- Grant Report due by November 30
*If an application’s event date does not fall within the grant period, the application will be carried forward into the next round of reviews. Grants will not be awarded retroactively for events that took place or began before the grant period.
Helpful tip: If your event spans different grant periods, consider applying for a specific opening event, closing event, or a free community night
Questions or Additional Information
Learn more at the recorded info session below or join virtual office hours: Tuesdays at 4 pm. Click here to join
*new applicants will be asked to create an account
*returning applicants, this link gives you access to the Community Events Mini-Grant application
Coming back to this application later?
Still Have Questions? Contact the Fund for the Arts Community Investment & Support team at grants@fundforthearts.org
0:00 – Intro
1:55 – Mini-Grants Webpage
5:27 – Discussion of Updated Grant Periods and Deadlines
7:52 – Mini-Grant Guidelines
16:16 – Discussion of Updated Match Requirements
29:17 – How to Log into the Grant Portal
43:03 – Instructions and Contact Information sections on the Application
45:45 – Event Logistics Section on the Application
49:29 – Event Information Section on the Application (3 out of 4 of the longer questions in the Application)
54:24 – The Budget Section on the Application, including template, helpful tips, and example budget
1:15:52 – The Attachments Section on the Application, including the Partner Statement of Committment Letter
1:20:35 – The Demographic Information Section on the Application
1:24:14 – How to be sure an application is submitted
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