The Arts and Culture Program Support grantmaking program aims to transform lives and enrich the community through the arts by providing funding support, collaborative partnership opportunities, and program assistance for nonprofit arts and cultural organizations that are within the service area of the Springfield Regional Arts Council. This grant program is supported by a portion of the local hotel/motel tax collection allocated to the Springfield Regional Arts Council, and additional funding is made possible by the Jeanette L. Musgrave Foundation and the Community Foundation of the Ozarks. 

This grant program will provide programming support to organizations working primarily in the arts, including funding for events, performances, classes, readings, outreach activities, exhibitions, public art, collaborative partnership projects, and other programmatic strategies. 

The total amount available in this grant round is $120,000. Agencies may apply for up to $10,000 in funding. While $30,000 is designated for Springfield agencies, the remaining $90,000 is available to agencies within the SRAC's 27-county service area, including: Barry, Barton, Bates, Cedar, Christian, Dade, Dallas, Douglas, Greene, Henry, Hickory, Howell, Jasper, Laclede, Lawrence, McDonald, Newton, Ozark, Polk, Pulaski, St. Clair, Stone, Taney, Texas, Vernon, Webster, and Wright counties.

Eligibility Requirements: 

• The applicant must be a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, government entity, school district, or tax-exempt faith-based organization with a primary mission in the arts. Fiscally sponsored organizations are not eligible. 
• The agency must be a current member of the SRAC.
• Organizations not primarily working in the arts are not eligible for this grant program. 
• Matching funds are not required for this grant application, but they are encouraged. 
• Requests cannot represent more than 50% of the organization's annual budget. 

Funding Priorities: 

• Advancing arts advocacy, education, collaboration and tourism in Springfield. 
• Improving diversity, equity and inclusion of audience, arts offerings, board members, etc.  
• Project-based funding with an emphasis in collaborative projects.  
• Marketing efforts with the goal of increasing audience and/or community engagement and promoting regional tourism. 
• Outreach projects focused on youth (birth to 17 years) and/or senior citizens. 

In awarding grants, the CFO, the Musgrave Foundation, and the Springfield Regional Arts Council welcome applications from all types of organizations that meet the eligibility requirements listed above. With shared values including creativity in all forms, collaboration and partnerships, growth and education, innovation, quality, and accessibility, we acknowledge that the greatest impact comes from investing in arts and culture in a way that authentically celebrates communities. 

Contact Ashley Fleming (afleming@cfozarks.org), Grant Program Officer at 417-864-6199 with questions about this grant program.

Applications to this grant program are due April 17, 2025 at 11:45 p.m.