Art creators
Mission Support grants
Mission Support Grants support nonprofit organizations with the arts as their primary purpose. Mission Support grants consist of two years of unrestricted funding. In 2023-2024, ArtsKC awarded 44 Mission Support Grants totaling $231,000. The average grant amount was $5,250. 62.9% of applicants in this category received a grant of any amount.
ArtsKC strives to be an equitable and progressive funder. Because of these values, ArtsKC has shifted its Mission Support grant category to a multi-year model. This model allows arts organizations to apply for two years of unrestricted funding with minimal reporting and paperwork.
2024-2025 Deadlines:
Application opens July 18, 2024
- Virtual Info Session: October 3rd, 12-1pm. View the recording here!
- Deadline to apply: Wednesday, October 23rd at 11:45 PM
- Grant committees will meet in November and December, 2024
- Grant announcements will be made in late December, 2024
- First Impact Report Deadline: November 27, 2025
- Final Impact Report Deadline: June 17, 2026
If ArtsKC receives enough applications, staff will sort the applications by budget size and put them in two groups below and above the median amount. Group A – smaller to midsize budget organizations. Group B – midsize to larger budget organizations. The median will be determined after receiving applications. Both Groups will be evaluated on the same timeline.
2023-2024 Deadlines for Multi-year Grantees:
First Impact Report Deadline: November 18, 2024
Final Impact Report Deadline: June 16, 2025
To be Eligible for funding in the Mission Support category, an organization must:
- Be a registered not-for-profit arts organization whose primary purpose is the arts
- Be principally located in the five-county Kansas City metropolitan area (Clay, Jackson, Johnson, Platte, Wyandotte)
- Have a governing body with bylaws
- Have at least two years of financial records and established history of programming
Organizations may submit one grant application to ArtsKC per year.
Organizations may not apply for Inspiration Grant funding, which are for individual artists.
ArtsKC funding is meant to support public-facing and publicly accessible programming. Educational institutions should apply in Project Support.
For organizations that have received an ArtsKC grant in the past, Impact Reports must be submitted and accepted before applying again.
Applications are submitted online using the ArtsKC Grant System.
If you have not applied before, when you go to the ArtsKC Grant System, click on the “Create New Account” button, and follow the directions there. If you are a new user but your organization has applied for ArtsKC funding before, email Grantmaking@ArtsKC.org to help set up your user profile.
If you have applied before, log in to your existing account in the ArtsKC Grant System and click on the “Apply” link to start a new application. Use the “Forgot Your Password?” link if you don’t remember what your password is. When you return to work on a saved application, be sure to look for your previously started form!
If you need assistance with the online application process, please see this video: Grant Applicant Tutorial.
*Note: The online grants system is compatible with screen reading systems, but does not have an in-application screen-reader.
Draft applications may be submitted for review by staff. This step is strongly encouraged for new applicants. Draft applications do not require a full set of attachments or support materials to be reviewed and should be completed via the online grants system. Once the application has been completed for a draft review, email the ArtsKC Grants staff to say that the application is ready for draft review. ArtsKC staff will review applications in the order they are submitted and will provide timely feedback to the applicant. Applicants will be able to make changes directly in the application without having to start the application over. Draft applications must be submitted 30 days before the application deadline in order to allow time for staff to review it.
A preview of the 2024-2025 Mission Support application is linked below:
Mission Grants are competitive. Grant recipients are chosen by a continually renewed and representative group of community members with a variety of expertise and diverse perspectives. Committee Members are selected for their artistic knowledge and experience, awareness of community needs and issues, and other contributing factors. An ArtsKC Board Member leads each committee. Grants are approved by the ArtsKC Board of Directors.
The committee will consider:
- Artistic and Programmatic Excellence
- Community Impact
- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility
- Financial Management and Need
- The application in comparison to all other applications in the competitive process.
Committee members will use the following Evaluation Form:
Mission Support FY25 Evaluation Form
ArtsKC is seeking equity in our funding practices.
We will use the numbers and demographics you provide to determine how much of your organization’s staff, volunteers, and board of directors is made up of underrepresented communities such as BIPOC, LGBTQIA, and people with disabilities.
To work toward equity, the organizations that are diverse-led through greater overall representation among their staff, board, and volunteers will receive added value in the evaluation process. We acknowledge that collecting demographic data is a continually improving practice. Here’s a resource to consider: GuideStar by Candid’s DEI Survey Guide.
All grants will be for $5,000. Grantees will receive $5,000 this year and the second year grant amount will be contingent upon ArtsKC’s fundraising (though we will aim for $5,000). Additional funding may be assigned to organizations determined to be diverse-led.
Due to the small amount of variation between grant amounts, ArtsKC is no longer asking you to define your Requested Amount.
To accept a grant, you must return your signed Grant Agreement Letter and W-9 within 15 business days of the notice, or you will forfeit your entire grant award.
You do not have to accept grants. If you have been awarded a grant and would like to turn it down or return it because of a change in plans or for any other reason, please notify ArtsKC Grant Staff immediately.
Multi-year grants will consist of one payment per year. In order to receive the second year of funding, grantees must fill out an Impact Report. A short Impact Report must be filled out at the end of the two-year grant cycle as well in order to be eligible for future grants.
You are required to submit Impact Reports by the assigned deadlines. We understand that it may become necessary to request a reasonable extension. Please do so by contacting ArtsKC well before the deadline to ensure timely processing of your request. ArtsKC will work with applicants in the event a project is delayed or postponed. Please contact us to discuss the circumstances. If an Impact Report is not received after the agreed upon date, you will become ineligible to apply for ArtsKC grants. Ineligibility can be reversed by the submission of an acceptable Impact Report.
Impact Reports are submitted through the ArtsKC Grant System.
Impact Reports for Multi-year Grantees in 2023-2024:
- Impact Report 1 Deadline: November 18, 2024
- Impact Report 2 Deadline: June 16, 2025
Previews of these Impact Reports are available below:
Mission Support FY24 Impact Report 1
Mission Support FY24 Impact Report 2
Impact Report deadlines for 2024-2025:
- Impact Report 1 Deadline: November 27, 2025
- Impact Report 2 Deadline: June 17, 2026
Previews of these Impact Reports are available below:
During the duration of your active status as an Mission Support grant recipient, we ask that you recognize ArtsKC publicly in your promotional materials and programs in a manner consistent with your policy of acknowledging other donors. Please recognize ArtsKC by name, and use the ArtsKC logo. As part of this agreement, ArtsKC respectfully requests to use your name and any photos you are willing to provide in our promotional materials and online.
Please notify ArtsKC staff in writing of any major changes in leadership, programs or operations as described in your grant application. Updates to contact information are also necessary to stay in contact and to mail checks to the appropriate address.
2024-2025 Mission Support Grant Committees:
Group A – Grant Committee
Committee Chair: Chris Migneron – AIA, NCARB Senior Vice President, JE Dunn Construction
Alicia McDougal – Owner, Legacy Inspired HR Solutions
April Marie Mai – Artist and Educator
Bijoy Shah – Venture Capital Investor at Fulcrum Global Capital
Deanna Munoz – Director Strategic Alliances Latinx Education Collaborative, Founder Chicano Center for the Arts
Khyneesha Edwards – Graphic Designer, Director of Mentorship of AIGA Kansas City
Logan Stacer – Executive Artistic Director, Heartland Arts KC
Sally Paul – Artist, Educator, Curator
Sue Matcuk – Education & Training Manager, Burns & McDonnell
Thaovy Do – Brand Manager, Artist
Group B – Grant Committee
Committee Chair: Tim Marchesi CFA, President and CEO, Demarche
Cat Mueller – Curator of Education, Mid-America Arts Alliance
Danielle Anderson – Danielle Ate the Sandwich, songwriter/performer/teacher
Itto Outini – Author, Book Coach, MacDowell Fellow, Fulbright Scholar, & Owner of The DateKeepers
Junann Lopez – President, NAAAP-KC
Justin Nosler – Writer/Producer
Leigh Murray – Executive Director, KC Contemporary Dance
Markeyta Young – Education Programs Coordinator, Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey
Sheila Shockey – Artist and Owner of 80 Santa Fe Art Gallery
Victoria Barbee – Author, Entertainer, and Motivational Speaker
