Are you looking for a grant to bring COMPAS to your community?
Here is a list of possible funding sources to help you to bring a COMPAS Teaching Artist to your community. We are happy to support your grant writing by clarifying costs and recommending programs. For a small add-on cost to your program, we can provide a more in-depth review and consultation.
Funding Opportunities
Minnesota Regional Arts Councils
Region: Northwest Minnesota Arts Council
Counties: Kittson, Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake, Roseau
Region 2: Region 2 Arts Council
Counties: Beltrami, Clearwater, Hubbard, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen
Region 3: Arrowhead Regional Arts Council
Counties: Aitkin, Carlton, Cook, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake, Saint Louis
Region 4: Lake Region Arts Council
Counties: Becker, Clay, Douglas, Grant, Otter Tail, Pope, Stevens, Traverse, Wilkin
Region 5: Five Wings Arts Council
Counties: Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison, Todd, Wadena
Regions 6E, 6W, 8: Southwest Minnesota Arts Council
Counties: Big Stone, Chippewa, Cottonwood, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Lincoln, Lac qui Parle, Lyon, McLeod, Meeker, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Redwood, Renville, Rock, Swift, Yellow Medicine
Region 7E: East Central Regional Arts Council
Counties: Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Pine
Region 7W: Central Minnesota Arts Board
Counties: Benton, Sherburne, Stearns, Wright
Region 9: Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council
Counties: Blue Earth, Brown, Faribault, LeSueur, Martin, Nicollet, Sibley, Waseca, Watonwan
Region 10: Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council
Counties: Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Houston, Olmsted, Mower, Rice, Steele, Wabasha, Winona
Region 11: Metropolitan Regional Arts Council
Counties: Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, Washington
Minnesota State Arts Board
In addition to accessibility and operational funding, the Minnesota State Arts Board (MSAB) offers grants to schools and other organizations that can be used for arts programming.
Arts Education
Funds arts learning opportunities for people of all ages and abilities. Eligible activities include classes, workshops, camps, after-school programs, community arts education initiatives, online learning, and school-community partnerships that help participants develop skills and meaningful connections with the arts.
Arts Experiences
Supports the creation and presentation of arts activities that engage Minnesotans in their communities. Grants can fund performances, exhibitions, festivals, public art projects, tours, and other arts programs that bring arts experiences into community and public life.
Cultural Expression
Funds arts projects that preserve, explore, share, and celebrate cultural traditions and identities. Projects may focus on passing cultural knowledge within a community or sharing that culture with broader audiences through traditional or contemporary art forms rooted in cultural heritage.
Foundations or Associations Serving Schools
Achieve Twin Cities
Achieve Twin Cities administers “mini-grants” to educators in Minneapolis and St. Paul to support professional development opportunities, classroom activities, and field trip transportation.
To learn more about these grants and how to apply, contact mpsgrants@achievetwincities.org.
Association of American Educators – National Scholarship & Grant Program
- Teacher Scholarships: Full-time educators can apply for a Teacher Scholarship of up to $500 to fund professional development opportunities and workshops.
- Classroom Grants: Full-time educators can apply for a Classroom Grant of up to $500 to support supplies for variety of projects.
Notes: Applicants do not need to be members of the Association of American Educators (AAE) to be eligible for these awards, but applicants who are members of the AAE receive preference in the scoring process.
Carolyn Foundation
The Carolyn Foundation prioritizes middle and high school OST programs based in Minneapolis. They prioritize culturally relevant, relationship-rich youth development programs that offer high-quality, sustained engagement, empowering young people to build meaningful connections, exercise voice and choice, and stay involved over multiple years.
Ciresi Walburn Foundation
K-12 schools can apply for Ciresi Walburn Foundation grants to fund specific programs or projects that support students of color and low-income students. These grants are typically large and competitive.
Education Minnesota Foundation
- Classroom-Focused Project Grant: Up to $3000 for classroom activities that “go beyond the already implemented curriculum and will improve student achievement and instructional practice. Requested items must be used in the project to achieve measurable and observable outcomes. Projects that are replicable and address the needs of students from diverse backgrounds will receive preference, including geographic, racial, gender, academic, socio-economic, etc.” Can apply for a second year of funding.
- Professional Development Grant (individual or group): Up to $3000 for one individual or $3000 per person for a group of 2-5 individuals to attend a professional development event, training, or conference. This event can be held at their workplace.
Notes: Applicants must be dues-paying members of Education Minnesota to qualify for these grants.
Minnesota Initiative Foundations
The Initiative Foundation has Education Fund partners who award grants to schools in Central Minnesota. These grants can be used for student learning activities and special projects. Eligible school districts:
- Becker Education Foundation (info is not up-to-date)
- Lake Region Christian School Education Foundation (info is not up-to-date)
- Sebeka School Foundation (info is not up-to-date)
Northland Foundation
The Northland Foundation offers quarterly grants, but typically does not fund arts programs unless they use art as a mechanism to address one or more of their priority areas: Basic Needs, Belonging, Domestic & Sexual Violence, Early Childhood Care & Education, and Out-of-School Time.
- Eligible school districts are located in Aitkin, Carlton, Cook, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake, and St. Louis counties.
- Eligible tribal nations are: Bois Forte, Fond du Lac, Grand Portage, Leech Lake District 1, and Mille Lacs District 2.
Northwest Minnesota Foundation
The Northwest Minnesota Foundation does not currently have grants available for arts programming in schools, but school districts and educators can check periodically for opportunities.
- Eligible schools would be located in the following areas or counties: White Earth Reservation, Red Lake Reservation, Kittson, Roseau, Lake of the Woods, Marshall, Pennington, Polk, Clear Water, Beltrami, Norman, Mahnomen, Hubbard, and Red Lake
Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation
If your school or district would like to do a mural or public art project coordinated by one of our teaching artists, school districts are eligible to apply for a “Paint the Town” grant. This grant provides free painting and coating products for projects located in Southern Minnesota communities that have populations of 10,000 people or less.
Southwest Initiative Foundation
The Southwest Initiative Foundation posts local grant opportunities as they are available. The foundation generally does not make grants for the arts, but interested school districts or educators may submit a grant request form to see if their arts education-focused project or program idea is eligible for funding.
- Eligible schools would be located in the following areas or counties: Big Stone, Chippewa, Cottonwood, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, Lincoln, Lyon, McLeod, Meeker, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Redwood, Renville, Rock, Swift, and Yellow Medicine, and the Native nations of the Upper Sioux Community and the Lower Sioux Indian Community
Voya Unsung Heroes Awards Program
K-12 professionals can apply for a “Voya Unsung Heroes” Award to fund a creative educational project or program in their classroom, school, or school district. These grants are awarded annually in amounts of $ 2,000, $ 5,000, $10,000, and $25,000.
West Central Initiative
Public or nonprofit schools in either Fergus Falls or Perham-Dent can apply for a Personally Endowed Fund Grant for a special project or program. Grants range from $500 to $2500.
District-Specific Funding Opportunities
Edina Education Fund
This fund supports existing initiatives at Edina Public Schools.
Fridley Schools Foundation
The Fridley Schools Foundation offers “Innovation Grants” to fulfill “its mission to empower teachers and students through enriching educational opportunities.” For additional information, please contact info@fridleyschoolsfoundation.org.
Minnetonka Public Schools Foundation
Minnetonka Public Schools offers grants for teachers that range from $100 to $3500 each academic year. Grant-funded activities must “have a direct curricular tie, be innovative, or creatively add to student experiences” in Minnetonka classrooms.
Roseville Area Schools Foundation
Grants available to “support activities in the classroom that would otherwise go unfunded and must align with at least one of the three strategic focus areas of the foundation. These are 1) eliminating opportunity gaps, 2) career and college readiness, and 3) social-emotional learning.”
Community Funding Opportunities
Edina Community Foundation
The Community Impact Program allows individuals or organizations to raise money in donations for a qualifying charitable project and then retrieve that money from a restricted fund at ECF. COMPAS programs may be restricted from using these funds if that COMPAS program itself is being funded in part by another grant or foundation.
Educator Professional Development
The National Education Association (NEA) Foundation
Public K-12 school and higher education professionals can apply for a Learning & Leadership Grant of up to $5000 to support professional development activities, including registration and travel costs. Eligible applicants must be members of the National Education Association.
Check your city government website occasionally, as there are sometimes appropriations for arts funding.
If you know of other funding opportunities, feel free to share them by emailing info@COMPAS.org, and we will do our best to keep this resource up to date. Thank you!
