Creative Communities Grant Goals:

• Expand community access to the arts.
• Ensure diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
• Support and address community needs.
• Promote the unique identities of ME’s communities as places people want to live, visit, work, and play.
• Promote inclusion of artists and culture bearers in community projects.

Cultural organizations, K-12 schools, municipalities, tribal entities, and non-art 501(c)(3) organizations may apply. Public schools must apply through their school district. Projects must be community-focused arts and/or cultural activities, open to the public, and occur from July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026

The following are additional project eligibility requirements:

• The applicant is a nonprofit organization with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service, a school, or is a unit of municipal, county or tribal government, legally established in the state of Maine. Non-501(c)(3) applicants cannot apply under a fiscal sponsor or agent.
• The applicant operates within the state of Maine.
• Has a valid UEI number (www.sam.gov/content/duns-uei). You cannot receive a grant without a valid UEI.
• If applicable, has completed all Final Reports, required by the Maine Arts Commission for previous awards.
• Is compliant with organization requirements on both the state and federal levels.
• If the primary applicant is a recipient of the FY25 Organization Operating Support grant, they are ineligible to apply.

Eligible Expenses

Ineligible Expenses:

Grant applications are reviewed on a competitive basis using the following criteria:

All applications and materials must be submitted using the online Application Portal. If you are interested in applying, we encourage you to carefully review these details and call us with questions prior to beginning an application. It’s important to give yourself plenty of time to write a strong application, so be sure to start the process early!

• Create a Maine Arts Commission account. Create Now! Once you start an application, you can make changes anytime before you submit. Get your application going by using the application worksheet!
• Answer the application questions (Questions below in next section)

• All questions are to be completed in the application portal.
  (This application worksheet can be used to help complete application questions)

• Upload Required  Application Documents

1. Copy of IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter (not applicable for schools, tribal entities, and municipalities*).
2. *Municipalities should provide an official authorization as an arm of government (i.e., a formal letter signed by the appropriate county, city, town or village executive)

• Upload Optional Support Materials: (not required but encouraged).
  You may submitup to 5 support materials/work samples that best represent the type of work you will do related to this proposal. This could include, but is not limited to:

1. Examples of related projects you have previously completed, photos or video of project location to highlight community need, etc.
2. Materials showing how this project is meaningful to this community. This can be email exchanges or letters showing support from collaborators, partners, and venues, or quotes and testimonials from past or current program participants.
3. Materials showing the artist(s) or culture-bearers involved in this project. This can be resumes, videos, images, short bios, etc.

* In order to ensure equitable consideration across all grant applicants we will NOT accept promotional/marketing videos for review.

** For ANY link submitted for review: 1 Link = 1 Support Material. For example, 1 link should go directly to 1 image, 1 video, 1 text sample.

Applications missing any of the required materials or containing more than 4 optional support materials cannot be accepted.

The Maine Arts Commission may use submitted materials solely for the non-commercial promotion of the artist and/or Maine Arts Commission programs.

Project Summary:

• Describe what you are doing, when and where the project is happening, and who is involved. (500 characters)
• Who might be the collaborators, artist(s), and/or culture bearers and why would they be a good fit for this project?   (500 characters)
• What are the goals for the project? (500 characters)
• Explain how you will implement and manage your project.  (2000 characters)
• How will you evaluate your project? (500 characters)

Community Benefit & Accessibility:  

• How will your project benefit or help solve a challenge in your community? (1500 characters)
• Who in your community will be reached? (500 characters)
• What are ways you have or plan to remove barriers for underserved* populations so that they have access to your location and programming? (1500 characters)

Capacity to Complete the Project:

• What is your anticipated project timeline?   (1000 characters)
• Explain how you will use the funding if awarded. Provide any additional budget details you think will be helpful.   (500 characters)

Submitted applications are first reviewed by staff for completion, eligibility, and adherence to these funding guidelines. Grant applications will be sorted, reviewed, and scored by separate panels based each applicants budget size. Applications are then reviewed by a diverse panel of arts and culture professionals; Panelists review each application and submit scores based on the review criteria (see below). These scores help us determine how we will allocate the funding. ​  

Review Criteria

Grant applications are reviewed on a competitive basis using the following criteria:

If your application is funded, you enter into a letter of agreement with the Maine Arts Commission, and you must comply with all requirements stated in that agreement. Your award money may take up to 12 weeks from the time you are notified. This means you may need to pay costs upfront with your own money and then be reimbursed when you receive funding from us. Award funds can be used to reimburse past eligible project costs incurred between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026.

All applicants are notified, whether approved or declined, by email. If you receive an award, you will also receive future emails with next steps.