The Arts Partnership has announced the expansion of a year-old grant program that grows and cultivates community through the arts to benefit underserved populations. Initially solely-funded by Choice Bank, the program has attracted additional business support, which nearly doubles the amount of funding for the Arts for All grant program (formerly, the Choice Bank Arts Partnership Grants).
The businesses that have signed on to support the grant program have chosen to remain anonymous.
Choice Bank invested $9,000 to launch the inaugural program in 2021. The program awarded grants to seven organizations and projects that aspired to use the arts to make a valuable commitment to and impact on their communities.
Jay Lies, Choice Bank North Dakota market president, praised the program in a statement.
“Choice is so excited to see this program expand and double its impact in our community with additional business support,” Lies said. “We’re pleased to have planted the seed and see support for the arts grow, as well as understanding of how it benefits our community.”
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The $500-$1,750 grants are for projects that:
- provide seed money to use the arts to encourage new thinking about how to accomplish mission-related work
- involve partnership and collaboration with arts groups or individual artists or arts educators
- serve an underserved population or populations.
The projects may involve a single art form or incorporate multiple art forms, including dance, literature and writing, music, moving image media, theatre, traditional and folk arts and craft, or visual arts. Examples of these projects could include a mural, youth art projects, arts performance, arts education, or music education.
Dayna Del Val, president and CEO of The Arts Partnership, thanked Choice Bank for its initial investment in a statement.
“Many of our non-arts nonprofit colleagues know the arts would provide a terrific boon to those they serve but there isn’t seed money readily available to start the work," Del Val said. "We’re grateful to Choice Bank for their initial investment in this program and of course to the new businesses that came in this year with additional funds for the grant pool.”
Del Val continued, “We know from last year’s recipients that these small grants made a big impact. We see these pilot grants as the pebble thrown into the center of the pond that creates ripples to the very edges of the pond. Ripples that help a child gain confidence and poise by participating in a music program. Ripples that help a veteran with PTSD find a calming activity through painting. Ripples that make a shelter for the un-homed feel like home. Ripples that introduce people to a variety of art-making styles, opportunities and experiences.”
Applicants for the Arts for All grants must be 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations or have pending 501(c)3 status and be based in and primarily serve Fargo, Moorhead or West Fargo. Guidelines and information about introductory meetings (to be held in December) for potential applicants can be found at
theartspartnership.net/grants
. The submission deadline is 5 p.m. Feb. 27.
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