This information was originally featured in the twentieth​ ​edition of Creative Copy, a free service of the Wisconsin Arts Board.​

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America250 Grant Program: Application Opens Soon

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As we approach the semiquincentennial of the United States of America (America250) in 2026, the WI Arts Board has received funding from the National Endowment for the Arts to support arts projects that celebrate the nation's rich artistic heritage and creativity.​​ We are able to award 20 of these grants.

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Our America250 Grants are embedded within our FY2027 Creative Communities Grant Program, which will open on November 3rd, 2025. For more information, visit our Creative Communities Grant Program page.
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Eligibility: Small or mid-sized* 501c3 nonprofit organizations within WI are eligible to apply for arts related projects honoring the semiquincentennial.

*For the purposes of this program, small organizations are those with annual operating budgets of less than $225,000; mid-sized organizations are those with annual operating budgets of less than $2 million.

Nonprofit organizations interested in applying for these funds must submit an application that includes a narrative describing their proposed project and a budget for that project. ​

Grant amount: $2,500 (must be matched 1:1 by the applicant; at least half of the applicant's match must be cash)​

Criteria for Selection:

1. Project activities may focus exclusively on celebrating the anniversary, or they may incorporate a special America250-related component or focus within a larger project.

​For example, projects could examine the work of American artists, present or create art recognizing this important milestone, or undertake educational or related programming. 

2. Art (visual, performance-based, multi-media, or literary) must be central to the project.
   

3. America250 project activities must take place between April 1 and Decemb​er 30, 2026. 
   

4. The project budget must be realistic and balance.

 
Application Process:

New applicant organizations

Organizations that have not previously registered within the WAB online application system (SmartSimple) must:

• Click the 'Register' button at the bottom of the page (http://wab.smartsimple.com/)​ and complete registration.
  

• Your new user information will be emailed to the address you provide within your registration within 10 minutes. Please activate immediately. The password will expire.
• Please note: If you are a new contact for an organization that has already registered within the WAB online application system, please contact WAB staff at artsboard@wisconsin.gov.
  

• Follow the steps outlined below. 
  

​​​​​Organizations that are already registered within the WAB online application system​

1. Log-in to WAB's Online Application System (http://wab.smartsimple.com/).
   
   
2. After logging in, click 'Funding Opportunities,' and choose FY27 Creative Communities.
   
   
3. Complete the Applicant Information tab and click the 'Save Draft' button at the bottom of the page.
   
   
4. Click the round letter icon in the top righthand corner of the form and select 'Organizational Profile.' Complete/update:
1. the UEI information (if not previously completed)
2. the Mission Statement
3. the Brief Organizational History section
   
4. After completing/updating, click on the 'Save' button at the bottom of the page.                                                                                                                                                       
   
5. ​​​Complete the Project Details ​tab. After checking the America250 checkbox, select Local Arts as the Creative Communities sub-category to which you will apply. For the question "For which year of the project are you requesting support?" choose New component of an existing project from the pull-down menu. 

The narrative should include the following and be no longer than 450 words:

• ​​​​Describe the project.
• State the reason(s) for the project/the goal(s).
• Who will do what? (Include project leaders, artists, and members of the broader community with whom you’ll work).
• When will they do what you just described? Provide a general timeline for the project.​​

​​​​​6.  After completing the Project Details tab, click on each of the other tabs at the top of the application and follow the instructions. Please note: On the Budget tab, you will check a box confirming that you have emailed your project budget document to the Arts Board as part of this application. It should include a list of expenses and income sources (including the $2,500 WAB grant) that balance.