Major Grants
Attention! As of January 2010, several changes have been made to the Major Grants application and review criteria. If you have applied before, please review a summary of those changes here before beginning a new application.
IAC Major Grants support arts projects, not operating costs. What’s the difference?
Arts projects have a beginning, middle, and end. Expenses for projects are used up during the course of the project, whether they are payments to artists, or costs for marketing, supplies, etc.
Operating costs are the expenses needed for normal operation of a nonprofit organization. These generally include employee salaries, utility costs, office/space rental and leasing, building maintenance, equipment and supplies required for ongoing activities, etc.
Grant Amounts
You may request up to $10,000 for a Major Grant, but no more than 50 percent of the total expenses of the project. All requests must show matching cash or in-kind funds. See Matching Requirements below for specific information.
Grant Categories
Major Grants are available in the following five categories. Click on each category name to see program goals, review criteria, and the information required in the application narratives for that category. For an overview of review criteria in all categories, see the 
Criteria Grid.
Artist Major Grants
Artist-initiated projects that advance artists' artistic work and career
Arts in Education Major Grants
Education projects that create new programs, new partnerships, and expand and/or enhance existing programs in Iowa schools and communities
Folk & Traditional Arts Major Grants
Projects that promote the living cultural traditions of Iowans.
Organization Major Grants
A wide variety of arts-related projects and programs that engage communities and/or audiences
Public Art Major Grants
High quality public art projects that benefit Iowans
Application Deadlines and Submission Information
Application Deadline: April 1, annually
The Iowa Arts Council must receive applications in the IAC office no later than 4:30 p.m. the day of the deadline listed below. This is NOT a postmark deadline. If the deadline falls on a state holiday or on a Saturday or Sunday, it will be extended to the next working day.
All Major Grant applications must be submitted online using the eGRANT system. (But plan ahead – some portions must be sent or delivered, as well!)
Download the eGRANT tutorial for instructions on how to use the new system (4 MG 
).
Project Begin/End Dates:
April 1: All projects must occur between July 1 and the following June 30 (that is, within the Iowa Arts Council’s upcoming fiscal year).
Eligibility and Funding Limitations
Individual Applicants: Iowa residents 18 years of age or older. Individuals may apply only in these categories:
- Artists
- Arts in Education
- Folk & Traditional Arts
Organizations: Organizations may apply in all categories EXCEPT Artists.
- Nonprofit organizations incorporated in Iowa that have federal tax-exempt status (see FAQs for more information)
- Schools
- Area education agencies
- Local, county, state and federal governmental agencies
- Tribal councils
Organizations in communities bordering Iowa may be eligible if the project substantially benefits Iowans. (Refer to Border State Policy.)
Fiscal Agents: If your nonprofit organization does not have federal tax exempt status, you may apply through an eligible nonprofit and federal tax-exempt organization, which agrees to be the legal Applicant/Fiscal Agent for the grant activity. (Refer to Fiscal Agents Policy.)
Not Eligible to Apply:
- Students or other individuals requesting support for projects in which they will receive course credit, a degree, certification, etc.
- Applicants who have received two Iowa Arts Council project grants within the same fiscal year of this proposed grant activity (this does NOT include Big Yellow School Bus or EZ 1-2-3 grants).
- Applicants who have an outstanding late Final Report for a previously funded grant. (The Iowa Arts Council's fiscal year is July 1 through June 30 of the following year.)
Note: Cultural Leadership Partner organizations are eligible to apply for Major Grants only, not Mini Grants.
The IAC Does Not Fund:
- Projects without a clear and strong arts component
- Expenses that occur prior to or after the project dates
- Fund raisers, benefits, prizes, and projects for which resulting earned income will be donated to a cause or organization
- Lobbying activities
- Deficit and debt reduction
- Projects or activities presented in the context of a religious service or event
- Any activities in which the participant receives course credit, a degree, teacher certification, etc.
- Activities that already receive financial support from other Iowa Arts Council, Department of Cultural Affairs or State Historical Society of Iowa granting programs (unless this is a distinct and successive phase of a multiphase project)
- Projects/exhibitions/events proposed by individual artists that are actually initiated and/or managed by organizations, or for which an organization has invited or selected the artist to participate. Organizations should seek funding for these activities, not individual artists.
- General operating expenses. This includes but is not limited to university overhead costs, ongoing utility or space rental costs, normal ongoing or annual classroom supply costs, annual school expenditures, and most salaries. Exceptions:
- project staff salaries may be used as matchfor organization applicants (including schools)
- the artist's salary may be part of the request for individual artist applications
Matching Requirements
You must match dollar for dollar the amount requested. For every grant dollar requested, there must be at least one dollar of match identified. Applicant match for the grant may include cash provided by the applicant, sponsors, ticket revenue, etc. and in-kind donations of time, materials and supplies. Reviewers generally regard both kinds of match as important.
All cash and in-kind match must be legitimately part of the proposed project, and must be obligated and expended within the grant period time frame.
Cash match refers to the actual cash provided by the applicant or donors listed in the "cash income" section of the budget. If you also provide items or services, those may also be counted as part of the cash match.
- Organizations may include paid staff time dedicated to the specific project within the funding period as cash match.
In-kind Match refers to donated goods and services that have been contributed to the project. You must calculate the dollar amount of in-kind donations at fair-market value. In-kind match may include such things as:
- Volunteer time dedicated to the project
- Space donated for the project by someone other than the applicant
- Expenses incurred by project participants for which no payment will be made
- Artists may use their time as in-kind match, but please be cautious about using this option, as reviewers generally prefer to see artists being paid for their time
NOT allowed as match
- Funds from other Iowa Arts Council, Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, or State Historical Society of Iowa grant programs
- Funds used to match other Iowa Arts Council grants
- Funds used to pay for expenses noted above under The IAC Does Not Fund
Work Samples and Support Materials
All applications making use of artists must include work samples and support materials in order for reviewers to judge the artistic quality of their work. A good way to organize the work samples you submit is to save them all together on a CD-ROM; but please be sure you use a common, generally readable format. See the Work Samples Form in the application materials, and refer to the Work Samples Guidelines.
Each of the 5 grant categories requires specific kinds of support materials. Check the Application Instructions carefully for the list of materials required for the category in which you are applying.
• Note: If materials marked “Required” on the application instructions are not submitted, the application will still be reviewed but reviewers will be instructed to reflect the impact of the missing materials in their scores.
Review Time Frame and Grantee Requirements
Major Grants are reviewed at a Panel Review Retreat approximately 2-3 weeks after the deadline by peer-group panels of in-state and out-of-state individuals knowledgeable in the categories being reviewed.
The panel scores each application on the degree to which it meets the specific review criteria for its grant category. After final panel scores are recorded, applications clearly connected to approved Iowa Great Places projects will receive a 10% increase in their composite score (a confirmation letter from the Iowa Great Places office must be included with the application in order to receive this increase).
The IAC director makes final award decisions.
You will receive a notification letter regarding your application approximately 4-6 weeks after the application deadline.
NOTE: If the IAC has reason to believe that an application was clearly submitted in the wrong category, we reserve the right to change the category in order to offer a more appropriate review of the application.
Final Report Deadline: Final Reports for all grants must be received at the IAC office no later than 30 days after the end of the fiscal year in which the grant was issued (July 31). You may not apply for any additional IAC grants if you have an outstanding late Final Report.
The Iowa Arts Council aims to enrich the quality of life and learning in Iowa communities by encouraging excellence in the arts. Funding for the Iowa Arts Council and its programs is provided by the State of Iowa and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
