Crisis and Recovery Resources for Artists and Culture Bearers
By Springboard for the Arts
The Growth Fund is an ongoing program that supports Minnesota creative business owners and artists with $2,500 to help sustain or scale their business. Applicants must have completed at least one Artist Career Consultation during the program cycle dates – in Spring and Fall – in order to be eligible for the Growth Fund, and recipients are selected through a randomized drawing.
The Creative Business Recovery Fund was created to respond to ongoing economic instability affecting artist micro-businesses, particularly those with limited access to capital and relief infrastructure. This fund supports 100 Minnesota micro-businesses and artists by providing $2,000 to help recover from months of lost sales and to reinvest in their creative businesses in preparation for the upcoming Spring/Summer season.
The Leslye Orr Fund provides non-competitive direct support for artists with disabilities in Minnesota to create work and invest in their careers. Inspired by Leslye Orr’s advocacy for “the possibilities of disabilities,” this new fund will foster artistry, inclusivity, and community joy. Grants are $2,500 each, selected through a randomized drawing of eligible applicants.
Are you a Minnesota artist experiencing an emergency? The Artists Emergency Relief Fund Network, stewarded by Springboard for the Arts, is a growing coalition of regional organizations in Minnesota supporting artists and creative workers with one-time emergency relief funds.
By July 1st 2026, the eleven MN Regional Arts Councils will have each launched emergency relief funds. Each program is operated independently with varying geographic scope, cycles and eligibility. Please see their websites for full information: Arrowhead Regional Arts Council (Duluth), Central MN Arts Board (Foley), East Central Regional Arts Council (Hinckley), Five Wings Arts Council (Staples), Lake Region Arts Council (Fergus Falls), Metropolitan Arts Council (Saint Paul), Northwest MN Arts Council (Warren), Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council (Waseca), Southeastern MN Arts Council (Rochester), Southwest MN Arts Council (Marshall) and Region 2 Arts Council (Bemidji).
The Artists Emergency Relief Fund Network is stewarded by Springboard for the Arts and supported by F. R. Bigelow Foundation, Jerome Foundation, and McKnight Foundation.
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