Creative Communities Program

The Wisconsin Arts Board’s Creative Communities (CC) Program offers grants to support arts education, cultural understanding, and community arts development in Wisconsin. This program provides funding for collaborative arts projects that align with the Arts Board’s goals in three areas: Arts Education, Folk and Traditional Arts, and Local Arts. The program seeks to sustain Wisconsin's cultural, educational, and economic vitality through direct financial support of arts projects. Eligible projects must be new (less than three years old) or represent a newly expanded aspect of an existing program. Projects should be distinct from an organization’s regular activities and demonstrate careful planning and clear objectives to benefit an identified community. Organizations awarded FY26 Creative Communities grants are not eligible to apply for the FY25 Creation and Presentation Program. The CC Program uses a two-phase application process. Phase 1 requires a simple application due by February 27, 2025, preceded by an Intent to Apply notification by February 20, 2025, for first-time applicants. Selected applicants will be invited to submit Phase 2 applications, which are due April 10, 2025. Virtual Q&A sessions will be held before both deadlines to assist applicants. Peer review panels for Arts Education, Folk Arts, and Local Arts components will convene in April and May 2025, with funding decisions announced in May. Grant-supported activities can begin as early as July 1, 2025. Applicants must register for a “Unique Entity Identifier” (UEI) via the System of Award Management (SAM.gov) as part of the application process. The program also offers resources such as narrative question guidance, budget templates, and evaluation tools to aid applicants in preparing proposals. For additional assistance, applicants can contact the Wisconsin Arts Board staff via email at artsboard@wisconsin.gov or by phone at 608-267-2026 or 608-264-8191. Further details, guidelines, and application resources are available on the Wisconsin Arts Board’s website.