About Springboard for the Arts
Our mission is to support artists with the tools to make a living and a life, and to build just and equitable communities full of meaning, joy, and connection. Our vision is of a world where artists are essential; local economies are vibrant and just; and the systems that surround us are human centered.
Focus Areas
Arts & cultureArtist economic supportCommunity developmentEconomic developmentRural developmentDisability inclusionEmergency reliefGuaranteed basic income / pilot programsCreative business support
Who They Fund
nonprofit_organizationsproject_leaders/initiativescommunity_groups
About Springboard for the Arts
Springboard for the Arts centers artists as workers, not just cultural producers. Its active programs show a consistent pattern of direct support for Minnesota artists and creative businesses, alongside longer-form fellowships and emergency relief for rural artists and communities affected by harm. The foundation also serves as a fiscal agent for project-based work, which is visible in its recent grants to groups such as Rare Productions and Emerging Curators Institute. The grantmaking profile points to practical, career-oriented support. A $2,500 Growth Fund grant is designed to help Minnesota artists and creative business owners sustain or scale their businesses, while the Leslye Orr Fund for Artists with Disabilities provides direct support for Minnesota artists with disabilities to create work and invest in their careers. Springboard for the Arts also runs the 18-month Rural Regenerator Fellowship for rural artists, creatives, and culture bearers in the Upper Midwest. Recent awards also show support for community-facing arts work, including healing, exchange, and storytelling. Through these programs, the foundation combines short-term cash support, project administration, and longer-term development for artists and creative practitioners across Minnesota and the broader Upper Midwest.
What Springboard for the Arts Funds
Economic support is a clear thread in the foundation’s work. The Growth Fund provides a one-time $2,500 grant for Minnesota artists and creative business owners to sustain or scale their businesses, with attention to business sustainability, legal protections, marketing, and branding. Disability inclusion appears in the Leslye Orr Fund for Artists with Disabilities, a non-competitive direct support fund for Minnesota artists with disabilities. It is intended to help recipients create work and invest in their careers. Rural arts support is another defined area. The Rural Regenerator Fellowship offers 18 months of unrestricted support, travel funds, a retreat, and exchange opportunities for rural artists, creatives, and culture bearers in the Upper Midwest. The Artists Respond program connects art with community healing, supporting projects that deepen relationships, create safe spaces for reflection and healing, and gather community stories in Minnesota.
How Springboard for the Arts Gives
Typical awards cluster in the five-figure range, with a p25 of $10,000, a median of $17,900, and a p75 of $33,785. The recent grant list also shows repeated awards to the same recipients across multiple years, which suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-off giving. Springboard for the Arts operates as a fiscal agent in many of these grants, indicating pass-through and administrative support for projects and initiatives. Several active programs accept unsolicited requests, including Rural Regenerator Fellowship, Artists Respond, Leslye Orr Fund for Artists with Disabilities, Creative Business Recovery Fund, Artists Emergency Relief Fund Network, Work of Art, Falls Arts Exchange, and Guaranteed Income.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$1.9M
Total Assets
$15.3M
Total Revenue
$6.2M
Total Expenses
$6.9M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $10K and $34K, with a median of $18K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$18K
75th Percentile
$34K
Geographic Reach
Local7 states funded
About 94% of grants go to recipients in MN.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
LAURA ZABEL
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