ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, Md. – The Mini Grant program is open to all Anne Arundel County 501(c)3 nonprofits or community organizations that are launching compelling arts projects or programming between July – December 2026.
• Awards up to $2,500 for project-specific initiatives
• 1:1 matching requirement through organizational cash, grants, volunteer hours, and/or in-kind contributions
The deadline to submit a Mini Grants application is May 31st!
Be sure to sign up for Arts Council of Anne Arundel County (ACAAC) emails at https://www.acaac.org to stay abreast of any program changes.
About the Arts Council of Anne Arundel County
Our mission is to provide leadership, funding and support that promotes artistic excellence and historic preservation and to advocate for resources and education that expand arts opportunities for all, helping to create an enriched and healthy community.
About this grant opportunity
• This mini grant program provides project-specific funding for innovative arts initiatives scheduled between July-December 2026. This opportunity is designed for organizations looking to elevate their artistic endeavors or expand their audience reach.
• Two grant cycles are offered each year (fall and spring). Organizations may only be awarded only one mini grant per fiscal year.
• The mini grant maximum grant award is $2,500. There is a 1:1 matching funds requirement that may be satisfied with organizational cash, other grant funds, volunteer hours and/or in-kind donations, or a combination thereof.
• New partnerships with other arts or community organizations are encouraged to engage more residents in cultural and artistic activities. ACAAC is available to assist applicants with outreach and marketing to potential partners and audiences within Anne Arundel County.
Grant timeline
- Grant application cycle opens May 1, 2026, and closes May 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Applications must be completed online through ACAAC’s Submittable page: https://artscouncilofannearundelcountynew.submittable.com/submit.
- Grant award letters will be sent to recipients on or before June 30, 2026. Contracts will be sent to recipient organizations and signed through DocuSign.
- The grant award payment will be made by ACH transfer on or before July 31, 2026. Signed contracts must be received before payment will be made.
- Final reports will be available on January 1, 2026, and are due by January 31, 2026.
Grant eligibility and funding restrictions
To be eligible, all organizations must:
• Be incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and have a significant physical presence in Anne Arundel County.
• Have operated for one full fiscal year at the time of application.
• Be governed by a legally liable board of directors acting under a mission statement and budget specific to the organization.
• Be up to date with all reporting requirements for previously ACAAC awarded grants.
• Be able to document current good standing status with the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation at the time of application.
• Must comply with Title VI, Section 601, of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which states that no persons, on the grounds of race, color or national origin, shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination related to the arts.
• Must comply with Title IV, Section 1681, of the Education Amendments of 1972 and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, Section 6101, which prohibit discrimination based on sex or age.
• Must comply with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1991.
• Must prohibit discrimination based on: (a) political or religious opinion or affiliation, marital status, race, color, creed, sexual orientation or national origin; (b) gender expression, sex or age, except when age or sex constitutes a bona fide occupational qualification; or (c) the physical or mental disability of a qualified individual with a disability.
• Public, private and charter K-12 schools and pre-schools are not eligible to apply. Schools seeking grant funding are eligible for grants through the ACAAC Arts in Education program.
• Requests to fund free event tickets will not be considered.
• Requests to fund general operating support or programs that are already part of an advertised season will not be considered.
• Requests to fund transportation costs will not be considered.
Preparing your application
The mini grant application is available on ACAAC’s Submittable page, located online at https://artscouncilofannearundelcountynew.submittable.com/submit. The application and, if funded, the final report must be submitted through this grant management system. If you have not previously used Submittable, you will need to set up an account and password. When creating an organizational account, it is recommended that you tie it to an organizational email such as “info@yourartsorganization.org” rather than a personal email address.
Be sure to read through the questions before starting and allow yourself plenty of time to gather the supporting documentation. The application is structured to provide a framework to tell your story and give reviewers a clear picture of your project.
Best practices for successfully completing your grant include:
• Assign an individual responsible for managing the grant as your primary contact for this application. This is not necessarily your executive director, but rather the individual ACAAC will communicate with for the duration of your grant’s performance period.
• Before you begin, review the rubric at the end of this document to ensure you have a clear understanding of how scoring priorities will impact evaluation of your grant.
• If others from your organization will also be working on the application, utilize the Submittable “Invite Collaborators” function. The tab is located at the top of the application, below the banner heading. Up to three additional individuals can assist with the application.
• Be clear, specific and thorough in your responses and, whenever possible, provide detailed evidence to support your request.
• Reach out to Ashley Matthews, grants manager, at ashley.matthews@acaac.org for assistance at any time during the grant application period.
Conflict of interest policy
To ensure that all Arts Council of Anne Arundel County review panels are free from conflicts of interest and the appearance of such conflicts, panelists are required to disclose any current or prospective affiliations they or their immediate family members have with an actual or potential applicant. “Affiliations” applies to employment, board memberships, independent contractual relationships, substantial contributor relationships or other relationships. In addition, panelists are required to disclose any past or current adversarial relationships with actual or potential applicants. Panel members, as well as board members, are not permitted to participate in discussions or votes relating to any applicant with whom they have an affiliation.
Review process and notification
- Applicants will receive an email confirmation after their application has been received. If the application deadline has passed, applicants will not be notified if the application is incomplete or does not comply with the guidelines.
- The grants review panel, comprised of ACAAC staff members, will review all qualified, complete applications prior to the date indicated in the timeline. Each proposal will be reviewed individually by all members of the review panel and will be evaluated on its overall impact to the organization, as well as how the specific project will benefit the community. The review panel will score each application using the rubric which appears on the last page of this document.
- All applicants will be advised electronically of the status of their application. Successful grantees will also be informed of the anticipated date of receipt of grant funds that have been awarded.
Appeals process
ACAAC makes every effort to ensure fair and equitable distribution of grant monies based on stated criteria. Therefore, dissatisfaction with the denial of an award or with the amount of an award is not sufficient reason for an appeal. However, a grant request may be reconsidered if a procedural impropriety or error has affected its review. If an applicant believes there is legitimate reason for an appeal, the following steps must be taken:
- The applicant must discuss the problem with the grants manager.
- To pursue an appeal, the applicant must write a letter to April Nyman, ACAAC president and CEO, within 15 days following receipt of the grant award or denial letter requesting reconsideration of the Arts Council’s decision and stating the grounds for the request.
- The applicant will receive written notification on the determination of the appeal within 30 days of receipt of the written request for reconsideration.
2026 Fall Mini Grant scoring rubric
Each bullet is scored from 0-2:
• 0 = Does not satisfactorily meet criteria
• 1 = Partially meets criteria but does not yet fully meet criteria
• 2 = Fully meets criteria
Criteria 1 [8 pts] – Project information
• Application includes a clear and specific description of the proposed arts activity and the intended audience
• Project demonstrates creativity, risk-taking and/or innovation
• Project fits within the organization’s mission and goals
• Project has a clear and realistic implementation plan
Criteria 2 [8 pts] – Outreach and community impact
• Application includes clear and thorough evidence of the intended community impact
• Applicant is engaging with other community partners to complete project
• Will reach an underserved, diverse and/or new audience
• Organization will effectively measure programmatic impact and success
Criteria 3 [8 pts] – Budget
• Leverages income from other sources, including in-kind donations
• All expenses are reasonable and appropriate
• ACAAC request will support completion of the project
• Budget clearly demonstrates a 1:1 match