Applications Now Open for City of Dubuque Arts & Culture Operating Support Grant Program 

MAR. 1, 2024

The City of Dubuque and the Arts and Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission are now accepting applications from eligible parties through the Arts & Culture Operating Support grant program for the fiscal year (FY) 2025 grant cycle, which runs July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025. 

Applications for the Operating Support program are due by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, April 12, 2024. All information related to application guidelines, scoring rubric, and access to the online application portal are available at www.cityofdubuque.org/artsgrants

Since these funding programs began in 2005, the City of Dubuque has invested over $4.6 million in organizations and activities that increase the community's access to a wide range of diverse arts and cultural experiences, utilizing the power of the arts, creative expression, and cultural offerings to foster economic activity, promote citizen engagement, and cultivate an equitable community of choice. 

"A community with a thriving arts and culture sector is a community that thrives overall," said Dubuque Mayor Brad Cavanagh. "The City Council continues to prioritize investment in arts and culture as an investment in our community's well-being because access to diverse arts and culture experiences support brain health, attract tourism dollars, and help us to retain the workforce our region needs to grow and prosper." 

The Operating Support grant program aims to support established 501(c)(3) Dubuque-based nonprofit organizations who have a primary purpose to create, produce, present, or provide arts and culture programs, experiences, or activities for public audiences.  

The Operational Support application requires that applicants demonstrate how they integrate DEI planning and practices throughout programs and activities. Applicants must also demonstrate alignment with the goals and priorities of the City of Dubuque's 2016?Arts and Culture Master Plan within their application. 

“Through our most recent round of Operating Support funding, the City supported 21 different nonprofit organizations with awards of $395 to $22,343 supporting budgets ranging from $9,000 to $6.3 million annually,” states Arts & Cultural Affairs Manager, Bonnie Spurling. “This ongoing commitment to Dubuque’s nonprofit arts and culture sector supports nearly 1,500 full and part-time arts and culture workers, while investing in programming that creates an estimated $70.4 million annual economic impact through tourism, hospitality, and retail activity and significantly impacting broader quality of life and community development efforts.”? 

To learn more about the Operational Support grant program please visit: https://www.cityofdubuque.org/2353/Operating-Support-Grant

Grant applications must be submitted online by the aforementioned deadlines. Access to the online application portal is available at https://cityofdubuque.slideroom.com. 

For additional information, visit www.cityofdubuque.org/artsandculture or contact City of Dubuque Arts & Cultural Affairs Coordinator Bonnie Spurling at bspurlin@cityofdubuque.org or 563.690.6059. 

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MEDIA CONTACT
Bonnie Spurling, Arts & Cultural Affairs Coordinator
BSpurlin@cityofdubuque.org, 563.690.6059