Rural Arts Opportunity Grants

Project Activity Dates
July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027 (Grant Period FY2027)

Grant Amount
Up to $5,000 per organization. 
Award match requirement: 1:1 (100%). Half of the match (50%) may be in-kind support. Matching funds may not be other Oklahoma Arts Council funds or federal funds

Application Deadline
60 days before your project begins.

Grantee Requirements
If selected for funding, grantee organizations must comply with all requirements as outlined in the Legal Assurances/General Grant Terms, grant contract, and grant program guidelines, including but not limited to the following:

• Signed electronic grant contract by the deadline specified in the award notification email 
• Updated contact, mailing, and payment/banking information with the Oklahoma Arts Council and Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) supplier portal
• Thank you letters to your organization’s legislators 
• Use of Oklahoma Arts Council and National Endowment for the Arts logos and acknowledgement of support 
• Timely submission of a final report

Organizations with a primary address (registered with the IRS and State of Oklahoma) in one of the rural opportunity counties listed above

• 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations incorporated in the State of Oklahoma as a Domestic Not for Profit Corporation
  • In good standing with the IRS (Organizations who have had their IRS status revoked are not eligible for Oklahoma Arts Council grant support. It is your responsibility to ensure that your status is current at the time of the application and throughout the life of your award.)
  • In good standing with the State of Oklahoma
  • Registered with a SAM UEI number and eligible to receive federal support (organizations cannot be listed under the SAM Exclusions federal debarred or suspended list)
• City, county, and federally-recognized tribal governments
• Public libraries

Grants can support projects associated with capacity building/professional development, learning-based, or audience-based arts programs. Projects can be new or ongoing but cannot end before the submission of an application. Examples of projects include:

Capacity Building and Professional Development

• Programs that increase an organization’s or community’s capacity to provide arts experiences and programming, to include but not limited to:
  • Arts-focused organizational planning, board development and succession planning, audience development or marketing, organization and program evaluation, program and budget evaluation, strategic planning, volunteer management, etc.

Learning-Based Arts Programs

• Classes and workshops (frequency and duration may vary; focus should be on meaningful hands-on learning)
• Online/virtual learning-based arts programs

Audience-Based Arts Programs 

• Performances
• Exhibitions
• Festivals
• Online/virtual audience-based arts programs

Artistic Disciplines: The Oklahoma Arts Council uses artistic quality as one of its review criteria for grants. Artistic disciplines include, but are not limited to, music, dance, folk/traditional arts, literary arts, media arts, theatre, and visual arts. If you have questions about the eligibility of your project, please contact an Oklahoma Arts Council program director.

Allowable Expenses:

• Artistic and administrative payroll expenses for arts-related programming and administration, such as salaries, benefits, and contracts
• Facility and operational expenses such as administrative costs, rent, mortgage, utilities, security, building maintenance, cleaning or sanitation, etc. directly related to arts programming and administration
• Consulting, planning, and evaluation contracts to support arts capacity building 
• Arts program-related expenses such as marketing, consumable supplies, rental fees, etc.

Unallowable Expenses: Funds cannot be used to support loss of revenue, debt repayment, subgranting, duties or expenses related to fundraising and/or lobbying, capital expenditures and/or building improvements, permanent art installations, activities for which college credit is given, activities or expenses that may advance or inhibit any religious belief, events that are not open to the public, cash prizes or awards, and hospitality expenses (i.e., food, drink, receptions, parties, galas).

Step 1: Your organization must be verified in the Oklahoma Arts Council grant portal before applying for this grant opportunity. If your organization is new to the Oklahoma Arts Council Fluxx grant system, you must create a new account and complete the eligibility verification process (which may take up to 15 days to review and process). If you have questions, contact our grants office at grants@arts.ok.gov or 405-521-2040.

Step 2: Once your organization is verified, you can start an application from the Apply for Funding page. Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. on the application deadline date published on the grant program guidelines. If an application deadline falls on a weekend or state holiday, the application will be due by 5:00 p.m. on the next business day. Late submissions are subject to the noncompliance policies as outlined in the General Grant Terms and Conditions.

Grant Process

1. Request access to the grant portal
2. Submit an application (after organization is verified)
3. Application gets reviewed by Oklahoma Arts Council
4. Award notification is sent (if project is selected for funding)
5. Grantee's Authorizing Official accepts grant contract
6. Project activity occurs
7. Grantee submits final report 
8. Grant payment is processed 

Q. My organization is already receiving funding through another Oklahoma Arts Council grant program. Can I apply for a Rural Arts Opportunity Grant?
A. Yes. If your organization’s primary address (registered with the IRS and State of Oklahoma) is in one of the identified counties and is selected to receive Rural Arts Opportunity Grant funding, you will need to provide a separate 1:1 match (100%) for the award, none of which may not come from another Oklahoma Arts Council grant award or federal funds. Half of the match (50%) may be in-kind support.

Q. What types of artistic disciplines can be supported?
A. The Oklahoma Arts Council uses artistic quality as one of its review criteria for grants. Artistic disciplines include, but are not limited to, music, theatre, dance, literary arts, media arts, and visual arts. If you have questions about the eligibility of your project, please contact an Oklahoma Arts Council program director.

Q. Can these grant funds support a memorial sculpture, mural, or other permanent artwork?
A. Unfortunately, no. Rural Arts Opportunity Grants cannot be used to support capital improvements/ expenses including the creation of permanent artwork or the improvement of buildings/properties.

Q. We are offering free tickets to the community for a program/field trip we’ve already planned. Is this project eligible for funding?
A. Unfortunately, no. While discounted tickets may help broaden access, Rural Arts Opportunity Grants can only be used for projects that are intentionally designed for capacity building/professional development, learning-based, or audience-based arts programs. For more information, see the What Types of Projects Can Be Supported? section above.