Grantmaking

Photo credit: Heartland Youth Choir's Meet the Composer Festival

GRANT INFORMATION
Bravo Greater Des Moines leverages community resources to maximize the impact of arts, culture and heritage to advance regional priorities. A primary way we do this is through our Community Investment programs. Bravo’s grant recipients draw tourists, increase resident satisfaction, help attract and retain talent and generally make Greater Des Moines a premier place to live, work, play and visit.

Since 2006, Bravo has awarded more than 1,200 grants to more than 100 arts, culture and heritage organizations and programs totaling more than $50 million. Bravo is almost entirely funded through Hotel/Motel taxes invested by our 17 partner local government communities.

BRAVO’S 2023 GRANT PROGRAMS HAVE CLOSED.

For those who applied for Capital Project Grant, Public Art Grant, and ICON Public Art Grant, award notifications will be sent on June 16, 2023.  Capital Project Grant Agreements will be due June 30, 2023, and Public Art Grant Agreements due on August 7, 2023.

GC24 FALL GRANT CYCLE TIMELINE

Bravo Greater Des Moines offers general operating support to all eligible arts, culture and heritage organizations in the Greater Des Moines region. The 2024 grant period (GC24) runs January 1 – December 31, 2024. 

GC24 OPERATING GRANT ELIGIBLITY

Eligible Operating Grant Applicants must meet all of the following criteria:

• Be a 501(c) organization exempt from tax under the Internal Revenue Code with at least 6 months of active programming history or be an agency, division or department of the State of Iowa which operates a facility open to the public.
• Have headquarters in and conduct most of its activities within one of Bravo’s partner local governments.
• Demonstrate a primary organizational purpose of arts, culture, interpretative science, and/or heritage that focuses on the collection, preservation, production, presentation and/or promotion of artistic expression, traditions, customs, or stories within creative, educational, or historic contexts. Mission language, programming, public access, support materials, partnerships, and budget must all clearly illustrate arts, culture, interpretative science or heritage as the organization’s primary purpose (at least 60%) in Greater Des Moines.

*Eligibility does not guarantee funding. Specific eligibility requirements may be waived at Bravo’s discretion.

Ineligible applicants for operating support include but are not limited to:

• Individual artists
• Fiscally sponsored organizations
• Private organizations, clubs or groups that do not offer public programming
• Political, religious, or academic organizations
• Public libraries
• Those formed with the express purpose of fundraising on behalf of, supporting and/or promoting applicants that are not otherwise eligible for funding (e.g. friends societies, etc. for libraries, political, religious or academic organizations)
• Nonprofit organizations whose primary mission and work advances other sectors such as social services (food, housing, childcare, schools, mental health and wellness, etc.), economic development, business and entrepreneurship, financial services, sports and recreation, technology, etc. Even if some arts and culture programming is used to deliver some of the organization’s mission, we cannot use operating grant funds to support organizations that are not primarily arts, culture, interpretative science, and/or heritage at this time.

Do you have questions or are you wondering if your organization is eligible? Contact staff at grants@bravogreaterdesmoines.org or call 515-243-0388 and let’s chat!