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General Application Instruction

How to Apply for SEMAC Grants

SEMAC funding comes from the State of Minnesota general fund and the Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund. All SEMAC grant categories are competitive and, because of limited funding, not all eligible applications will be awarded grant dollars.

General Application Instructions

Review these General Application Instructions, including hyperlinks to specific items in the Glossary of Terms. Additional instructions for a particular grant category will appear throughout the application itself.

For specific instructions on project budgets or spending plans, go to Creating a Budget.

Technical Advice

  • The full application, forms and reports are all due no later than 11:59 pm on the submission deadline date. See Grant Programs and the Calendar for current and upcoming submission deadlines.
  • To receive emails regarding your application, including auto-generated notifications, make sure that administrator(at)grantinterface.com is listed as a safe sender in your mail server. Also make sure to monitor the email account you log in with – it is your primary point of contact with SEMAC.
  • Forms are divided into sections. You may collapse or expand any section by clicking the gray-shaded section heading.
  • With limited exceptions, all question fields are required. If a required field does not apply to your grant activity, enter n/a or 0 as directed for that field.
  • If you inadvertently skip a required field, the system will not allow you to submit until that field contains a response. This safety feature does not apply to optional fields that do not have a red asterisk.
  • Limits on character counts include spaces and punctuation, but do not include line/hard returns.
  • The grant interface does not accept outside formatting such as bullet points, although an optional rich text editor is available on most text questions. Make sure to cut and paste as plain text, and then add formatting if desired.
  • File uploads such as PDFs and work samples will be required. Only one PDF file may be uploaded in a single field, so make sure everything requested in that question is included in a single PDF file.
  • Issues regarding access or troubleshooting the grant interface must be resolved by calling the SEMAC office during regular business hours. Post-deadline appeals will not be considered.
  • SEMAC does not accept late applications. This is in fairness to applicants who submitted before the deadline. No exceptions.
  • If you have successfully submitted an application or follow-up form, you will be sent an automatic confirmation to the email address with which you logged in. If you do not receive that e-mail, contact the SEMAC office. Do not assume the submission was successful.

Some Things to Avoid

  • Do not ask for funding to pay for items that are not arts-related or for expenses already incurred, such as grant writing.
  • Do not waste characters trying to convince reviewers of the value of the arts or of your specific art form. Simply answer the questions.
  • Do not use acronyms not defined in the application or technical language with which only practitioners in a particular discipline are familiar.
  • Unless corrected before final submission, applications that include math errors in the budget or requests for Disallowed Expenses, including Out of State Travel, will be disqualified.

Some Ways to Improve Your Odds

  • Give yourself plenty of time. Make sure the grant activity is well-planned and your grant application includes clearly stated timelines, objectives, and outcomes. Remember that the entire grant activity, including publicity and payments, must take place between the Start and End Dates submitted in your application.
  • Every time you insert a URL, double check that the link actually works. Links to unfinished pages reflect poorly on the applicant.
  • Most Instagram and Facebook sites require an account to view content. Please make sure that any URL in your application is not restricted to account holders.
  • Get outside feedback. Ask someone unfamiliar with the proposal to read the application.
  • Proofread and use a calculator before submitting. The grant interface does not have a spell checker.
  • By request and up to one week prior to the final submission deadline, SEMAC staff may be available to review proposals during regular business hours. Email staff(at)semac.org to request a review. Please note, staff assistance does not guarantee funding.

Final Cautions

  • Applicants are responsible for reading all the information and requirements explained in hyperlinks throughout the grant application. If a requirement is unclear or if you have trouble finding an explanation, review the SEMAC website, particularly the Glossary of Terms, or contact staff(at)semac.org for clarification.
  • The same rules apply to every applicant. SEMAC strives to clarify those rules on all applications and on the SEMAC website. If something is not clear or if you have not received a response to e-mail, phone the office during regular business hours. Be proactive; if you do not get a response, call again.
  • Do not rely on past procedures. Grant guidelines and applications are updated on a regular basis.
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Contact Information

For more information or assistance:

  • Phone: 507.281.4848
  • Email: staff@semac.org
  • Instagram @southeasternmnartscouncil | Facebook @SEMAC
  • Contact sharon@semac.org, 711 TTY with accessibility needs.

SEMAC activities are made possible by the voters of Minnesota through grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts & cultural heritage fund.