Springboard for the Arts

At Springboard for the Arts, we believe artists are essential.

For over 30 years, our mission has been to support artists with the tools to make a living and a life, and to build just and equitable communities full of meaning, joy, and connection. We do this from our offices in Fergus Falls and Saint Paul, Minnesota, and nationally. 

We invite all in our community to be part of sustaining this work. When artists have what they need, everyone benefits. 

With the support of our funders and donors, last year Springboard for the Arts:

• Paid $956,354 directly to artists through fellowships, micro-grants, emergency relief, artist fees projects, and more
• Expanded our Guaranteed Income Pilot for artists to support 75 artists, culture bearers, and creative workers in Saint Paul and Otter Tail County, MN with no-strings-attached monthly cash payments
• Built a mini ice rink in our Saint Paul parking lot for the first year of Springboard on Ice, a series of artist-led wintertime activities, performances, and community gatherings
• Launched the Growth Fund, supporting 16 artists with $2,500 micro-grants to grow and scale their business
• Brought together 110 rural artists at the Rural Futures Summit in Fergus Falls for connection, conversation, and exchange
• Supported 20 rural artist fellows from across the Upper Midwest through the Rural Regenerator Fellowship
• Fiscally sponsored 207 artist-led emerging organizations and projects across Minnesota through our Incubator program
• Provided professional and technical development opportunities for artists, including 533 Artist Career Consultations, 110 virtual and in-person workshops and trainings, and free toolkits that were downloaded 1,126 times
• And more!

Artists bring meaning, joy, and connection into our lives. If this is work you value, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today to Springboard for the Arts. A gift of any size makes a difference. Thank you for your support!

“It means the world (as an artist) to be shown that my contributions are valued, and to be treated accordingly, to be held up and celebrated in the practice of what we are all trying to create. It was an antidote to the burnout that comes from having to fight so hard for a liberated future.” 

- Rural Futures Summit artist participant