Oklahoma Arts and the Military 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 come from another Oklahoma Arts Council grant award.

Application Deadline
A single deadline of May 1, 2026, will apply for all projects occurring between July 1, 2026 and June 30, 2027.

Accessibility
Individuals with specific accessibility needs can contact our accessibility coordinator.

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) vendor office
• 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

Oklahoma Arts and the Military Grants are made possible in part by funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Mid-America Arts Alliance.

• 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
• Colleges and universities 
• Public libraries

Military-connected individuals must be served through the project. Projects can be new or ongoing but cannot end before the submission of an application. Examples of projects include:

Learning-Based Arts Programs

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

Audience-Based Arts Programs 

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

Capacity Building Programs

• Programs that increase an organization’s or community’s capacity to provide arts experiences and programming to military-connected audiences, including but not limited to:
  • Professional development opportunities
  • Contracted consultant services 
  • Research, development, and program evaluation expenses 

Allowable Expenses:
Funding from the grant program can be used to reimburse the following expenses: 

• Artistic fees for contracted artists
• Administrative fees to support the programming or administration of the project such as payment to a coordinator or grant writer
• Technical fees to support the implementation of the project such as professional event services
• Artist travel expenses such as mileage, rental, airfare, rideshare, etc.
• Consumable supplies directly related to the project •
• Marketing expenses to promote access to the project
• Rental fees such as rental of facilities, equipment, etc.
• Other Expenses such as printed programs, temporary signage, licensing and/or royalty fees, etc.

Unallowable expenses include tickets, tuition, scholarships, capital expenditures and/or building improvements, permanent art installations, activities for which college credit is given, loss of revenue, debt repayment, subgranting, duties or expenses related to fundraising and/or lobbying, 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)galas).

Proposals for funding must seek to accomplish one or more of the following:

• Provide opportunities to military-connected individuals who are artists 
  Project provides opportunities and/or visibility for military-connected individuals who are practicing artists (literary, performing, visual, and teaching artists).
  
  
• Offer meaningful benefits to military-connected individuals 
  Project provides specific benefits to military-connected individuals. Examples of benefits include skillsbuilding, connection to support systems, or other clearly identifiable value.
  
  
• Build capacity for organizations to lead successful arts and military projects 
  Project centers on activities that increase organizational capacity related to serving militaryconnected individuals through the arts. Examples include contracting with consultants to increase understanding of military structures and ways that the arts and military communities can meaningfully intersect; conducting research on local military populations and their needs; and, providing opportunities for staff to attend in-state training relevant to arts and military programming.
  
  
• Actively include diverse military communities 
  Project reaches diverse groups within the military community including (but not limited to) women veterans, veterans with disabilities, and veterans representing diverse ethnic or cultural groups. More than 330,000 veterans live in the state of Oklahoma (nearly 10 percent of Oklahoma’s population).

Other Considerations

Applicants are highly encouraged to consider the following in the development of their projects:

• Use of feedback from military-connected individuals in project planning
• Pursuit of sustainable partnerships with community organizations as a means of enhancing the reach and impact of a project
• Incorporation of marketing channels, including social media, that are more likely to reach militaryconnected individuals
• Creation of learning-based programs that have a duration of six weeks or longer
• Inclusion of a plan for sustainability for learning-based programs
• Offering of programming in non-traditional arts spaces where military-involved communities are more likely to interact. Examples include on or near military bases, veterans centers, and other militaryconnected establishments.

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 Oklahoma Arts Council grants, you must create a new account in the Fluxx grant portal 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
3. Application is reviewed by Oklahoma Arts Council
4. Award notification (if the project is selected for funding)
5. Authorizing Official accepts grant contract
6. Project activity occurs
7. Grant Administrator submits final report 
8. Grant payment is processed 

Q. My organization is interested in applying, but we are unsure how the COVID-19 pandemic will affect our program. What should we do?
A. We recommend you create a plan in advance that allows you flexibility with your project. Online and virtual programs may be eligible for support. Download our guide on virtual and online content considerations. Be sure to contact our Grants Office if changes to your project are necessary.

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 our Arts Learning in Communities Director.

Q. Can these grant funds support a memorial sculpture, mural, or other permanent artwork?
A. Unfortunately, no. The Oklahoma Arts and the Military Grant funds cannot be used to support capital expenditures including the creation of permanent artwork or the improvement of buildings/properties.

Q. We are offering free tickets to the military community for a program we’ve already planned. Will this make my project eligible for funding?
A. Unfortunately, no. While discounted tickets may help broaden access in general, Oklahoma Arts and the Military Grants can only be used for projects that are intentionally designed to serve military-connected individuals. For more information, see the “Required Outcomes” and “Other Considerations” sections above.

Q. Our organization currently offers weekly art classes for military-connected Oklahomans. Can we apply for funding?
A. Yes. The grant may be able to support programs with allowable expenses that are incurred between the date you submit your application and the end of the grant period.

Q. My organization is already receiving funding through Oklahoma Arts Council’s Organizational Support/Major Grant Support/Small Grant Support program. Can I apply for this Oklahoma Arts and the Military Grant opportunity?
A. Yes. If your organization is selected to receive Oklahoma Arts and the Military Grant funding, you will need to provide a separate 1:1 match (100%) for the award, none of which may come from another Oklahoma Arts Council grant award. Half of the match (50%) may be in-kind support.