Seeding Cultural Treasures

Seeding Cultural Treasures is an initiative to nourish and cultivate the landscape of emerging arts and culture organizations run by and for Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC). This initiative provides unrestricted general operating grants and technical assistance support and learning opportunities through 2025 for emerging BIPOC-led-and-serving arts and culture organizations. Propel provides technical assistance to grantees in nonprofit finance, strategy, and governance areas, as well as annual convenings, peer connection opportunities and optional workshops. 

An initial round of unrestricted general operating grants was distributed to 501(c)(3) and fiscally sponsored organizations, and/or units of the 11 Tribal governments in Minnesota, in 2022. In partnership with First Peoples Fund and The Waterers, 12 organizations and 56 individual artists and culture bearers in North and South Dakota also received unrestricted general operating grants and access to trainings, convenings, and technical assistance. A final round of Minnesota grants was distributed in 2023, focused on nonprofit organizations located in and serving Greater Minnesota communities. All grantees will be able to access programming and convenings facilitated by Propel through the end of 2025. 

This grant was made possible by the Bush Foundation, Ford Foundation, Jerome Foundation, and McKnight Foundation; it is phase two of America’s Cultural Treasures, the first funds of which were distributed through the Regional Cultural Treasures initiative. 

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SCT Design Team & Selection Committee