2025 Micro Grant Program

The purpose of the Waukegan Arts Council (WAC) 2025 micro grant program is to provide a subsidy to working Waukegan artists for the production of their art. Grants up to $500 will be awarded to artists who are actively engaged in their chosen medium and who demonstrate a need for funds to purchase supplies or equipment, secure a venue, attend a class or obtain necessary resources to engage in the applicant’s art form. The grant cannot be used to pay salaries or benefits. 

Total funding for the Waukegan Arts Council 2025 micro grant program is $2500 to be divided among the grant recipients.

Questions about the application process may be directed to waukeganartscouncil@gmail.com.

Criteria

  • Applicants must be artists with a Waukegan connection.

  • Applicants must provide a description and a recent example of their art form.

  • Applicants must provide a description of how the grant funds will be used. 

  • Applicants must demonstrate how the grant funds will benefit the Waukegan community. 

Application Information

  • Applications will be available on and after April 10, 2025.

  • Download this page to plan your application.

  • A grant workshop will be offered on April 23, 2025, at 6:30 pm at Three Brothers Theatre, 221 N. Genesee Street.  RSVP to waukeganartscouncil@gmail.com.

  • All submissions must be received by May 31, 2025.

  • Grants will be announced and funds released no later than June 30, 2025.

  • All application material must be submitted as PDF documents via the form below or by regular mail to Waukegan Arts Council, 39 Jack Benny Drive, Waukegan, Illinois 60087.

  • Online submission is highly encouraged.

Guidelines

  • This is a competitive process. The grant applications are evaluated based on the applicant’s ability to meet the eligibility and application criteria.

  • Applications will be reviewed and voted on by the WAC Board of Directors at the June meeting. The decision of the Board of Directors will be final and may not be appealed.

Download the

Additional Documents

Each additional document should be a single PDF, but support materials like images may be submitted separately. The first two documents, Narrative and Budget, are required.

1: Narrative (required)

The narrative should include the following:

  • Background: introduce yourself and describe your background and experience as an artist.

  • Description of art form: Provide a clear, detailed description of your art form and your connection to Waukegan.

  • Use of the grant funds: Provide a description of your plans for the use of the grant funds and any photographs you may have of your art. Demonstrate how the grant funds will benefit the Waukegan community.

  • Photographs may be included in the submitted PDF or provided as separate files.

2: Budget (required)

Provide a budget detailing how you will spend the grant money.

3: Letters of Support

Letters of support from individuals who support you or your work are encouraged but not required.

APplicants agree to the following:

Funds will be released upon acceptance of the grant by the applicant, as demonstrated by the execution of a Grant Agreement.

The WAC must be acknowledged with its logo in all publications related to the funded activity.

The recipient of the grant will have 6 months to use the grant money and must report back to the WAC with an explanation, including any pictures of how the grant money was used.

The WAC shall have the right to reproduce images used by the grant recipient for promotional purposes.

A recipient who does not submit a final report is deemed ineligible for any future WAC grant funding.

I understand that the availability of Arts Council grants is based upon a variety of factors, including availability of funds, number of applicants and compliance with grant guidelines.