Lakeland Mayor's Council on the Arts Grant Program

Purpose of the Annual Grant Program

The primary mission of the Lakeland Mayor’s Council on the Arts (LMCA) Grant Program is to enhance, promote, and support Lakeland’s arts community and its associated creative economy. Artistic organizations headquartered within Lakeland city limits are eligible to apply for funding through this process. Eligible organizations may request up to 10% of their prior-year operating expenses, with a maximum grant request of $75,000. MCA grant funds are approved as part of the City of Lakeland’s annual budget. For the 2026–2027 fiscal year, the City of Lakeland allocated $375,000 to the Mayor’s Council on the Arts. Any funds remaining after grant awards are made will be used to support the Council’s website and social media management. If total grant requests exceed the amount available in the annual budget, grant awards will be reduced proportionally to fund the greatest percentage of each eligible request possible.

Organization Eligibility Requirements to Apply:

Must be within Lakeland, FL City limits.
Must be an art-centric organization, as defined in the Arts-Based Organization Definitions provided on page 4.
Must be a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Must have three years of valid operating experience.
To request more than $5,000:
- Must have received at least one previous grant from LMCA.
To request more than $25,000:
- Must have completed at least 3 years of programming
- Employ at least one paid, full-time staff member in a management position

Grant Application Process:

To apply, please read through the 2026-2027 Grant Guidelines here and fill out the application at the bottom of this page.

Grant Scoring:

Grant applications will be evaluated, scored, and ranked by a panel of three or more LMCA members who have not submitted a grant application during the current grant cycle. Applications will be evaluated using the LMCA 2026-2027 Grant Scoring Matrix provided in the Grant Guidelines. Only applications receiving a minimum score of 70% will be eligible for grant funding.

Questions regarding the grant program should be directed to the City Clerk's Office at cityclerk@lakelandgov.net or 863-834-6210.

The Mayor's Council on the Arts seeks to enhance public participation in decisions involving the arts community and make recommendations on grant funding to qualified organizations.

Members include representatives of various arts organizations and citizen members as named by the Mayor with approval of the Municipal Boards Committee.

Return to City of Lakeland Boards & Committees

2026-2027 Mayor's Council on the Arts Grant Application

Ensure to review Grant Guidelines before completing application.

Organization Names *

Mailing Address *

City *

State *

Zip Code *

Grant Contact Name *

Grant Contact Email Address *

Phone Number *

Name of Executive Director/CEO (If different from Grant Contact) *

Website *

Total Operating Expenses for Most Recently Completed Fiscal Year *

Grant Amount Requested *

Answer the following based on the Grant Guidelines.

Organizational History: *

Core Programming Description: *

Proposed Programming Description: *

Financial Health: *

Evaluation *

Required Attachments to be submitted with application:

501 (c) (3) Letter of Determination *

Most recently completed fiscal year financials *

Current operating budget *

I attest that the information provided on this application is true and accurate, and if this application for grant funding is approved, that the funding will be utilized in accordance with the project programming as outlined. *

Date *