ATTENTION, PHASE 3 WATER SHORTAGE declared by Southwest Florida Water Management District. Learn more.
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 Grant Program is the enhancement, promotion, and support of Lakeland’s arts community and its associated creative economy. Artistic enterprises headquartered within the Lakeland city limits are eligible to apply for funding through this process. Eligible organizations may apply for up to 10% of the organization’s prior year operating expenses with a maximum request of $75,000. The Mayor's Council on the Arts grant funds are approved as part of the City of Lakeland annual budget. The amount allocated by the City of Lakeland to the Mayor's Council on the Arts for the 2026-2027 budget year is $375,000. Any remaining funds not granted will be invested in the Council’s website and social media management. If grant awards exceed our annual budget, we will fund the greatest percentage possible.
Requirements to Apply
Arts organizations must meet the following eligibility requirements:
- Must be within the Lakeland, FL City
- Must be an art-centric organization (see attached list of definitions of arts-based organizations on page 4).
- Must be a 501(c)3 non-profit
- Must have three years of valid operating
- To request more than $5,000:
- Must have received at least one previous grant from
- 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 request the 2026-2027 Grant Guidelines and application from the Lakeland City Clerk by emailing: cityclerk@lakelandgov.net
Grant Scoring
Grant applications will be scored and ranked by a panel of judges, comprised of 3 or more members of the LMCA that have not submitted a grant application for the current year. Only applications with a score of 70% or above will be eligible for funding. For example, if XYZ Organization requested $10,000 and scored 89% based on matrix scoring of the judges, XYZ Organizations eligible grant award is $8,900.
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.