Creative arts organizations in Mercer County are invited to apply for grants from the Looser-Flake Charitable Foundation, a private foundation administered by the Quad Cities Community Foundation. Up to $100,000 total will be available to organizations that participate in the collaborative grant application process, which will be led by Mercer County Better Together (MCBT) between now and the July 14 deadline.
With a goal of supporting opportunities for Mercer County residents to engage with the creative arts, the grant program grows out of the Looser-Flake Foundation’s mission of advancing economic development and furthering cultural and educational opportunities in the area. The Looser-Flake Foundation was established by the estates of Dorothy Looser-Flake and Roberta Looser, sisters who were born and raised on a family farm near New Boston, Illinois.
With MCBT’s support and guidance, creative arts entities will submit one collaborative application, containing a number of projects that provide benefit all over the county, to the trustees of the Looser-Flake Foundation. At least five entities in or serving Mercer County must participate in the application, and the total amount granted will grow with the number of applicants, with up to $100,000 available if nine or more entities participate.
The grants will support a wide range of projects, including those that expand arts programming, expand access to arts programming, or build the capacity of arts organizations or events. Potential examples include putting on community performances, adding teachers to arts education programs, arranging field trips to museums or performances, purchasing audio-visual equipment, developing a website for an arts organization, and much more.
Interested organizations are encouraged to attend one of three in-person information sessions jointly hosted by MCBT and the Community Foundation:
- Wednesday, May 3, from 6–7 p.m. at New Boston Community Center, 502 Main Street, New Boston, IL 61272
- Thursday, May 4, from 3–4 p.m. at Edwards River Public Library, 412 East Main Street, Aledo, IL 61231
- Thursday, May 4, from 6–7 p.m. at Sherrard Public Library, 501 3rd Street, Sherrard, IL 61281
Details about how to apply for the grant are now available at https://www.qccommunityfoundation.org/looser-flake-foundation-creative-arts-grants.