Springboard For The Arts
Springboard for the Arts is a Minnesota-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit (founded 1991) that supports artists and creative communities through grants, fiscal sponsorship, a guaranteed-income pilot, professional development, fellowships, and the national Creative Change Coalition of 200+ member organizations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersSaint Paul, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Springboard For The Arts does
Springboard for the Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 41-1690483), founded in 1991 and headquartered at 262 University Ave W in Saint Paul's Rondo neighborhood, with a regional office in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. The organization operates an integrated portfolio of programs supporting individual artists and creative communities: direct grants (Growth Fund, Leslye Orr Fund for Artists with Disabilities), emergency relief (Artists Emergency Relief Fund Network across 11 Regional Arts Councils), a guaranteed income pilot ($500/month for 100 artists over 5 years), an 18-month Rural Regenerator Fellowship, fiscal sponsorship (Incubator, holding $1.4M in trust for ~200 artist-led projects annually), professional development (Work of Art curriculum, Artist Career Consultations serving 500+ artists annually), an art subscription model (Community Supported Art at $250–350/share, replicated in 60+ North American cities), physical space and equipment access (Community Hall, Resource Labs, Equipment Library via myturn.com), consulting partnerships (Knight Creative Cities Initiative, LISC, Creatives Rebuild NY), and the Creative Change Coalition national network of 200+ member organizations incubated since 2023.
The underlying technology layer is utilitarian: standard web content (springboardforthearts.org, WordPress-based), a third-party equipment reservation system (myturn.com), the Creative Study online course platform, and virtual workshop infrastructure. The proprietary features that distinguish Springboard's offerings are programmatic/methodological rather than technological — the Community Supported Art commissioning model, the Artists Respond cohort structure around critical community issues, and the Ready Go mobile artist-led workshop platform. The digital stack supports rather than drives the business model.
Revenue is generated primarily through foundation grants (McKnight, Jerome, Knight, Blandin, Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, plus legislative appropriation through Minnesota State Arts Board and West Central Initiative), supplemented by earned income: fiscal sponsorship fees (sliding-scale $60–120 annual plus 7% on funds held), CSA share sales, sliding-scale consulting ($50–$125 outside Minnesota, free within), space rental, and equipment lending. Go-to-market is community-led via direct artist engagement in the Rondo/Frogtown and Fergus Falls neighborhoods, Regional Arts Council partnerships, peer referrals, and earned media (NPR, NYT, Bloomberg). The organization serves over 2,500 artists annually across individual artists, creative entrepreneurs, rural artists/culture-bearers, and equity-prioritized cohorts (BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, disabled artists), with national reach through Creative Change Coalition and replicated program toolkits in 100+ U.S. communities.
Springboard For The Arts firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Springboard For The Arts
- Legal name
- Springboard for the Arts
- Website
- https://springboardforthearts.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Springboard for the Arts is a Minnesota-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit (founded 1991) that supports artists and creative communities through grants, fiscal sponsorship, a guaranteed-income pilot, professional development, fellowships, and the national Creative Change Coalition of 200+ member organizations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Springboard For The Arts industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Arts Nonprofit Services
- NAICS
- Fine Arts Schools (61161)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs (BPAGAHAH)
Keywords
Where Springboard For The Arts is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Saint Paul
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Springboard For The Arts business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Grants and Donations: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Springboard for the Arts is funded primarily through grants from foundations (McKnight Foundation, Jerome Foundation, Knight Foundation, Blandin Foundation) and individual donations. EIN: 41-1690483.
- Fiscal Sponsorship Fees: The Incubator program charges a sliding scale annual fee of $60-120 and a 7% fee on all funds received and held by Springboard. Program supports nearly 200 artist-led projects annually, holding $1,400,000 in trust.
- CSA Share Sales: Community Supported Art shares sold directly to collectors, with share prices ranging between $250 to $350 each, including studio visits and pickup parties.
- Space Rental: Rental income from Community Hall (2,535 sq ft), rooftop space (435 sq ft), Resource Lab, and outdoor Front Yard area at the Saint Paul location.
- Consulting and Training Services: Fee-for-service consulting partnerships with organizations, agencies, and communities to design and strengthen programs supporting local artists and creative communities.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Artist Career Consultations - Free for MN Artists |
| Hybrid | Pay-as-you-go | Artist Career Consultations - Sliding Scale |
| Subscription | Annual | Incubator Fiscal Sponsorship |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Community Supported Art Shares |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Growth Fund Grant |
| Other | Monthly | Guaranteed Income for Artists |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Falls Arts Exchange - Project Based |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Falls Arts Exchange - DIY |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Leslye Orr Fund for Artists with Disabilities |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Springboard For The Arts product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Springboard for the Arts is an artist-centered community and economic development nonprofit that helps artists make a living and a life through a portfolio of direct services, professional development programs, grants, fiscal sponsorship, fellowships, and community-based initiatives. The organization operates offices in Saint Paul and Fergus Falls, Minnesota, delivering programs such as Artist Career Consultations, Community Supported Art, the Incubator fiscal sponsorship program, the Growth Fund, Guaranteed Income for Artists, the Rural Regenerator Fellowship, Work of Art curriculum, and Ready Go mobile arts workshops.
Product overview
Springboard For The Arts is an artist-centered community and economic development organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of programs and services supporting artists' livelihoods and creative community development. The organization operates as a unified platform of interconnected programs rather than a single product, including artist funds and grants (Growth Fund, Leslye Orr Fund, Artists Emergency Relief Fund Network), professional development (Work of Art curriculum, Artist Career Consultations), fellowship programs (Rural Regenerator Fellowship), artist residency and exchange (Falls Community Arts Exchange), economic security initiatives (Guaranteed Income for Artists), fiscal sponsorship (Incubator), community programming (Artists Respond, Ready Go, Springboard on Ice, Fall Fest), pop-up markets (SpringPOP, Last Minute Gifts, Maker 2 Market), space and equipment access (Resource Labs, Equipment Library), legal services (MN Lawyers for the Arts), national coalition building (Creative Change Coalition), and consulting partnerships (Hire Springboard). Founded in 1991, the organization has offices in Saint Paul and Fergus Falls, Minnesota and has replicated its program models in over 100 communities across the U.S.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Creative Change Coalition: A national coalition of place-based organizations that center people, creativity, and equity working together to create a stronger ecosystem for communities and artists. Launched in fall 2023 and incubated at Springboard for the Arts.
- Falls Community Arts Exchange
Products and services
- Community Supported Art (CSA) An art subscription program where buyers purchase shares of locally produced artwork from Minnesota artists, receiving 9-12 pieces per season. Share prices range from $250-$350.
- Rural Regenerator Fellowship An 18-month fellowship bringing together rural artists, creatives, and culture bearers to deepen their work and build solidarity across the Upper Midwest. Since 2021, has invested over $1 million supporting 44 Fellows.
- Growth Fund An ongoing grant program providing $2,000 grants to Minnesota creative business owners and artists to help sustain or scale their businesses. Recipients are selected through randomized drawing after completing an Artist Career Consultation.
- Leslye Orr Fund for Artists with Disabilities A non-competitive grant program providing $2,500 awards to Minnesota artists with disabilities to create work and invest in their careers, selected through randomized drawing.
- Artists Emergency Relief Fund Network A coalition of 11 Minnesota Regional Arts Councils providing emergency relief funds for artists experiencing hardships across the state.
- Falls Community Arts Exchange A residency and exchange program in Fergus Falls offering Project Based Exchange (4-week collaborative projects with $4,000 stipend and lodging) and DIY Exchange (2-14 day self-directed stays on a sliding scale).
- Maker 2 Market A program connecting buyers to Minnesota artists and makers through pop-up markets including SpringPOP and Last Minute Gifts.
- Artists Respond A series of programming engaging artists around critical issues with funded opportunities to create projects around shared themes such as social isolation, guaranteed income, environmental stewardship, and rural-urban solidarity.
- Work of Art: Business Skills for Artists Springboard's signature professional development series teaching business skills to artists in all disciplines. Available as interactive workshops and a free workbook, replicated in over 80 communities across the Upper Midwest.
- Ready Go A platform of artist-led mobile activities and workshops that can be hired for community events, including artist-led workshops and purpose-built mobile tools.
- Hire Springboard Consulting Services Fee-for-service consulting and partnership services for place-based organizations to design and strengthen programs supporting local artists, including workshops, technical assistance, and program design.
- Guaranteed Income for Artists A pilot program providing $500/month unrestricted payments to 100 artists across Minnesota (Saint Paul and Otter Tail County) for 5 years, with financial counseling partnership and research collaboration with University of Pennsylvania's Center for Guaranteed Income Research.
- Incubator Fiscal Sponsorship A fiscal sponsorship program allowing artist-led nonprofit projects to apply for grants and receive tax-deductible donations. Supports close to 200 projects annually, holding $1.4 million in trust, with annual fees of $60-120 and 7% fee on deposited funds.
- Artist Career Consultations One-on-one professional support for artists, creative entrepreneurs, and small business owners provided by over 20 Artist Career Consultants, covering career planning, project support, marketing, grants, and technology assistance. Free for Minnesota artists.
- MN Lawyers for the Arts A program providing access to vetted arts and entertainment attorneys offering free 30-minute consultations for artists on business formation, contracts, intellectual property, and taxes.
- Creative Change Coalition A national coalition of place-based organizations centered on people, creativity, and equity, providing peer engagement, technical assistance, and resources for creative community development.
- Creative Study A subscription-based virtual library of self-paced video courses for creatives covering U.S. tax basics, business setup tools, and arts and economics. Available for individuals and institutional bulk purchase.
- Resource Labs and Equipment Library Equipment and workspace facilities in Saint Paul and Fergus Falls offering scanners, Adobe Creative Cloud, photography equipment, and workstations for professional development projects, plus a no-to-low-cost equipment loan program offering cameras, lighting, projectors, and sound gear.
- Space Rental Rental of Springboard's Saint Paul facilities including Community Hall (2,535 sq ft), Front Yard outdoor space, Resource Lab workshops, and Rooftop area for events and gatherings.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 2,500 artists helped during pandemic emergency relief response
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Springboard For The Arts
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Springboard For The Arts technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Springboard For The Arts partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- Creative Change Coalition Member OrganizationscoreOver 200 core member organizations across the nation as part of national coalition for place-based, equity-focused, creativity-centered organizations.
- LSS Financial CounselingcorePartnership providing Minnesota artists in the Guaranteed Income pilot with no-cost financial counseling, student loan debt, and housing counseling services.
- University of Pennsylvania Center for Guaranteed Income ResearchcoreResearch partnership conducting comprehensive studies to chart the Guaranteed Income pilot's impact and inform national policy.
- Fergus Falls Public LibrarycoreLocal host partner for Falls Community Arts Exchange, sharing place-based processes and connecting artists to community goals.
- Outstate BrewingcoreLocal host partner for Falls Community Arts Exchange 2026-27, collaborating with visiting artists on community projects.
- Victor Lundeen CompanycoreLocal host partner for Falls Community Arts Exchange 2026-27, providing artist collaboration opportunities.
- BrownbodycorePartnership for Springboard on Ice - community-centered nonprofit whose mission is to liberate Black artistry through dance, theatre, and figure skating.
- Minnesota State Arts BoardcoreState arts agency funder for Falls Community Arts Exchange and other programs, with legislative appropriation from arts and cultural heritage fund.
- 11 Minnesota Regional Arts CouncilscoreCoalition of regional arts councils (Arrowhead, Central MN, East Central, Five Wings, Lake Region, Metropolitan, Northwest MN, Prairie Lakes, Southeastern MN, Southwest MN, Region 2) launching emergency relief funds by July 2026 through Artists Emergency Relief Fund Network.
- Ramsey CountymajorRecent consulting partner for community development programs.
- Project for Pride in LivingmajorRecent consulting partner for community development programs.
- LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation)majorRecent consulting partner supporting community development initiatives.
- Georgia Council for the ArtsmajorRecent consulting partner for creative community development programs.
- Kansas Main Street/Kansas CommercemajorRecent consulting partner for creative community development programs.
- Creatives Rebuild New YorkmajorRecent consulting partner and peer organization for guaranteed income and artist support programs.
Scale indicators14 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Springboard For The Arts competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- 3Arts: Chicago-based nonprofit making unrestricted cash awards and career support to Chicago-area artists. Directly comparable to Springboard's regional grants-to-artists model and unrestricted-cash philosophy.
- National Performance Network: National network of performing-arts presenters and artists providing fellowships and community-anchored performance support. Comparable to Springboard's Artist Career Consultations and rural residency programming through its community-development lens.
- Forecast: Minnesota-based nonprofit supporting public artists through grants, mentorship, and publishing. A strong regional peer for Springboard's Artists Respond, Ready Go, and community-engaged-art programming.
- MAP Fund: National grant program supporting experimental live performance and the artists who create it. Parallel to Springboard's grantmaking model and broadly aligned with the artists-respond-to-critical-issues philosophy.
- Creative Capital: National nonprofit providing project grants and professional development to innovative artists. Closely comparable in the integrated grants + career-support model Springboard delivers, with similar focus on individual artist recipients.
- Center for Cultural Innovation: National nonprofit strengthening arts and culture through research, grants, and consulting for individual artists and organizations. Comparable as a peer capacity-builder and field-research partner in line with Springboard's consulting work and toolkits.
- United States Artists: National nonprofit providing direct fellowships and career support to individual artists across disciplines — a clear parallel to Springboard's Growth Fund, Leslye Orr Fund, and Artist Career Consultation portfolio.
- Fractured Atlas: National nonprofit providing fiscal sponsorship and business services to thousands of artists and arts organizations. Directly comparable to Springboard's Incubator program and artist-support mission, though Fractured Atlas operates nationally rather than regionally.
Regional players
- Arts Midwest: Regional arts organization serving six Midwestern states with grants, programs, and convenings. Operates in overlapping geography with Springboard (Minnesota) and parallel functions (emergency relief, regional convenings) but at a larger regional scale.
Emerging players
- Creatives Rebuild New York: New York-based artist-employment and guaranteed-income pilot program. Direct conceptual peer to Springboard's Guaranteed Income for Artists pilot, with shared research ambitions around artist economic security.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Springboard For The Arts social profiles
Digital presenceSpringboard For The Arts financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Springboard For The Arts leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
Springboard For The Arts funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Springboard For The Arts M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Springboard For The Arts
What does Springboard For The Arts do?
Springboard for the Arts is an artist-centered community and economic development nonprofit that helps artists make a living and a life through a portfolio of direct services, professional development programs, grants, fiscal sponsorship, fellowships, and community-based initiatives. The organization operates offices in Saint Paul and Fergus Falls, Minnesota, delivering programs such as Artist Career Consultations, Community Supported Art, the Incubator fiscal sponsorship program, the Growth Fund, Guaranteed Income for Artists, the Rural Regenerator Fellowship, Work of Art curriculum, and Ready Go mobile arts workshops.
Is Springboard For The Arts a public or private company?
Springboard For The Arts is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Springboard For The Arts founded?
Springboard For The Arts was founded in 1991. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Springboard For The Arts based?
Springboard For The Arts is headquartered in Saint Paul, United States, in the North America region.
How does Springboard For The Arts make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Grants and Donations are the primary driver. The others are fiscal Sponsorship Fees, CSA Share Sales, space Rental and consulting and Training Services.
Who are Springboard For The Arts's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are 3Arts, National Performance Network, Forecast, MAP Fund, Creative Capital, Center for Cultural Innovation, United States Artists and Fractured Atlas. Arts Midwest is listed as a regional player. Creatives Rebuild New York is listed as an emerging player.
Does Springboard For The Arts have an API?
No public API is recorded for Springboard For The Arts.
What industry is Springboard For The Arts in?
Springboard For The Arts's product category is Arts Nonprofit Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAHAC, Arts Education & Community Arts Programs, with a secondary code of BPAGAHAH, Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs. Its NAICS code is 61161.