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The Minnesota FFA Cultural and Commemorative Grant Program helps statewide organizations document and commemorate 100 years of FFA and provides new and expanded access for Minnesota FFA members involved in art- and history-related FFA activities.

Applicant eligibility

Eligible applicants must:

  • Be a non-profit organization with capacity to serve FFA chapters across the state of Minnesota and be able to commemorate 100 years of agricultural education.
  • Meet the requirements of the State Pre-award Risk Assessment (PDF).

Project eligibility

Projects must provide new and expanded access for Minnesota FFA members involved in art- and history-related FFA activities and commemorate 100 years of FFA.

Project examples include but are not limited to:

  • Documenting and commemorating 100 years of fostering leadership, agricultural education, and community service across Minnesota by creating a history book, video storytelling series, and an in-person arts-focused event.
  • Promoting activities for the FFA related to national and state FFA band and choir, state or national FFA talent competitions, FFA floriculture, or FFA state fair landscape booths.

Amounts available

Note: As of December 3, 2025, we’ve updated the amount available through this program.

We expect to award approximately $418,340 in total between Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 and FY 2027 ($209,170 each year). Of this amount:

  1. Up to $167,336 ($83,668 each year) may be used to document and commemorate 100 years of fostering leadership, agricultural education, and community service across the state by creating a history book, video storytelling series, and an in-person arts-focused event.
  2. Any remaining funds may be used for other activities that provide new and expanded access for Minnesota FFA members involved in art- and history-related FFA activities, including activities related to national and state FFA band and choir, state and national FFA talent competitions, FFA floriculture, and FFA state fair landscape booths.

This grant doesn’t require matching funds—up to 100% of the total project cost may be covered by the grant.

FY 2026 funding must be spent by June 30, 2027. FY 2027 funding must be spent between July 1, 2026, and June 30, 2028.

We expect to award one to three grants determined through a competitive review process.

Funds for this program are from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through Minnesota’s Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment. The program is authorized under Laws of Minnesota, 2025, Regular Session, Chapter 36, Article 4, Section 10, Subd. 3.

Applying

You may request between $50,000 and $418,340. You must apply for both fiscal years and both pots of funding at the same time.

Apply by 4 p.m. Central Time (CT) on Tuesday, January 6, 2026.

Submit questions in writing before 12 noon CT, Monday, December 29, 2025.

  • Email MDA.AGRIGRANTS@state.mn.us with “Minnesota FFA Cultural and Commemorative Grant” in the subject line.
  • MDA employees are not authorized to give advice on any applications. Applicants who solicit or receive advice from unauthorized MDA employees may be disqualified from eligibility for a grant award.

Contact us if you need this information in an alternative format.

Questions and answers

If you have questions that are not addressed here or in the Request for Proposals, email them to MDA.AGRIGrants@state.mn.us with "Minnesota FFA Cultural and Commemorative Grant " in the subject line. We'll post all questions and answers on this page.

  • If I apply for an amount less than the full grant, can I receive additional funds later?
    • The grant amount you request in your application is the maximum the MDA can award. You may not request additional funds later.
  • The Legacy Amendment states there is $250,000 available in each fiscal year for this grant. Why is $209,170 available instead of $250,000 each year?
    • The amount is less because the MDA is obligated to retain funding for indirect and administrative costs. Under Minnesota Statute 16A.127, “All nonfederal agency indirect cost receipts are appropriated to the agency to pay administrative expenses, unless they are determined to be a reimbursement of general fund expenditures.” Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) determines this percentage. According to statute, "agency indirect costs" means all general support costs within any agency that cannot be directly charged to any agency program. According to the budget rider, the MDA may use an additional five percent of the funds to cover the cost of “administering, planning, evaluating, and reporting” this grant.
  • Why have total funds available increased from $404,300 to $418,340?
    • MMB just revised their indirect rate for MDA. MDA’s indirect rate has decreased.
  • Specifically, what is the amount available to provide new and expanded access for Minnesota FFA members involved in art- and history-related FFA activities?
    • Funds not used to document and commemorate 100 years of FFA (up to a maximum of $167,336 or $83,668 each year) may be used to provide “new and expanded access”. If the maximum is used to “document and commemorate” then $251,004 (or $125,502 each year) would be available to “provide new and expanded access.”  
  • If an organization applies for this grant, is it required to submit the organization’s personnel salaries and wages in the grant request?
    • No. If the organization’s personnel salaries and wages are not part of the grant request, the organization may use that money towards other grant supported activities.
  • Is the grant recipient required to use the maximum amount of $167,336 ($83,668 per fiscal year) towards documenting and commemorating 100 years of FFA?
    • No. Any amount not spent for documenting and commemorating 100 years of FFA may be used for activities that provide new and expanded access for Minnesota FFA members involved in art- and history-related FFA activities.

 

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