Hello,
My name is Melissa. I'm married with a disabled husband and two teenage kids. I have a B.A. in Visual Arts and I am currently looking for a grant to start up an arts center in Joplin, MO, within a year. The startup costs of the arts center will be $7,000,000. This will cover the purchase of the land, construction of the center itself, and all the necessary supplies and equipment to allow for rentable studio spaces, workshops, artists-in-residence, art gallery, sculpture gardens and a small art store (all profits from the sale of art supplies will go to the Joplin school district's arts programs). I wish to help out the Joplin community and promote the arts community. I will also offer after-school workshops for K-12 as well as college students. If anyone knows of a foundation or goverment grant that could help make this dream a reality, it would be greatly appreciated.

Did you type that right? $7 Million Dollars?

The majority of grant programs were started to help fill a need or bring a greater awareness to something. They are meant for people who are going to bring at least something to the table. Why do you need a newly constructed building - the government has programs where they get rid of their surplus property and give it to jurisdictions who then rent or buy those properties at a lower price.

As someone that does grant research I'm kind of surprised at your request and to be perfectly honest I find it a bit greedy on your part.

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there are people with serious problems and your asking for 7 million dollars, get real Melissa

Considering that this is a place for anyone asking for aid for whatever they need it for, I'm not being unreasonable for wanting the amount I'm asking for so that I can provide a safe and educational place for kids to go to after school, as well as help my community and school district. I'm asking for aid so that I can help others, not for money to help myself, though God knows my family could use money to put a new roof on my home instead of trying to find buckets to catch all the leaks, money to buy my 16 yr old a new pair of shoes instead of the ones he has to duct tape together, give my 11 yr old a true birthday, or money to try and provide my family with enough food to eat every month. Try and understand that. I'm trying to help others with even less than my family has to give their families hope of a better life, to give their children happiness. Is that too much for one person to ask for? Can you put a price on children's futures? To teach them the values that so many of our young ones aren't learning in this ME generation?? Yes, I'm real, I'm serious, and I'm going to continue to try and help others while you continue to disrespect me. And while I'm at it, it's a NONPROFIT arts center. All I get out of it is the satisfaction of encouraging children and the underpriviledged and giving them a place to do it in. You need to open your mind as well as your eyes in order to see that there are others like me that just want to help.

Rose, my reasoning for a new building is this: It will be nearer to my home so that I can continue to take care of my disabled husband and just outside of city limits where I can provide a safe, quiet area for others to learn and grow away from the crime laden inner city, gangs and violence that riddle our newspapers, radios and television daily. If that's greedy, then I guess the wish to help others instead of myself is greedy. Besides, I think my request is alot less greedy than that of those individuals that want to start up resorts or other equally frivolous endeavors.