Thrive Grant Program

The Austin Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment Thrive program is a local government funding initiative administered by the City of Austin to support the sustainability and growth of arts nonprofit organizations. Established under the broader ACME framework, which was created in 2025 to strengthen Austin’s creative economy, the Thrive program specifically targets organizations that are deeply rooted in and reflective of the city’s diverse cultural communities. The program builds on prior cultural funding reforms and has already distributed significant funding across multiple cycles, demonstrating a sustained municipal commitment to arts and culture as drivers of economic development, tourism, and community identity. The primary purpose of the Thrive grant is to provide multi-year operational support to eligible nonprofit arts organizations, enabling them to expand programming, stabilize operations, and enhance long-term organizational capacity. Funding is structured as a two-year grant agreement, with annual disbursements tied to organizational size and whether the applicant operates a creative space. Awards are tiered based on annual operating expenses, with total funding ranging from 160000 to 250000 over two years. These funds may be used for a wide range of allowable expenses, including artist compensation, marketing, production costs, and certain capital expenditures with prior approval, while prohibiting costs such as fundraising events, debt repayment, and religious programming. Eligibility is limited to nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status that have been operating in the Austin metropolitan statistical area for at least five years. Applicants must demonstrate that the majority of their creative production occurs within Austin city limits or its extraterritorial jurisdiction and must have annual expenses of at least 60000. The program excludes individual artists, for-profit entities, and organizations whose primary mission is not centered on arts and culture. Applicants must also meet general City of Austin requirements, including compliance with conflict-of-interest policies, maintaining insurance, and ensuring that funded activities are publicly accessible and marketed to both residents and tourists. The application process is conducted through an online portal managed by a third-party administrator. Applicants must submit detailed narrative responses addressing their mission, proposed activities, organizational capacity, and community impact. The application includes multiple sections such as creative work, capacity building, budget justification, and public engagement strategies. Each section is scored according to a rubric that evaluates cultural relevance, organizational sustainability, and community connection. Supporting materials include financial documentation such as IRS Form 990 and a detailed project budget. Applications are reviewed by independent panels composed of professionals with diverse artistic and cultural expertise. Scoring is based on three primary categories: creative work, capacity, and public connection. Final funding decisions are made after eligibility verification and scoring review by ACME staff. The program also includes a cohort participation component for awardees, offering professional development, networking, and peer learning opportunities designed to strengthen long-term resilience. For the current cycle, applications are open from July 7, 2026 through August 18, 2026, with approximately 3000000 in total funding available. The program operates on a biennial cycle, meaning applications are accepted every two years. Awardees enter into a 24-month agreement with structured payment milestones tied to reporting and compliance requirements. Questions and support are available through ACME staff via official city communication channels, and applicants are encouraged to review full funding guidelines for detailed requirements and definitions.

Align responses closely with scoring criteria emphasizing cultural authenticity and community impact; clearly demonstrate financial sustainability and capacity; ensure budget aligns directly with proposed activities