Next Wave Grant

The Tempe Community Arts – Next Wave Grant is administered by the City of Tempe through its Arts and Culture division as part of a broader municipal effort to strengthen and sustain a vibrant local arts ecosystem. This program is specifically designed to support early-stage, small-scale arts and cultural initiatives that originate within the Tempe community. By prioritizing emerging organizations, newer nonprofits, and small creative businesses, the grant reflects the City’s commitment to fostering innovation, accessibility, and grassroots cultural development. The initiative aligns with Tempe’s long-term arts strategy, which emphasizes inclusivity, creative experimentation, and community engagement. The primary purpose of the Next Wave Grant is to provide financial support for projects that introduce new artistic ideas, elevate underrepresented voices, and contribute to the cultural vitality of Tempe. Funding is intended to help recipients launch or expand creative efforts that strengthen community connections and enhance public access to arts and culture. Eligible expenses include artist and creative fees, contracted services, production costs, venue rentals, supplies, permits, insurance, food, and marketing. However, the grant explicitly excludes funding for capital investments, permanent infrastructure, public art installations such as murals, and projects that are solely virtual or outside the city’s geographic boundaries. Eligibility is limited to nonprofit organizations and limited liability companies that provide arts programming within Tempe. Applicants must meet several conditions, including conducting their proposed project within the city between September 15, 2026 and June 30, 2027, and ensuring that they have not received more than one Tempe Community Arts Grant within the same funding cycle. Certain entities are explicitly ineligible, including universities, religious organizations focused on sectarian programming, schools and school-affiliated groups, and applicants with outstanding reporting obligations from prior grants. The program also prohibits funding for fundraising activities, re-granting, scholarships, or debt reduction. A required pre-application step involves scheduling and completing a meeting with the Community Arts Manager prior to submission. This requirement serves as a gatekeeping and guidance mechanism to ensure applicants understand program expectations and eligibility criteria. Following this step, applicants must compile all required materials and submit their proposal through the designated online application portal. Supporting documents include a budget form and responses to application questions provided in program guidelines. Applications are reviewed through a competitive process by an independent panel composed of Tempe residents, cultural leaders, artists, and representatives from the Tempe Arts and Culture Commission. The panel evaluates proposals based on alignment with program goals, community impact, and feasibility, and makes funding recommendations to the Community Services Director, who provides final approval. Due to limited funding availability, not all applications are guaranteed awards, and partial funding may be issued. The application deadline for the current cycle is July 15, 2026, with award notifications expected by August 24, 2026. Funded projects must be completed within the defined performance period ending June 30, 2027. All recipients are required to submit a final report by that date, which includes a project summary, attendance and demographic data, a final budget, and professional-quality documentation such as photographs. These materials may be used by the City of Tempe for reporting and promotional purposes. The grant appears to follow an annual cycle aligned with the September to June programming period, suggesting recurring availability in future years.

Focus on community impact, innovation, and feasibility; ensure project aligns with Tempe-based programming and eligibility rules