Cultural Producer Grant Program

The Cultural Producer Grant Program was established by Charlotte Street Foundation in 2021, with major contributions from David Hughes, Jr., the organization’s founder and former director. The program was designed to provide direct financial support to grassroots, low-budget arts organizations and artist-run initiatives based in the Kansas City metro area. Charlotte Street has a long history of nurturing contemporary arts in the region and has distributed over $2.5 million in grants and awards since its founding in 1997. The Foundation has played a significant role in supporting a vibrant and diverse local arts community by providing funding, exhibition opportunities, and public programming. The purpose of the Cultural Producer Grant Program is to foster a more sustainable arts ecosystem in Kansas City by offering financial assistance to smaller artist-run groups and collectives that often go unnoticed by traditional institutional funders. These groups, although modest in size and resources, contribute significantly to the local culture through their creative projects, events, and community engagement. By offering grants between $5,000 and $10,000, Charlotte Street aims to help these organizations expand their reach and impact despite limited budgets. A total of $30,000 in funding is available for the 2025 cycle. Applicants may be artist-run initiatives, fiscally sponsored collectives, or unaffiliated artist-organizers proposing projects. To qualify, all applicants must have a documented operating history of at least 24 months. For organizations, annual operating budgets and asset values must not exceed $50,000. Individuals must demonstrate the project's operational longevity and ensure it benefits artists beyond themselves. Additionally, primary contacts must be over 21 years old, not currently enrolled in any degree program, and must have completed any formal education at least one year prior to the April 18, 2025 deadline. Eligibility is geographically restricted to applicants located in the five-county Kansas City metro area—specifically Jackson, Platte, and Clay counties in Missouri, and Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas. The grant supports a broad array of artistic disciplines including visual art, film, dance, theatre, spoken word, multidisciplinary work, new media, experimental music, arts writing, and social or conceptual design projects. Certain restrictions apply: current Charlotte Street Startup Residents, those with unfulfilled Rocket Grant requirements, and any projects taking place on Charlotte Street’s own campus are ineligible. Applications must be submitted via Submittable and require a concise multi-page PDF submission that addresses project narrative, mission, operating history, diversity and inclusion plans, collaborators, budget, and documentation. Finalists, selected through a jury panel, will be invited for 20-minute interviews on May 16, 2025. The panel will make final funding decisions based on criteria such as risk-taking, collaboration, openness, and artistic excellence. Notifications will be sent out by May 19, 2025. Importantly, all funding for 2025 will be directed to organizations and projects led by or supporting BIPOC, LGBTQIA, or Disabled communities, aiming to counter systemic inequities in Kansas City’s arts scene. Recipients are eligible for up to two consecutive years of funding before requiring a one-year hiatus.

Focus on clear DEI&A impacts and sustainability of operations; jury prioritizes projects led by BIPOC, LGBTQIA, or Disabled communities.