Arts Education Program Grant

The FY26 Arts Education Program Grant is administered by the Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA), a state agency committed to enhancing Georgia communities through arts engagement and education. This grant opportunity is designed to support arts education programs that demonstrate a strong alignment with Georgia Learning Standards and provide meaningful, measurable experiences for K-12 students across the state. The program emphasizes the power of the arts to transform student learning and school environments, supporting both in-school and community-based initiatives that include a variety of disciplines such as music, theatre, dance, visual art, media arts, creative writing, and more. Eligible projects can take the form of one-time events or multi-session initiatives, including but not limited to teaching artist residencies, afterschool programs, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) integrations, and virtual programs. All programs must take place between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026, and must be aligned with the Georgia Learning Standards in Fine Arts or, in the case of integration programs, also align with standards in core academic areas. Projects must clearly define their goals and include an assessment plan to evaluate student impact and learning outcomes. Applicants may request between $1,000 and $5,000 in funding. The grant operates on a reimbursement basis and requires a minimum 50% cash match, meaning the total project budget must be at least 1.5 times the grant amount requested. Eligible uses of funds include program-related salaries, artistic and administrative fees, rent, utilities, marketing, and accessibility accommodations, among other allowable costs. However, capital expenditures, food, entertainment, and out-of-state programming are not eligible for funding. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations registered in Georgia, government departments, public libraries, K-12 schools, and certain college/university entities that meet specific operational criteria. Organizations must be located in Georgia and must have fulfilled requirements for any past grants from GCA or the state. Only one application per school is allowed per fiscal year, and organizations may apply to only one of GCA’s main grant programs per cycle: the Arts Education Program Grant, the Project Grant, or the General Operating Support Grant. The deadline to apply for the FY26 grant cycle was February 7, 2025, and the application portal is accessible via the GCA website. Required components include an online application form, narrative responses, a detailed budget form, supporting materials, and documentation of nonprofit status for some applicants. Applications are evaluated by multi-disciplinary panels based on five scoring categories: program design and evaluation, student impact and accessibility, program effectiveness, standards alignment and assessment, and organizational capacity. Notifications are typically made in July. Although the FY26 application window has closed, this grant is part of an annual funding cycle. The next anticipated opportunity will likely open in February 2026 for FY27 programming. Applicants are encouraged to review updated guidelines annually, as criteria and program changes may occur. For more information, contact the Grants and Arts Education Programs Manager, Emily Yewell Volin, at evolin@gaarts.org.

Focus on clearly articulating alignment with Georgia Learning Standards; provide measurable outcomes; support accessibility and underserved populations; avoid ineligible expenses.