Arts Grants

The Alaska Community Foundation (ACF) is seeking applications for its Kodiak Community Foundation Grants program, targeting charitable organizations and programs within the Kodiak Archipelago Area. This grant opportunity aligns with the ACF's broader mission to support diverse community needs, with a focus on local impact in the Kodiak region. The program aims to address a wide range of needs, ensuring that funding contributes to the well-being and development of the community. The target beneficiaries of these grants are charitable organizations and programs operating in the Kodiak Archipelago. The impact goals are broad, encompassing health and wellness, education, outdoor activities, arts and culture, and community development. The foundation's strategic priority is to empower local initiatives that directly benefit the residents of the Kodiak area, reflecting a theory of change that grassroots efforts are crucial for sustainable community growth. The program prioritizes projects that address a broad spectrum of community needs. While specific outcomes are not rigidly defined beyond these categories, the expectation is that funded projects will contribute to an improved quality of life, enhanced community resources, and increased opportunities for residents in the aforementioned areas. Measurable results would likely be defined by individual grant recipients based on their specific project goals, within the broader framework of the foundation's focus areas. Funding information indicates average awards range from $1,000 to $3,000, with a potential for higher or lower amounts, and grant projects must be completed within one year of the award. The eligibility criteria emphasize support for 501(c)(3) public charitable organizations, faith-based organizations providing social services, federally recognized Tribes or Tribal non-profit organizations, and city or borough governments. This structured approach ensures that resources are directed towards credible and impactful entities capable of delivering on the grant's objectives.

The Beckley Area Foundation is offering a community grant of $1000 to $10,000 for the 2024-2025 cycle to support charitable projects in arts, education, civic beautification, public recreation, health, and human services in Wyoming County, West Virginia, with priority given to initiatives addressing significant community needs, serving a large number of residents or underserved groups, and encouraging collaboration.

The Community Enrichment program, offered by the Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts, is designed to support activities that bolster the vitality of communities within its 33-community region. This program directly aligns with the foundation's mission to address community goals and supports non-profit organizations whose initiatives align with their own mission. The foundation prioritizes programs that enhance local arts, culture, creativity, civic engagement, and community development, contributing to strong, active, and inclusive relationships among residents, the private sector, the public, and civil society organizations. The target beneficiaries for this program are the residents and various organizations within the 33-community region in North Central Massachusetts. The overarching impact goal is to create more vital communities through enhanced civic engagement, cultural enrichment, and sustainable development. The program focuses on fostering community cohesion and participation, celebrating community heritage, and promoting artistic expression in public and institutional settings. This approach is intended to create a thriving environment for all community members. The program's priorities and focuses are clearly delineated across three key areas: Arts and Culture, Community Development, and Civic Engagement. Within Arts and Culture, the program supports initiatives like public art, art programs in community centers and schools, and general artistic endeavors. Community Development focuses on projects that enhance the community and preserve historical elements. Civic Engagement aims to advance community cohesion and participation, fostering a sense of belonging and shared responsibility among residents. Expected outcomes include demonstrating capacity and potential for achieving and sustaining long-term impact, successful implementation of action plans, and measurable progress towards stated objectives. Grant proposals are required to include measurable objectives and outcomes, along with a plan to monitor this progress, ensuring accountability and effectiveness. The foundation seeks evidence that the proposed plan of action is likely to achieve its intended results, reflecting a strategic approach to grantmaking. The Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts operates with a strategic priority on programs that demonstrate clear capacity for impact, have well-defined plans of action, and include robust methods for tracking progress. While a formal "theory of change" isn't explicitly detailed, the underlying principle is that by investing in arts, culture, civic engagement, and community development, communities will become more vital, resilient, and inclusive. This is achieved through supporting non-profit organizations that can effectively execute programs aligned with these goals and demonstrate a commitment to measurable results.

This grant provides financial support to Bronx-based individual artists, artist collectives, and small nonprofit arts organizations to enhance the cultural landscape of the borough through diverse artistic projects.

The Huntington Arts Council's General Operating Support Grant aims to fund non-profit arts organizations. This grant directly aligns with the Council's mission to strengthen and enrich arts and culture within Nassau and Suffolk counties in New York. The program provides unrestricted support, allowing recipient organizations flexibility in how they utilize funds to further their artistic programming and operational needs, thereby fostering a vibrant arts community on Long Island. The target beneficiaries of this grant are non-profit arts organizations that offer programming in fields such as creative place-making, dance, design, folk and traditional arts, literary arts, multi-disciplinary arts, music, media arts, theater, and visual arts. The impact goal is to support the continued operation and growth of these organizations, ensuring that arts and culture remain a primary focus in the region and are accessible to the community. The grant prioritizes organizations with an operating budget of $400,000 or less in their most recently completed fiscal year, ensuring support reaches smaller, community-focused groups. Key focuses include organizations that have been active for at least three years, demonstrate a positive impact on arts and culture in Nassau and Suffolk counties, and possess a legal address in these counties, along with proof of non-profit status. The grant specifically excludes individuals, public or private schools, and for-profit organizations. Expected outcomes include the sustained operation and enhanced programming of funded arts organizations. Measurable results will be tied to the successful allocation of grants at either $7,000 or $10,000, and the effective use of these funds for eligible expenses such as rent, marketing, staffing, equipment, and program costs. The grant period spans from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025, providing a clear timeframe for the anticipated impact. The Huntington Arts Council's strategic priority is to cultivate a thriving arts ecosystem on Long Island by investing in the foundational stability of local non-profit arts organizations. Their theory of change posits that by providing general operating support, these organizations can more effectively fulfill their missions, innovate in their programming, and deepen their engagement with the community, ultimately leading to a richer cultural landscape for all residents of Nassau and Suffolk counties.

This grant provides funding for Massachusetts-based artists and community organizations to create public art projects that promote spatial justice and engage the public in meaningful ways.

This grant provides funding to nonprofit organizations, schools, and government entities in Cattaraugus County to address pressing community needs across various program areas, with a focus on impactful projects rather than ongoing operational costs.

The Inspire Community Grant, offered by the Genesee Valley Council on the Arts, provides financial support ranging from $2,500 to $7,500 for arts and cultural projects in Livingston and Monroe Counties, New York, aimed at serving diverse populations and enhancing community vitality, with eligibility extended to non-profit organizations, government entities, Tribal Nations, and individual artists or groups working with a fiscal sponsor or community partner.

The South Florida Cultural Consortium, funded by the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, offers grants of $15,000 or $7,500 to emerging, mid-career, and established visual and media artists residing in Broward, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe or Palm Beach Counties, with the awards based on artistic excellence and consistency in work from the last three years, and recipients also participate in a local exhibition.

This grant provides financial support to cultural organizations in the Bartlesville area to enhance access to arts and humanities programs, particularly targeting new initiatives or those reaching underserved audiences.

The various grant programs are structured to address systemic community challenges, reflecting a core alignment with the foundations’ missions to drive change, promote equity, and foster vibrant communities. The Community Foundation (Des Moines) offers three key competitive grants: Leadership, Capacity Building, and Strategic Alignment, all rooted in community plan alignment and focused on inclusive engagement and impact. Leadership Grants are designed to catalyze systems change by investing in solutions that challenge existing systems and address root causes, not just projects. Similarly, the San Antonio Area Foundation employs trust-based philanthropic principles, offering general operating and multi-year support to help non-profits focus on their missions and achieve stability as a direct means to closing opportunity gaps. The grant-making strategies are defined by specific priorities that target key community issues, often reflecting a multi-sectoral and cross-cutting approach. The Minneapolis Foundation’s grants, for instance, focus on priorities like creating an equitable education system (Reimagine Education) and being nimble in response to emerging community needs (OneMPLS), previously addressing issues like affordable housing and pandemic relief. The San Antonio Area Foundation structures its work around four pillars: Cultural Vibrancy, Livable and Resilient Communities, Aging Adults Success, and Youth Success, with activities like building capacity for under-resourced arts groups or supporting programs to strengthen safety nets for older adults. This demonstrates a comprehensive approach where investments aim to address a diverse range of interconnected human, animal, and environmental health issues. Target beneficiaries and high-level impact goals are diverse yet universally focused on empowering vulnerable populations and transforming systems. Beneficiaries include schools, students, small businesses, older adults, youth, and non-profits across various sectors. For instance, the ACDP in Liberia aims to meet the real needs of the most vulnerable rural populations, reducing poverty while strengthening human capital and resilience. Its specific goal is to significantly improve conditions for residents of targeted rural and urban communities through environmentally sustainable and equitable access to basic services by 2025. Other goals include advancing criminal justice reform through the Fund for Safe Communities, and promoting conservation education for K-12 students via specialty grants like the Explore the Ozarks Fund. A strong emphasis is placed on generating clear, measurable results that align with the strategic theory of change—that focused investments lead to demonstrable community benefits. Outcomes are expected to be specific and measurable, often guided by the SMART mnemonic (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound). These expected outcomes describe the consequences and results of the work, detailing the change in participants or the programmatic/operational level. For example, expected results include achieving greater stability for non-profit partners through multi-year support, or, in the public health sphere, strengthening the institutionalization of a functional One Health approach in Liberia to address Public Health events and develop joint policy guidance on prevention, detection, response, and recovery.

The LA County Department of Arts and Culture is offering a two-year Organizational Grant Program for Los Angeles County nonprofit arts organizations to fund projects that increase accessibility, sustainability, and capacity in arts programming, with eligibility criteria including tax-exempt status, a primary mission in arts programming, and a minimum of two years of programming history in the county.

The Charless Foundation is offering grants ranging from $5,000 to $30,000 to 501(c)3 nonprofits that support the health, welfare, and wellness of economically underserved seniors in the St. Louis region, particularly through residential support, aging in place, health and safety resources, and social support, with a preference for initiatives in South St. Louis City.

This program provides financial assistance to homeowners in High Springs for exterior home improvements and repairs to enhance neighborhood revitalization efforts.

Travel Paso is accepting applications for its 2025 Community Event Marketing Grant, aimed at supporting local events that align with its mission to promote Paso Robles, with a focus on collaboration, diversity, variety, and sustainability, and encourages applicants to outline their marketing strategies, event timing, measurement of overnight stays, and potential for partnership with Travel Paso.

The Public Art Learning Fund, administered by the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA), is designed to fortify the public art landscape across New England by offering professional development opportunities directly to artists. NEFA's overarching mission, as reflected in this grant, is to cultivate more equitable, inclusive, and vibrant public spaces and public life throughout the region. This initiative aligns with NEFA's strategic goal of fostering a sustainable and equitable public art ecosystem by investing in the skills, resources, and connections of artists working in the public realm. The primary beneficiaries of this fund are artists residing full-time in one of the six New England states (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont) who are actively engaged in public artmaking or are in the process of expanding their practice into this domain. The fund aims to empower these artists, contributing to more just and inclusive public art. Expected outcomes include artists developing enhanced skills and resources, leading to the creation of more vibrant public spaces and a stronger regional community of practice. The Public Art Learning Fund prioritizes opportunities that specifically expand an artist's public art practice and contribute equitably to more just and inclusive public artmaking. NEFA seeks clarity on desired learnings and their application to the artist's practice. The fund welcomes artists at various stages of their public artmaking careers from urban, suburban, and rural communities, recognizing that diverse cultural and artistic expressions are crucial for equitable and vibrant public spaces. A key focus of this grant is equity. NEFA acknowledges that various barriers, including race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, class, age, and geography, can limit access to professional development. Therefore, the Public Art Learning Fund actively prioritizes equity in its funding decisions. This may include, but is not limited to, prioritizing artists who self-identify as Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) and/or those who are rooted in rural communities, aligning with NEFA's theory of change that targeted support can address systemic inequities and build a more inclusive artistic landscape. Grants range from $500 to $3,000 and support opportunities taking place between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2025. Eligible applicants must also have a Creative Ground profile, and the proposed professional development must directly relate to strengthening their public art practice and occur within the grant period. These measurable results, such as the number of artists served and the nature of their professional development, contribute to NEFA's broader strategic aim of fostering a more equitable and sustainable public art ecosystem in New England.

The Metro Regional Arts Council's Flexible Support grant, ranging from $10,000 to $100,000, is available for Minnesota-based arts and cultural organizations or groups to fund operations, enhance organizational capacity, or support arts programming, with a focus on enhancing Minnesotans' access to the arts.

The City of Wilsonville is offering Community Opportunity Grants to fund projects and services that promote education, diversity, arts, or community involvement, aiming to provide entertainment and strengthen the community within Wilsonville. This grant program aligns with a mission to foster community engagement and cultural enrichment. The total funding for this program is $25,000, distributed in two grant cycles of $12,500 each per fiscal year. The target beneficiaries for these grants are Wilsonville community organizations, projects, or charitable/non-profit organizations that have been in operation for at least twelve months, or have demonstrated commensurate experience. The grants specifically aim to impact residents of Wilsonville by offering educational, artistic, and entertaining opportunities, promoting diversity, and encouraging civic engagement. The grant prioritizes projects, events, or services that further educational or artistic opportunities, encourage and foster diversity, provide entertainment and personal growth, advance civic engagement or community leadership, and involve Wilsonville's youth or elderly population in community activities. Expenses related to staff, paid volunteers, and general operating expenses (with the exception of space rental) are not eligible for funding. Expected outcomes include enhanced educational and artistic opportunities, increased diversity, strengthened community bonds, greater civic engagement, and improved community leadership within Wilsonville. Measurable results would be tied to the specific projects funded, such as participation rates in events, increased access to educational programs, or the number of community members engaged in leadership initiatives. Organizations must use funds for a specific project within the City of Wilsonville and are only eligible for one grant per fiscal year. Compliance with grant procedures, including filing a final financial statement and project evaluation, is also required for future eligibility.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to choreographers in New England for projects that enhance their dance practice or advance their careers, with grants ranging from $500 to $1,000 for various artistic endeavors.

The "Grants for Tech" program, an initiative by the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque (CFGD), aims to support nonprofits in the Dubuque area that lack dedicated IT staff. This program aligns with the foundation's mission to strengthen local organizations by enhancing their technological capabilities. By providing funding for technology improvements, training, and services, CFGD seeks to empower these nonprofits to operate more effectively and achieve greater growth within the community. The primary beneficiaries of this grant are 501(c)3 nonprofits, churches, schools, and government organizations within the Dubuque area that do not currently employ IT staff. The program's impact goals are centered on improving the operational efficiency and overall strength of these organizations through technological advancements. A key focus is on addressing the digital divide for smaller nonprofits, ensuring they have access to the necessary tools and knowledge to thrive in an increasingly digital world. The program prioritizes technology assessments through a partnership with the University of Dubuque, which allows nonprofits to identify their specific technological needs. Following assessments, the grant will fund improvements, provide essential training, and cover the costs of various technology services. This comprehensive approach is designed to provide holistic support rather than just one-off funding, ensuring sustainable technological growth and development within the recipient organizations. Expected outcomes include a measurable increase in the operational effectiveness of participating nonprofits, improved delivery of services to their constituents, and a stronger organizational capacity. While specific metrics are not explicitly detailed beyond the "more effective and grow stronger" statement, it can be inferred that these outcomes would be measured through the successful implementation of technology solutions, increased staff proficiency, and ultimately, a greater positive impact on the communities they serve. This grant program reflects the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque's strategic priority of investing in the organizational health and capacity of its local nonprofits. Their theory of change appears to be that by addressing a critical operational need like technology, they can create a ripple effect, leading to more resilient, efficient, and impactful organizations. This, in turn, contributes to a stronger, more vibrant Dubuque community as a whole.