California Arts Grants

This funding opportunity supports projects that improve habitats and migration routes for big game species in the western U.S., targeting conservation organizations, state and tribal agencies, and community groups involved in wildlife management.

The City of Pittsburg Façade Improvement Grant Program aims to stimulate investment in the local business community by offering up to $10,000 for façade enhancements to eligible businesses. This initiative aligns with the city's mission to support and foster the growth of its local businesses, recognizing them as essential for community vitality, opportunity creation, and creativity. By focusing on visible improvements to storefronts, the program directly contributes to the beautification of public-facing areas and the overall image of the city. The primary beneficiaries of this program are small, brick-and-mortar businesses with public-facing storefronts located within Pittsburg city limits and holding an active City of Pittsburg Business License. Shopping centers with five or fewer tenants are also eligible. The program explicitly excludes home-based businesses and businesses that sell tobacco, alcohol, cannabis products, or adult materials. The impact goal is to create more inviting storefronts, improve neighborhood characteristics, encourage reinvestment in older buildings, and increase potential foot traffic for businesses, ultimately benefiting the businesses, their customers, and the wider Pittsburg community. The program prioritizes enhancements and beautification of public-facing building façades that will improve the image and characteristics of the building, the business, and the City. Specific focuses include signage, awnings, exterior paint (including anti-graffiti), architectural treatments, stucco, cladding, and/or siding repair, windows, front entrance doors, exterior lighting, planter boxes, and bicycle racks. The City seeks businesses that will provide the maximum return on investment and long-lasting benefits. A property-owner-led application is highly encouraged to ensure uniform projects, though individual tenants can also apply. The expected outcomes include a more aesthetically pleasing urban environment, increased business visibility, and a more inviting experience for customers. Measurable results will include the number of façades improved, the amount of grant funds dispersed (up to $10,000 per applicant from a $30,000 budget), and potentially qualitative feedback on improved neighborhood characteristics and increased foot traffic. The City's strategic priority is to invest in its local businesses to help them thrive, with a theory of change that by improving the physical appearance of business fronts, the city can stimulate economic activity, enhance community pride, and foster a more vibrant local economy.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to organizations delivering essential services that promote educational readiness, career preparedness, youth empowerment, and family support for children, youth, and families in San Francisco.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture is offering a competitive grant of over $1 million for California dairy and livestock operations to implement non-digester manure management practices and technologies that reduce long-term methane emissions and maximize environmental benefits, with applications due by October 18, 2024.

The City of Culver City offers grants to support dance, music, and theatre performances, aiming to bring performing arts to the community and make them accessible to everyone. This program aligns with the city's broader mission to support a variety of cultural experiences for all Culver City residents, businesses, artists, and visitors. The grants specifically help achieve the goal of ensuring everyone has the opportunity to experience and enjoy the arts. The target beneficiaries for this grant program include dance, music, and theatre organizations of any size, particularly those that are non-profit (501(c)(3) or fiscally sponsored) and based in Los Angeles County. The program specifically prioritizes supporting a wide variety of artists and organizations, especially those who have historically had limited opportunities, encompassing individuals from diverse races, ethnicities, ages, abilities, orientations, genders, and backgrounds. The impact goal is to enrich the cultural landscape of Culver City and ensure broad access to the arts. The program's priorities and focuses are clear: to support public missions centered on dance, music, and/or theatre, and to ensure performances are accessible and ADA-compliant. Applicants must have an outreach plan to attract Culver City residents to their shows, demonstrating a commitment to community engagement. The grants are not intended for fundraisers or classes, and each organization can apply for only one project, distinct from any Special Events Grant. Expected outcomes and measurable results include an increase in accessible performing arts events within Culver City, a greater diversity of artists and organizations being supported, and enhanced cultural experiences for the community. The requirement for a Project Budget and SMU DataArts Funder Report suggests a focus on financial accountability and data-driven impact assessment, though specific metrics are not detailed in the provided information. Performances must occur between January 1 and December 31, 2025, providing a clear timeframe for evaluating program effectiveness.

The CALI Catalyst program, launched in 2021 by the Center for Cultural Innovation (CCI), provides unrestricted grants of up to $7,500 to California changemakers in the arts and culture sector. This program is designed to offer financial support and validation to individuals and teams who are actively working to disrupt the status quo and advance greater equity and inclusion within the field. The foundation's mission, through this program, aligns with supporting those on the frontlines who are creating tangible change and shifting power to historically underrepresented voices, recognizing the fear of financial risk can silence crucial voices. The target beneficiaries for the CALI Catalyst grant are artists and arts workers, including administrators, cultural producers, and creatives, who reside full-time in California. The program specifically seeks to impact historically marginalized communities such as BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and people with disabilities. The overarching impact goal is to foster a more equitable and inclusive arts and culture sector by supporting individuals whose change-making actions have created tangible and measurable results at a local, regional, state, or national level. The program prioritizes and focuses on supporting actions that started on or after January 1, 2020, demonstrating ongoing or recently impactful efforts. Examples of these efforts include challenging capitalist notions of productivity to prioritize self-care for Black leaders, modeling non-hierarchical nonprofit structures led by artists of color, and creating equitable contracting practices between artists and cultural institutions. The program aims to support those who are speaking out against discriminatory practices and disrupting harmful philanthropic norms, ultimately making the arts and culture field better for everyone. Expected outcomes include continued momentum for field-wide change, with changemakers ensuring that historically marginalized communities are not overlooked. Measurable results can be observed through the ripple effects of grantees' work, such as the creation of nourishing spaces for Black leaders, the establishment of precedents for cooperative nonprofit models, and the development of equitable contracting practices. The foundation's strategic priorities and theory of change are centered on the belief that by financially supporting these change agents, they can empower voices, mitigate financial risk, and ultimately drive greater inclusion, access, diversity, and equity across the arts and culture sector.

The HealthCare Foundation for Orange County is offering a grant for 501(c)(3) organizations and hospitals in selected cities of California, aimed at improving the health of underserved women and children by empowering caregivers, providing culturally relevant services, removing healthcare barriers, and addressing community health gaps.

The Planning and Development Grants, part of the Local Parks Grant Program managed by Parks California, aim to support the initial stages of community-oriented projects that connect local communities to California’s cultural history and natural areas. These projects include building partnerships, artist selection, and developing project plans. This initiative enhances community well-being and sustainable connections. The grant cycle runs from October 2024 to May 2025.

The San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) is offering Special Project Grants of $100,000 to $500,000 for a 3-year period to arts nonprofit organizations for youth arts programs, arts service organizations, and Asian and Pacific Islander arts and culture programming, with the application deadline set for October 9, 2024.

The Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is offering grants to Santa Clara County municipalities, jurisdictions, arts, cultural, education, nonprofit, and community organizations to advance its vision of equitable Transit-Oriented Communities (TOC). This program aims to foster innovative and robust partnerships between VTA and local public agencies, nonprofits, community organizations, and diverse stakeholders. The overarching mission alignment is to support the implementation of equitable Transit-Oriented Communities within Santa Clara County, focusing on creating sustainable, inclusive, and transit-friendly environments. The grant program targets communities and organizations located within a half-mile radius of existing and planned VTA light rail stations, VTA transit centers, BART stations, and commuter rail stations served by Caltrain, ACE, and/or Capitol Corridor. The primary beneficiaries are residents and businesses within these transit-rich areas, particularly those with limited incomes, and community organizations striving to make these areas more equitable. Impact goals include empowering and strengthening communities, increasing transit ridership, reducing reliance on car trips, and supporting intensive mixed-use, mixed-income development around transit hubs. The program prioritizes projects that support collaboration and fall under four key areas: Planning and Policy Implementation, Community Resilience, Education & Engagement, and Placemaking, Arts, and Activation. Planning and Policy Implementation focuses on advancing policies and regulations for equitable TOCs, including station area planning and equitable development plans. Community Resilience emphasizes anti-displacement efforts, affordable housing preservation, small business support, and promoting transit use among low-income individuals. Education & Engagement aims to increase community leadership and participation in TOC implementation through advocacy, capacity building, and culturally relevant engagement practices. Placemaking, Arts, and Activation seeks to improve the transit rider and community experience through public arts, cultural projects, and beautification initiatives that enhance safety and accessibility. Expected outcomes include a significant increase in the adoption and implementation of equitable TOC policies and plans, tangible progress in anti-displacement efforts and affordable housing, enhanced community capacity and participation in transit-oriented development, and improved public spaces around transit stations. Measurable results will include the number of selected projects (14-20 projects are anticipated), the amount of funding distributed (up to $15,000 to $175,000 per project), and the commencement of projects between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025. The VTA's strategic priorities are clearly centered on fostering equitable development, encouraging transit ridership, and building strong community partnerships as a core theory of change to achieve sustainable and inclusive transit-oriented growth in Santa Clara County.

The Parks & Public Space Initiative, supported by the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, focuses on enhancing public lands within the Greater Oklahoma City area. This initiative stems from the Margaret Annis Boys Trust, established in 1991, with a mission to encourage landscaping and beautification projects in public spaces such as parks, medians, and other public lands. The foundation's strategic priority is to foster community engagement and improve the quality of public spaces for residents, aligning with a theory of change that posits improved public spaces lead to increased community well-being and utilization. The target beneficiaries of this grant program include neighborhood/community groups, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, and local government agencies within Oklahoma County that are connected to parks, school parks, trails, and other public spaces. The program aims to achieve several impact goals: increasing the utilization of public spaces for recreation, cultural, and health improvement; engaging various community entities in improving these spaces and their programs; and enhancing community stewardship of parks, school parks, trails, and other public lands. The initiative prioritizes funding landscaping and beautification projects in public community spaces, including neighborhood/community parks, school parks, trails, public medians, and other public lands in central Oklahoma. Eligible items for funding include plant materials, soil amendments, mulch, irrigation, and landscape amenities like shade structures and benches. Master plans and tree canopy studies are also considered. While the majority of grants support infrastructure and related activities, neighborhood streetscapes are a lower priority. Projects must be completed within one year and be open and accessible to the public. Expected outcomes and measurable results include a demonstrable increase in the use of public spaces, improved aesthetic quality of parks and public lands, and stronger community involvement in the planning, implementation, and ongoing maintenance of these projects. A significant volunteer component is required for each proposal, underscoring the program's commitment to fostering community stewardship. Additionally, a realistic location, installation, and maintenance plan with identified responsibilities and budget must be submitted to ensure the project’s sustainability, with tree plantings specifically requiring a three-year maintenance plan for establishment.

The City of West Hollywood's Arts Project Grant offers funding to eligible nonprofit arts organizations for projects taking place within the city and serving its community. This program aligns with the city's broader mission to enrich the lives of its residents and visitors through cultural engagement. The grant aims to foster a vibrant arts scene, recognize and champion local cultural resources, and discover new places for artmaking, directly supporting the city's commitment to cultural development and community well-being. The primary target beneficiaries are the residents and visitors of West Hollywood, with a focus on increasing their access to quality arts programming. The program seeks to engage diverse audiences and expand participation in the arts, particularly making experiences financially and geographically accessible. Beyond cultural enrichment, the grant also intends to support local businesses by increasing revenues and fostering arts-business partnerships, contributing to the economic vitality of the West Hollywood community. Key priorities for this grant include presenting one artistic presentation per year, as opposed to a series of projects, ensuring focused and impactful events. The program prioritizes organizations that can demonstrate artistic experience, an understanding of West Hollywood's unique cultural diversity, and a commitment to serving the general public within the city or immediately adjacent areas. Projects that do not include fundraisers, capital campaigns, murals, or religious-based programs are eligible, maintaining a clear focus on public arts presentations. Expected outcomes and measurable results are centered on increasing engagement with the arts, expanding arts audiences, and enhancing the accessibility of arts experiences for West Hollywood residents. The program also aims to strengthen local cultural resources and generate economic benefits for local businesses through arts-related activities. While specific quantitative metrics are not detailed in the provided text, the emphasis on "increasing access," "expanding audiences," and "increasing revenues for local businesses" indicates the desire for demonstrable positive impacts in these areas. The City of West Hollywood's strategic priorities for this grant reflect a theory of change that postulates that by investing in local arts organizations and projects, the city can foster a more engaged, culturally rich, and economically robust community. The grant's focus on accessibility, local relevance, and partnership building suggests a belief that widespread participation in the arts can lead to a stronger sense of community, increased quality of life for residents, and tangible economic benefits for local enterprises. This aligns with a broader strategy of leveraging cultural assets for comprehensive community development.

Program: Community Grant Program (CGP) Funder: City of Encinitas Award Details: The CGP provides funding in two categories - Civic (social, recreation, education, health, and environment) and Arts (visual art, performing arts, arts education, literary arts, etc.). The program is funded through an annual General Fund allocation from the City of Encinitas and outside donations. The CGP operates on a reimbursement basis, where funds are reimbursed upon submission of paid invoices, receipts, and other supporting documentation. Reimbursement requests for awarded grants must be submitted by 4:30 pm on Friday, June 14, 2024. Eligibility: To be eligible for funding through the CGP, organizations must have nonprofit or tax-exempt status and be legally based in Encinitas. Projects must take place between July 1, 2023, and June 14, 2024. Other Information: The City of Encinitas expresses gratitude to the Ecke Family for their generous financial support of the CGP. For more information about the program and application process, applicants are encouraged to review all information provided on the official website as well as the FY23/24 CGP Recipient Workshop Presentation. Questions can be directed to City staff via email at CGP@EncinitasCA.gov or by phone at (760) 633-2740.

The Monmouth County Community Grant, supported by the Community Foundation of New Jersey (CFNJ), welcomes proposals from nonprofit organizations addressing a diverse array of community needs. While the CFNJ's broader mission likely encompasses fostering philanthropy and addressing critical issues within New Jersey, this specific grant program aligns with a commitment to supporting local initiatives in Monmouth County. The grant program seeks to empower organizations that demonstrate a dedication to improving the lives of residents and strengthening the community as a whole. This grant primarily targets underserved populations within Monmouth County, aiming to benefit them directly through programs and services in critical areas such as education, healthcare, housing, food security, employment, and youth development. The expected outcomes include tangible improvements in these areas, leading to enhanced well-being, increased opportunities, and a more equitable community for these beneficiaries. A key priority for funding consideration is a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), evident in both the leadership and service delivery of applicant organizations. Furthermore, the grant emphasizes collaborative partnerships between nonprofit organizations, community groups, government agencies, and other stakeholders. This focus on collaboration aims to maximize impact and address systemic issues affecting underserved populations more effectively, reflecting a strategic approach to problem-solving. The program also offers general operating support, recognizing the importance of sustained funding for nonprofits to continue their vital missions. The grant amount is up to $10,000 per organization, with eligibility primarily extended to nonprofit organizations with less than a $1,000,000 operating budget serving Monmouth County. This demonstrates a strategic priority to support smaller to medium-sized local organizations, enabling them to achieve measurable results and contribute to the overall health and vitality of the community.

The Santa Barbara Foundation's Tri-Counties Blood Bank Fund Grant aims to distribute income to qualified nonprofit organizations supporting blood and blood-related products and services, aligning with the Foundation's broader mission to enhance community well-being. This grant operates through an annual Request for Proposal (RFP) process, focusing on three main types of support: Indigent Care Grants, Education Grants, and Scholarships. The program's strategic intent is to address critical needs within Santa Barbara County related to blood banking, from ensuring access for vulnerable populations to advancing medical knowledge and public awareness. Indigent Care Grants are specifically designed to reimburse "qualified hospitals" for "un-reimbursed costs" incurred when providing blood or blood products to "qualified patients" in Santa Barbara County. Qualified patients are defined as those with incomes 200% or less of the federal poverty line and without private or government insurance. The impact goal here is to alleviate the financial burden on hospitals and ensure that low-income, uninsured patients receive necessary blood products, directly contributing to health equity within the community. This component directly targets the most vulnerable populations, ensuring their access to essential medical care. Education Grants and Scholarships form another crucial pillar of this program. Education grants are intended for advanced medical technology or nursing education related to blood banking, physician education on transfusion medicine, and community education on blood and blood diseases. These grants prioritize improving the quality of blood banking, enhancing hospital staff's capabilities, and raising public awareness. Expected outcomes include a more skilled medical workforce, improved transfusion practices, and a more informed community regarding blood-related health issues and the importance of blood donation. Measurable results could include an increase in trained professionals, improved blood banking practices, and enhanced public knowledge about blood-borne diseases and critical shortages. Scholarships are aimed at post-doctoral education in non-medical disciplines related to blood and blood banking at UCSB, covering departments like Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology, Chemistry, and Chemical Engineering, as well as medical education in hematology/oncology specialties. This focus underscores the Foundation's commitment to fostering cutting-edge research and specialized medical expertise. The expected outcome is the development of new knowledge and highly trained specialists who can contribute to advancements in blood science and patient care. The overall theory of change for the Tri-Counties Blood Bank Fund is that by investing in direct patient support, professional education, community awareness, and specialized research, the Santa Barbara Foundation can significantly improve the availability, quality, and accessibility of blood and blood-related services for the entire Santa Barbara County community.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to community-based organizations in California to promote workplace safety and educate workers about their rights under state labor laws.

The Possibility Grant Program, overseen by the Walter and Elise Haas Fund, is a unique initiative with a core mission to foster a more just and equitable society. This program distinguishes itself by empowering Bay Area Youth (BAY) Community Fellows, who serve as youth advisors, to design and decide the grants. This approach aligns directly with the Fund's strategic priority of uplifting youth and incorporating intergenerational perspectives into its grantmaking. The grants are specifically designed as general operating support, ranging from $100,000 to $500,000, with flexible terms of either one or two years, providing essential financial stability to recipient organizations. The target beneficiaries for the Possibility Grants are primarily small organizations located in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, or Santa Clara County in California. These organizations must be 501(c)3 entities or fiscally sponsored by one. The impact goals are centered on challenging systems of oppression through various avenues, including cultural education, Black liberation values, community-based care, healing, and art. The program seeks to support organizations that respond to the current domestic and global political climate, demonstrating an active commitment to social change and equity. The Fund prioritizes organizations that are actively working to challenge and dismantle systems of oppression. This includes fostering intergenerational connections to uplift youth, centering collaboration in their work, and seeking a strong intersectional impact. The focus is on entities that embody Black liberation values and utilize cultural education, community-based care, healing, or art as tools for social transformation. These priorities reflect the foundation's theory of change, which posits that by supporting grassroots organizations with these specific focuses, they can contribute to systemic change and the creation of a more equitable society. Expected outcomes include the strengthening of small organizations that are vital to their communities and are at the forefront of social justice efforts. The program aims to enable these organizations to sustain and expand their work in challenging oppression and fostering intergenerational connections. While specific measurable results are not explicitly detailed beyond the general operating support, the emphasis on organizations actively working to dismantle systems of oppression and seeking intersectional impact suggests a qualitative assessment of their contributions to social equity and the empowerment of marginalized communities. The long-term impact envisioned is a Bay Area where youth are uplifted, collaboration is fostered, and systemic injustices are actively addressed.

This program provides emergency housing support to artists in Alameda County facing eviction or severe rent increases, prioritizing those from historically marginalized communities.

This funding opportunity is designed to support innovative projects that develop and demonstrate Direct Air Capture technologies in California, while also engaging and educating local communities about carbon removal efforts.

The 2024 Farm-to-School Competitive Grants Program, offered by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, aims to increase the promotion and use of New York State produced foods in K-12 school cafeterias. This initiative seeks to build relationships between New York farmers, food hubs, producers, processors, and distributors with schools, ultimately benefiting school-age children by enhancing the quality of food served and fostering local agricultural connections. The program aligns with a broader mission of improving nutrition, exposing students to new, local culinary experiences, and increasing agricultural education opportunities. Target beneficiaries for this program include K-12 School Food Authorities, charter schools, not-for-profit organizations, and Indian tribal organizations within New York State. The impact goals are centered on increasing the volume and variety of New York State farm products purchased by schools and served in school meal programs. Secondary goals include fostering agricultural education and improving student nutrition through exposure to local foods. The program prioritizes projects that increase the purchase of New York specialty crops, build relationships between schools and New York farm product suppliers, and encourage agricultural and nutrition education, gardening activities, and relationship building with local agricultural food businesses and farmers. Projects that partner with producers or food processors are strongly encouraged, highlighting a focus on strengthening the entire farm-to-school supply chain. Challenges addressed by the program include seasonality, inconsistent quality/quantity, processing/packaging needs, complex bidding processes, distribution logistics, lack of equipment/skills for fresh produce, connecting diverse populations with culturally appropriate foods, and insufficient training for culinary staff. Expected outcomes and measurable results revolve around the increased procurement and serving of New York State farm products in school meal programs. The program, which has been in place since 2015, anticipates that successful projects will demonstrate a greater integration of local foods into school meals. While specific metrics are not detailed, the objective to "increase the volume and variety" implies a quantitative measure of growth in local food purchasing. The total funding available is $1,500,000, with individual grant awards ranging from $50,000 to $100,000, and $300,000 set aside for first-time recipients, indicating a strategic effort to expand participation and impact over the two-year project duration (September 1, 2024, to August 31, 2026).