ACSCC: Develop Grants

The ACSCC: Develop Grants program offers funding up to $1,500 for professional development activities that enhance artistic skills or expand business capacities for artists and arts organizations in Santa Cruz County. The grants are designed to support the creation of artistically excellent work, increase accessibility to the arts, and engage new audiences without requiring a public exhibition. Eligibility is limited to local residents and organizations, with specific restrictions on previous grant recipients.

Grant Program Overview
Funding for professional development (activities that improve artistic skills or expand business and professional capacity), up to $1,500. Develop grants do not require a public presentation/exhibition. Open to Santa Cruz County artists and arts organizations.
Grant Program Objectives
We provide funding for artists and organizations in Santa Cruz County to:

• Support the creation and presentation of artistically excellent work
• Increase the success of artists and the sustainability of arts organizations
• Expand equitable access to the arts
• Engage new audiences in the arts
• Increase social impact through the arts

Eligibility

Residence/location: Individual applicants must reside in Santa Cruz County; nonprofit organization applicants must be located in Santa Cruz County.Returning applicants: Applicants are eligible to receive up to two consecutive professional development support grants (from Cultivate and/or Develop grant cycles) and then are required to skip a year before re-applying.Required reports for previous Arts Council grants must be completed. If you have a final report outstanding and plan to complete it before the start of the grant period, you are welcome to apply. You will not be able to receive the grant until the final report has been submitted.Applicants may only submit one application for one grant per cycle (Create or Develop, not both)

Ineligibility

Applicants cannot have more than one professional development grant at the same time. Applicants seeking a Develop grant cannot have another incomplete Develop grant or Cultivate professional development grant from the Arts Council.Current Support and Elevate grantees are ineligible for Create and Develop grants.Develop Grants Do Not Fund:Any projects, programs, activities, or expenses that took place before grants are awarded.School programs (the Arts Council funds school programs through our Arts Ed program and SPECTRA grants)NEW: Tuition for college/university classes.
Universities and colleges (even if they are serving as a fiscal sponsor for an arts program).Culinary arts or healing arts professional development.
Capital improvements, construction, or renovation projects.
Government departments, boards, or programs.
Research (other than research related to professional development).
Foundations that do not produce arts programming.
Debt retirement, fundraising or benefit events, social services, political or religious advocacy, or for-profit organizations.