Arts Council of Anne Arundel County Community Arts Grants

Arts Council of Anne Arundel County Community Arts Grants

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Arts Council Of Anne Arundel County Inc
Amount: Up to US $2,500
Last Updated: March 18, 2026

Summary

The Arts Council of Anne Arundel County offers Community Arts Grants to support nonprofit arts organizations in providing enriching programming to county residents. This key funding initiative aims to promote diversity, equity, and accessibility in the arts. Organizations can apply for grants based on their budget size, with funding tiers designed to foster excellence and broaden opportunities in the local arts community. Eligible applicants must demonstrate a commitment to serving the community and maintaining good fiscal practices.

Overview

About the Arts Council of Anne Arundel County Our Mission Our mission is to provide leadership, funding, and support that promotes artistic expression and historic preservation and to advocate for resources and education that expand arts opportunities for all, helping to create an enriched and healthy community. Our Vision We envision Anne Arundel County as a place where artists are inspired and creativity thrives, where arts and culture bring people of all backgrounds together to enrich, bind, and celebrate our community. Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility The Arts Council of Anne Arundel County is committed to advancing and modeling equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in all of our programs and services and those of our grantees. We are dedicated to embracing equity and non-discrimination regardless of race, religious creed, color, age, gender expression, sexual orientation, class, language, and/or ability. About this Grant Opportunity The Community Arts Grant (CAG) is our keystone funding program that provides general operating support to nonprofit arts organizations that provide programming to the residents of Anne Arundel County. In an effort to promote equity among organizations of different sizes, the CAG application is divided into three tiers: CAG Tier I: for organizations with an annual operating budget of up to $100,000CAG Tier II: for organizations with an annual operating budget of between $100,000 - $750,000CAG Tier III: for organizations with an annual operating budget of more than $750,000 The key objectives of the Community Arts Grant program are to: Foster excellence, diversity, and vitality in arts offerings for all Anne Arundel County residents, regardless of age, geographic location, race, ethnicity, country of origin, or other characteristic;Broaden opportunities for Anne Arundel County audiences, artists, and arts organizations;Increase the availability of arts activities and programs for all local residents; andPromote county wide awareness of arts resources and opportunities. Two types of grants are available through the Community Arts Grant program: Founding Grants are available to eligible organizations that have not previously received funding from the Arts Council, and are capped at $2,500.General operating grant funding is available to organizations that received a previous ACAAC CAG grant, and demonstrated good fiscal stewardship of those monies.

Eligibility

We've imported the main document for this grant to give you an overview. You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. In order to be eligible, all organizations must:Produce or present the arts through public programming in Anne Arundel County.Be incorporated in Anne Arundel County as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit or have significant physical presence in Anne Arundel County.Have operated as an arts organization or arts program for one full fiscal year and be able to submit a financial statement for their most recently completed fiscal year.Establish that the majority of the arts activities it produces and/or presents take place in Anne Arundel County and that most annual expenditures of the organization and its art programming are devoted to activities that occur within the county.Be governed by a legally-liable board of directors acting under a mission statement and budget specific to the organization.Be able to document current Good Standing Status with the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation at the time of application and throughout the grant period.All applicants:Must comply with MD Solicitations Act §6-402 (b)(7) | A charitable organization must file an audited financial statement prepared by an independent CPA if the gross income from charitable contributions is at least $750,000. For organizations with gross annual contributions between $300,000-$750,000 financial statements must be reviewed or audited by an independent CPA.

Ineligibility

Public, private, and charter K-12 schools, and pre-schools are not eligible to apply. Schools should refer to the Arts in Education Grants for funding opportunities.Grant funds may not be used for:regranting; activities for the exclusive benefit of an organization’s members; travel outside Anne Arundel County to present or produce arts; arts programming that occurs outside of Anne Arundel County, projects chiefly for classroom use or in school activities; or scholarships awarded by the applicant organization for its own activities. Grant funds may not be used to make contributions to any persons who hold, or are candidates for, elected office; to any political party, organization, or action committee; or in connection with any political campaign or referendum. Grant funds may not be used for any lobbying activities.