ArtsWave’s Circle Grants

ArtsWave’s Circle Grants aim to promote and celebrate Black and African American arts experiences in the Cincinnati region. Eligible organizations must be non-profits with a majority of their expenditures dedicated to arts activities and be based in the Cincinnati-Middletown area. This initiative seeks to foster inclusivity and cultural heritage through innovative projects.

ArtsWave is the engine for the Cincinnati region’s arts.
ArtsWave believes that diversity in arts and cultural expression creates a more vibrant and dynamic region. ArtsWave also believes that only an inclusive collection of diverse organizations, artists, art forms and projects can fully deliver the goals of ArtsWave’s Blueprint for Collective Action to advance social impact in our community. In FY26, ArtsWave’s Circle Grant Program requests proposals for projects that promote and/or celebrate Black and African American Arts experiences in the Cincinnati region.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the FY2026 Circle Grant, an organization must meet the following requirements:Have a 501(c)3 designation, be non-profit in nature, or have a non-profit fiscal agent (for-profit businesses are ineligible for grant funding);Have a majority (51%+) of the organization’s annual expenditures dedicated to arts and cultural activities.Have a primary mission to provide programs or activities in areas directly concerned with arts or cultural heritage for the public.Be based in the Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN MSA, which includes the following counties: Brown, Butler, Clermont, Hamilton, and Warren Counties in Ohio; Boone, Bracken, Campbell, Gallatin, Grant, Kenton, and Pendleton Counties in Kentucky; and Dearborn, Franklin, and Ohio Counties in Indiana.Have successfully completed all previous grant requirements, including outstanding final reports for all previous grants and sponsorships.Have not received funding through another ArtsWave project grant for the proposed project.**