Community Arts Program Grant

The Community Arts Program supports vibrant artistic expression and inclusivity in the Bay Area, awarding approximately $1 million in grants to individuals and organizations each year. Open to 501c3 nonprofits and fiscally sponsored artists, the program prioritizes projects that engage diverse communities and promote underrepresented voices. Grants range from $5,000 to $15,000, providing essential operating support to adapt to unique project needs while fostering cultural diversity and community engagement.

Our Purpose
The Community Arts program ensures vibrant work is created, new voices are celebrated, and artists and audiences inclusive of the Bay Area’s diverse communities and cultures have opportunities to thrive. We support the creation of work by Bay Area artists and access to the arts for Bay Area communities. We celebrate the rich diversity of the region by awarding funds to emerging artists and small to mid-sized arts and culture organizations engaging their communities with meaning and purpose.
This year, through a quarterly open application process, Community Arts will award approximately $1 million in grants to individual artists and nonprofit arts and culture organizations in the Bay Area. Grants will be awarded in $5,000, $10,000 and $15,000 amounts.
Though we ask for grantseekers to apply with a specific project, all awards will be made as general operating support, to ensure grantees the greatest flexibility to respond to the unique needs of their project and organization.

Eligibility

The Community Arts program is open to all grantseekers who:Hold a 501c3 nonprofit organization status or are fiscally sponsored individual artists, organizations, collectives, or groupsHave an annual organization budget under $2 millionAre located in or serving communities in Alameda, Contra Costa or San Francisco CountiesPresent or produce work within one of the following:Primary Disciplines: dance, music, theater, literary arts, visual artsSub-Disciplines: circus arts, traditional/folk art, performance art, installation, fiber art, craft, sculpture, painting, photography, puppetry, spoken word, poetry, musical theater, multimedia performance, multidisciplinary, illustration, fiction, non-fiction, festival, cultural fair, otherThe following disciplines are excluded unless they are a component of multidisciplinary work within one of the Primary Disciplines listed above: film, digital media, radio, podcast, journalism, games, AR/VR, hardware/software, video artOne submission per application cycle is permitted, but you may submit to multiple application cycles throughout the calendar yearMore than one grant per calendar year may be awarded, however priority will be given to organizations that have not yet received support in the respective calendar yearReturning grantees need to be in good standing with the reporting requirement specified in their grant contractGrantseekers are eligible to receive one Community Arts grant each calendar year (This restriction does not apply to fiscal sponsors).Grantseekers must be in good standing with the Zellerbach Family Foundation, the Arts Loan Fund and the Bay Area Culture Funders for Equity

Ineligibility

The Community Arts program does not fund:The creation or development of artwork independent of a public presentationActivities not available to the general publicActivities that take place outside of Alameda, Contra Costa or San Francisco CountiesOrganizations, projects, or programs primarily focused on training or education, or are youth serving, youth focused, or youth performedIndustry publications or awardsRetroactive fundingDebt reduction