New Jersey Arts and Culture Renewal Fund Grant

The New Jersey Arts and Culture Renewal Fund supports smaller nonprofit arts and culture organizations in New Jersey, providing unrestricted grants to enhance resilience and stability. By prioritizing organizations focused on arts, education, and history, it fosters engagement and representation in the arts sector, addressing systemic inequities and promoting a vibrant cultural landscape across the state.

New Jersey Arts and Culture Renewal Fund - Phase 10 – Grant Program
The New Jersey Arts and Culture Renewal Fund (NJACRF) was established in 2020 to ensure the survival and strength of the state’s arts and culture nonprofit sector during and after the pandemic. The Fund was created as a public-private partnership, capitalizing on the resources and expertise available through the government, corporate, community, and private philanthropic sectors. Strategic alignment of these partners ensures a coordinated approach to sector support and ongoing dialogue with the field and stakeholders.
Arts and culture experiences build social cohesion, enhance cross-cultural understanding, and improve the quality of life in communities.  The Renewal Fund acknowledges that cultural access and experiences have been unequally distributed, especially in historically under-resourced communities.  The Renewal Fund seeks to address this inequity through its funding such that smaller community-connected organizations will be sustained, individual artists will receive support, and cultural experiences will be available to all.  The Renewal Fund also seeks to address the underrepresentation and incomplete storytelling that has marginalized the creative, historical, and intellectual contributions of some groups including Black, Indigenous, Latinx and other People of Color (BIPOC) in New Jersey.
The New Jersey Arts and Culture Renewal Fund provides unrestricted grant support.

Eligibility

New Jersey Arts and Culture Renewal Fund (NJARCF) will provide unrestricted grants to eligible nonprofit organizations.  The grant application is open to all New Jersey-based cultural nonprofit organizations who meet eligibility requirements.The NJ Arts & Culture Renewal Fund allows fiscal sponsors to apply. A Fiscal Sponsor Agreement (FSA) or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) must be submitted along with the application.The applicant must:Be incorporated in New Jersey as a 501(c)(3) and serve New Jersey communities;Have primary programming in one or more New Jersey countiesEmploy at least one year-round, part-time, paid employee or unpaid year-round part-time person (dedicated volunteer) working a minimum of 20 hours per week in an administrative or a combined administrative/leadership role. Have a primary mission focused on Arts, Arts Education or HistoryBe in operation for a minimum of two years prior to the applicationHave budget expenditures of less than $5 MillionOrganizations awarded grants must be registered with the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs as a charity in good standing.

Ineligibility

The following are not eligible for this funding opportunity (though can be an application partner):Organizations without paid staff or without a dedicated volunteer that works at least 20 hours per week on a year-round basis.Local, state, or federal government agencies.Organizations that offer Arts or Arts Education programming but whose mission is not primarily Arts or Arts Education, such as social services or community development organizations, zoos, museums, science centers, and botanical gardens.Stand-alone or one-time festivals, conferences, or other events. Stand-alone publications, films/videos, or websites.Religious organizations.Groups that are legally, financially, or operationally part of a larger institution, e.g., the Art department of a college.  Colleges, universities, or Pre-K to 12 educational institutions