State Cultural Facilities Grant Program

The State Cultural Facilities Grant Program (SCFG) supports the preservation and improvement of cultural properties in Rhode Island. This matching grant program enhances public and nonprofit artistic centers, museums, and historic sites, fostering community engagement and economic growth. The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts oversees the program, providing vital funding and technical assistance to ensure the arts thrive, benefiting both local communities and the state's cultural landscape.

The State Cultural Facilities Grant Program (SCFG) was created because state lawmakers and voters recognized that many significant cultural properties in our state need extensive repairs or restoration, and that these organizations contribute significantly to the state and local economy. These facilities and the organizations that enliven them contribute to the quality of life in Rhode Island and ensure that our arts and cultural activities continue to inspire new generations. Moreover, the arts and cultural sector creates jobs, stimulates tourism, and builds and revitalizes our downtowns, neighborhoods and communities throughout the state.
The State Cultural Facilities Grant Program is a matching grant program. It promotes careful planning for capital improvement, preservation, renovation and new construction projects for public and nonprofit artistic, performance centers, historic sites, museums and cultural art centers located around the state. Through its matching requirements, the program stimulates broader support and participation in cultural facility projects statewide.
The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts is a state agency supported by appropriations from the Rhode Island General Assembly and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. RISCA provides grants, technical assistance and staff support to arts organizations and artists, schools, community centers, social service organizations and local governments to bring the arts into the lives of Rhode Islanders. Created in 1967, the agency is governed by a thirteen- member Council appointed by the Governor and State Cultural Facilities Grants 2025 confirmed by the Senate, and its programs are managed by a professional staff, which includes artists and arts administrators