Vitality Grants: Arts Education

The Vitality Grants: Arts Education program by the Rochester Area Community Foundation aims to enhance equitable access to arts education for PreK-12 students in the region. By supporting local nonprofit organizations, the grant encourages vibrant arts programming, geographic equity, and increased student engagement. Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) organizations and those with fiscal sponsors, focusing on overcoming barriers like transportation and childcare to ensure comprehensive participation in arts education initiatives.

The Arts and Culture Action Area supports our goal to strengthen regional vitality by encouraging vibrant and diverse arts and cultural offerings. This new grant program is specifically designed to expand equitable access to arts education across our region. By strengthening local arts organizations’ capacity to deliver PreK-12 arts education programming, we work to ensure all students—regardless of location or circumstances—can experience vibrant and diverse arts and cultural offerings.
Applications are invited from nonprofit organizations providing arts education connected to schools or community groups. The categories for application are:

• Increase arts accessIncrease geographic arts equityIncrease students’ engagement, enjoyment and passion for the arts
• These grants will provide flexible support for organizations’ capacity building, operations, and/or programming needs, including:

Arts programming across all disciplines (visual arts, music, dance, performance, etc.), including necessary materials and suppliesSupport services like transportation, childcare, and food assistance to reduce participation barriers and increase accessStaff and teaching artist professional development to strengthen program quality and organizational capacity

Eligibility

501(c)(3) organizations or 509(a)(1) public organizationsNon-501c3 groups must secure a fiscal sponsor to apply.
Operating in our eight-county region: Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Wayne, and Yates counties.
PreK-12 programming only, provided at a school or community organizations
Collaborations/partners identified
Commitment to conduct surveys with participants.