We Want to Support YOU!
Our grants help organizations and individuals extend their reach and deepen their impact. All grant applications are submitted via our online grant portal. They are then reviewed and evaluated by volunteers with arts experience/knowledge and representing all five (5) supervisorial districts in Monterey County. The amount of the award will be based on the average of all scores from these evaluators.
Thanks to support from the County of Monterey Board of Supervisors, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and the Todd Lueders Fund of the Community Foundation for Monterey County, we offer the following opportunities. Please review the eligibility and deadlines for each program as noted below. (Applicants may receive only one grant per year from any eligible grant program.)
Community Arts Grants
Attention nonprofits! Apply for Community Arts Grants of up to $7,500 annually to bring your arts and culture projects to life. Applications accepted once per year in one of the two grant cycles—Spring and Fall. Don’t miss this opportunity!
Spring Cycle: March – April
Fall Cycle: October – November
Individual Artists Grants
Calling all artists! The Individual Artists Grant program supports local creatives by providing resources that empower artists to enrich their craft and community. Find out today how we can help you take your artistic career to the next level!
Annually February – March
California Arts Council's Individual Artist Fellowship Program
Artists across the Central Coast are invited to apply for a transformative funding opportunity celebrating artistic excellence and community impact. The California Arts Council’s Individual Artists Fellowship program, which launches on the Central Coast, will accept applications from creators across the six-county region, including Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, and Ventura counties, beginning April 15 – June 1, 2026.
● Emerging Artist Fellows ($5,000): For those at the beginning of their public career who are starting to engage the larger community.
● Established Artist Fellows ($10,000): For mid-career artists with a consistent body of work, they regularly make their work public and engage the community in their practice.
● Legacy Artist Fellows ($50,000): For artists with a significant body of work produced over a substantial period of time that has engaged their communities and made a significant social impact.
Application orientations and Zoom office hours will be available through Arts Council Santa Cruz County. Each Central Coast county partner will also offer office hours.
Learn more and apply: artscouncilsc.org/iaf
Need help with your application?
Join Arts4MC for Zoom office hours every Thursday from April 16 to May 28, from 2:00 – 3:00 pm, hosted by our Programs Manager Klara Hickmanova, to get your questions answered and fine-tune your submission.
Learn more and apply: artscouncilsc.org/iaf