Community Arts Grants are now closed!
Program Description: Community Arts Grants are available to small nonprofit arts organizations seeking support for public arts and culture projects/programs up to $5,000 per year. Organizations may only receive one grant per year and must have completed their previous grant’s final report before submitting a new application.
Definition: An arts and cultural organization is defined as an entity with a primary purpose of providing arts, creative, or cultural programming/services.
Assessed by Arts4MC staff, this purpose is determined by the organization’s mission, purpose statement, and/or by its summary of core organizational programs and services.
Funding provided by The David and Lucile Packard Foundation.
If you need assistance, call Klara Hickmanova: 831-622-9060 ext. 103 or email klara(at)arts4mc.org
Eligibility Criteria:
Grant Program staff determines the eligibility of the applicant based on the following criteria:
- Monterey County-based nonprofit organizations whose budgets are $250,000 or less and seeking support for public arts and culture projects in Monterey County.
- An applicant without nonprofit status may use a California-based Fiscal Sponsor with a federal 501(c) (3) designation to conduct work on a nonprofit project. (contact Action Council.)
- Planned project/program must be completed in Monterey County within one year of grant award; and
- Fiscal sponsor letter, letter of approval from your Board President/Chair or Group Leader and letters of recommendations need to be within 60 days of the application; and
- Reporting requirements for previous Arts4MC Community Arts grants have been met.
Restrictions:
- Universities and colleges are limited to providing fiscal sponsorship for one arts program only. Grants may not support operating costs for the university or college, but must be applied to program and overhead costs of the applying entity.
- Grants may not be applied toward support for political or religious purposes, fundraisers for other organizations or causes, capital improvements, the purchase of equipment or real property, or projects already completed.
We are no longer accepting application. Please check back in year 2025.
Review Process: Grants are awarded on a competitive basis. The Arts Council appoints a panel comprised of five community members with diverse perspectives, representing our County’s five districts to review all applications. The highest scoring grant applications will be complete and accurate, attaching only required documents.
They will also substantially demonstrate:
- The overall strength of the organization, including the evidence of community support and leadership.
- Quality of the program or project, scope of service and potential impact for Monterey County residents.
- Evidence of unique contribution(s) to the region.