Special Arts Grants for Anchor Arts and Culture Organizations in California

Fleishhacker Foundation is seeking Letters of Inquiry for its Special Arts Grants to anchor arts and culture organizations with annual budgets between $750,000 and $2.5 million that are located and primarily offer programming in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Donor Name: Fleishhacker Foundation

State: California

Counties: Alameda County (CA), Contra Costa County (CA), Marin County (CA), San Francisco County/City (CA), San Mateo County (CA), Santa Clara County (CA), Sonoma County (CA)

Type of Grant: Grant

Deadline (mm/dd/yyyy): 12/06/2021

Size of the Grant:$10,000 and usually do not exceed $25,000

Details:

The Foundation strives to make grants that advance a diverse array of artistic disciplines, aesthetic sensibilities, and forms of cultural expression. The founadtion prioritize grant requests that best support working artists and place particular emphasis on funding organizations that represent and engage marginalized artists and communities.

Applicants that meet the eligibility criteria below may request funding for either general support or for special projects that strategically advance their organization, artists, or art form.

General support grants are flexible and may be used for operations, staffing, facilities, reopening costs after COVID closures, health and safety compliance, artists’ compensation, rehearsals, performances, presentations, exhibitions, and other administrative, program, or production costs at the grantee’s discretion. Alternatively, project support may be requested for special artistic initiatives, artistic collaborations, or commissions involving Bay Area artists working in the disciplines of dance, music, theater, visual arts, interdisciplinary arts, or media arts. Project support may also be requested for upgrading facilities to benefit artists and audiences, when not part of a larger capital campaign.

Finally, post-production support for film projects directed by Bay Area filmmakers with budgets between $750,000 and $2,500,000 will also be considered in this program, if applying with an eligible fiscal sponsor or nonprofit production company. Other fiscally sponsored projects and individual artists are not eligible for this grant program.

Funding Information

Special Arts Grants are generally about $10,000 and usually do not exceed $25,000.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must be:

  • Arts and culture organizations incorporated as 501(c)(3) nonprofits.
  • Located and primarily offering programming in San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Sonoma, San Mateo, and/or Santa Clara counties.
  • Engaged in the production and presentation of new work by Bay Area artists in the disciplines of dance, music, theater, visual arts, interdisciplinary arts, or film.
  • Providers of additional benefits to the local arts community, such as rehearsal, performance, or exhibition space; technical assistance, fiscal sponsorship, or other support; or special expertise working with a particular art form, cultural practice, or under-represented community.
  • Able to demonstrate a consistent artistic presence in the Bay Area for at least three years.
  • Of an annual budget size between $750,000 and $2,500,000.
  • An organization that evidences strong support from the community and its Board of Directors.

Applicants may also be film projects directed by Bay Area filmmakers, with budgets between $750,000 and $2,500,000, if applying with an eligible fiscal sponsor or nonprofit production company. Funds will be awarded for the post-production phase of film projects only.

Not eligible are:

  • Organizations or projects whose primary purpose is youth training in the arts, youth ensembles and performances, exhibitions of youth artwork, and productions designed for youth.
  • Organizations or projects whose primary purpose is to present historical works by artists no longer living.
  • Organizations or projects whose fundamental purpose or benefit falls within the social services, health, youth, or community development fields.
  • Fiscally sponsored projects and individual artists, except eligible filmmakers.

For more information, visit Fleishhacker Foundation.