Assembly for the Arts Boost Fund

The Boost Fund, created by Assembly for the Arts and supported through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, offers direct financial support to artists based in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Assembly for the Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that advances advocacy, cultural policy, racial equity initiatives, research, marketing, and services for nonprofits, artists, and creative businesses. It aims to expand access and equity in Cleveland’s arts and culture sector. The organization is governed by a volunteer board of 26 members, nearly 70% of whom are women and almost 60% of whom identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color. Assembly partners closely with Cuyahoga Arts & Culture and Assembly for Action, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, to serve the full creative ecosystem. The Boost Fund supports artist-led projects, public events, and discipline-specific needs through a randomized selection process that reduces bias and fosters accessibility for new applicants. In 2025, the fund will be distributed in three separate cycles, each selecting 50 recipients to receive $1,500 grants, supporting a total of 140 artists over the year. Grant funds may be used for expenses such as project supplies, artist fees, event costs, travel within the U.S., studio rent, or technical needs. Excluded uses include personal bills, medical expenses, political campaigns, alcohol, international travel, and debt repayment. Eligible applicants must be individual artists aged 18 or older who reside and work in Cuyahoga County and can provide proof of creative work and residency. Those who have received funding from the Assembly’s Creative Impact Fund, SPACES’ Urgent Art Fund, Karamu House, Cleveland Public Theatre, or Julia de Burgos in the last two years are not eligible. Board members, staff, and panelists from Assembly or Cuyahoga Arts & Culture are also excluded. Artists may apply to each cycle until selected but can only receive one Boost Fund grant per year. Applications are submitted online through Assembly’s Submittable platform. Paper applications are not accepted, though assistance is available for applicants with disabilities or language barriers. Applicants must provide their full name, residential address (not a P.O. Box), confirmation of eligibility, a short written statement describing how they’ll use the funds, links to online artist work, and optional demographic data. Each 2025 cycle opens for four weeks: Cycle 1 runs from March 7 to April 7, Cycle 2 from July 16 to August 18, and Cycle 3 from October 22 to November 20. Recipients are selected by random draw after each cycle closes, with some prioritization given to applicants aligned with Assembly’s mission. Notifications are sent via email. Selected artists must submit a signed agreement, W-9, and banking information through Assembly’s Bill platform to receive payment via direct deposit within 30 days. They must also upload their artist profile and events to ClevelandArtsEvents.com and use Assembly’s logo in public event promotions. Grant recipients are required to submit a short video testimonial and an expense report to document how the funds were used.

Assembly provides office hours and information sessions.