State-Local Partner Mentorship Grant Program

The State-Local Partner Mentorship (SLP-M) program is administered by the California Arts Council (CAC), a state agency committed to advancing arts, culture, and creative expression throughout California. Through its various programs, CAC aims to build a stronger, more inclusive cultural landscape across the state. The SLP-M initiative focuses on developing county-designated local arts agencies in counties currently lacking such infrastructure—in this grant cycle, Glenn and Kings counties have been identified. This effort intends to foster arts programming and community engagement in under-resourced areas by leveraging experienced partners. The program supports two existing State-Local Partners (SLPs) to serve as mentors to emerging local arts agencies in these target counties. A local arts agency, as defined by the CAC, may be a nonprofit organization, a government agency, or a hybrid, so long as it serves as the county’s official body to provide arts-related funding, services, and programming. The ultimate goal is for a sustainable SLP to be operational in each county within two to three years. During this period, the mentoring organizations are expected to guide the new agencies through their initial programming and administrative development. These mentor agencies may reapply for second and third-year funding to ensure full implementation. To be eligible, applicants must already be grantees under the CAC’s State-Local Partners Program. They must be California-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, units of municipal, county, or tribal government, or fiscally sponsored entities. For-profit entities, individuals, state or federal agencies, and educational institutions are not eligible. In addition to being current SLP grantees, applicants must have a proven history of arts programming and organizational stability. Applicants may request up to $50,000 for a one-year grant period running from October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027. Matching funds are not required. Funded activities must include community convenings, modeling equity-based practices, identifying a staff lead for the new SLP, and providing resources including office space and a functional operating budget for the mentee organization. Mentors must also guide the new SLP toward formal recognition by their county’s board of supervisors as the CAC’s official local arts partner. The application window for this opportunity opened on March 17, 2026, and closes on May 12, 2026, at 11:59 PM. The review process will take place from June to July 2026, with funding decisions expected by August. Grants will begin in October, and award disbursements are anticipated between January and March 2027. A final report will be due by November 1, 2027. While the CAC does not require mid-point reporting, participation in evaluation activities may be requested. Grantees must use the CAC online portal for application submission and reporting. Support is available via CAC’s Arts Program Specialists, Charlie O’Malley and Natalie Peeples, who can be reached at [email protected]. Applicants are encouraged to contact staff well in advance of the deadline, as assistance will not be available after 5:00 PM on the closing day. The official PDF of the guidelines is available at: https://arts.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026_slp-m_guidelines.pdf

Modeling equity, community engagement, and formal county resolution are critical evaluation criteria.