Cultural Grants Program

The Cultural Grants Program administered by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) provides funding to support accessible, public-facing cultural and artistic activities within the city’s boundaries. Aimed at promoting the cultural vitality of Los Angeles, the program seeks to support nonprofit organizations and community partnerships that deliver free or low-cost events and programming across a range of disciplines. The DCA prioritizes projects that engage residents, visitors, and tourists through in-person cultural experiences and emphasizes accessibility, inclusion, and public benefit. For the 2026–2027 grant cycle, DCA is accepting proposals from nonprofit arts organizations that wish to implement Artistic Projects within one primary discipline. Eligible disciplines include Culture/History, Design-Visual Arts, Literary Arts, Media Arts, and Traditional-Folk Arts. Notably, the 2026–2027 cycle excludes proposals in dance, music, theatre, and trans-disciplinary arts, which will be considered during the summer 2026 application cycle. Applicants are advised to consult DCA staff for guidance on the appropriate discipline category to ensure accurate classification and prevent misrouting during panel review. Additionally, the SAIL-CAPE (Sequential Arts In-school Learning Culminating in Afterschool Public Events) category supports youth education projects that begin as in-school lessons and culminate in public presentations. These projects must originate within classroom settings and conclude with events that are accessible to the broader community. Another eligible category includes Outdoor Festivals and Parades, which are only available to partnerships between non-arts nonprofit organizations and tribal elders, arts curators, or agencies. Funding levels in this category depend on the size of the prior year’s audience, with maximum awards of $40,000 for large events and reduced amounts for smaller gatherings. While festivals are accepted annually, performing arts festivals are encouraged to apply in even-numbered years and craft fairs in odd-numbered years. To be eligible, applicants must be nonprofit organizations (501(c)3 or 501(c)6), headquartered in Los Angeles County, and must propose projects that benefit audiences within the City of Los Angeles. They must also have completed at least one year of work on the proposed project and be able to demonstrate a track record of serving arts audiences within the city. Applicants are further required to align with the specific requirements of their selected grant category. The DCA encourages proposals that can be replicated or expanded in a subsequent cycle, as panel scores may be valid for up to two years. The application portal opened in July 2025, and all proposals must be submitted online by August 29, 2025, at 11:59 PM. Applicants will be notified of funding decisions in May or June 2026. Legal contracts and panel feedback will be distributed from July through September 2026. To support prospective applicants, DCA offers several webinar sessions and office hours, including two coaching webinars scheduled for August 6 and August 20, 2025, and weekly Friday office hour sessions starting August 8, 2025. Interested parties must RSVP in advance to attend webinars and request office hour appointments by the Wednesday prior to their desired session. All program guidelines, application instructions, and updates are published online at dcaredesign.org/grants. For questions, accommodations, or application assistance, applicants should contact the DCA Grants Division at dca.grants@lacity.org at least five business days before their intended workshop or submission. Both new and returning applicants are strongly encouraged to attend webinars to stay informed about updated procedures and avoid common submission errors.

Returning and new applicants are strongly encouraged to attend webinars to avoid common submission errors and gain clarity on program updates.