Individual Artists Fellowship Program

The Administering Organization – Individual Artists Fellowship Grant is offered by the California Arts Council (CAC), a statewide agency dedicated to advancing arts, culture, and creative expression throughout California. The CAC centers racial equity in its grantmaking and seeks to foster a safe, vibrant, and resilient creative ecosystem. This particular grant opportunity selects and funds Administering Organizations (AOs) to lead the regional implementation of the Individual Artists Fellowship (IAF) program. The fellowship supports individual artists and culture bearers across all disciplines and traditions with the goal of ensuring equitable access to funding and enhancing California's diverse communities through artistic practice. Eligible applicants for this grant include nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organizations based in California and units of municipal, county, or Tribal governments. Organizations must meet eligibility requirements such as a minimum two-year history of consistent arts programming and must demonstrate capacity to administer regranting programs, conduct outreach, and use online grants management systems. Ineligible applicants include for-profit entities, individuals, state and federal agencies, educational institutions, and fiscally sponsored organizations. Applicants may apply to administer the fellowship in one of eight designated California regions, with funding request ceilings varying by region. Awards range from $300,000 to $1,000,000 depending on population size. Funds are distributed with 80% directed to regrants for individual fellows and 20% reserved for administrative costs. Each AO must offer three fellowship tiers: $5,000 for Emerging Artists, $10,000 for Established Artists, and $50,000 for Legacy Artists. A minimum of three artists per tier must be awarded. The funds are unrestricted and should support artistic practice, but partial awards are not permitted. The grant does not require matching funds and does not restrict applicants from applying to other CAC grants. Key responsibilities of AOs include outreach, adjudication, artist convenings, and providing visibility to fellows’ work through publications or exhibitions. AOs must also submit interim and final reports through the CAC’s online portal. The grant activity period spans from October 1, 2025, to September 30, 2027. Estimated disbursement of funds is scheduled between January and March 2026. Applicants are required to answer several application questions addressing topics like equity, accessibility, leadership capacity, strategic direction, program design, and financial oversight. Required documents include a summary proposal, biographies of key personnel, a list of the board or governing body, budget tables, and support materials such as artistic samples or letters of support. The review process will consider criteria such as creative vision, aesthetic excellence, and community engagement. The application portal opens on April 2, 2025, with a deadline of June 5, 2025. Panel reviews will occur from July to August 2025, followed by funding decisions in September and notifications in October. Interested applicants may participate in technical assistance office hours held in April and May. The primary contact for application-related inquiries is Gabrielle Rosado, Arts Program Specialist, reachable at artsfellowsgrant@arts.ca.gov.