Cultural Participation and Community Engagement Grant

The take pART: Cultural Participation and Community Engagement Grants is a competitive program offered by the City of San José’s Office of Cultural Affairs (OCA), a division within the Office of Economic Development and Cultural Affairs (OEDCA). The program is designed to invest in San José’s vibrant cultural sector by supporting projects that foster public participation in arts and culture. OCA seeks to enhance cultural vitality, creative expression, and community engagement throughout the city by providing targeted support to organizations with a demonstrated commitment to artistic excellence, public impact, and cultural inclusivity. This grant is specifically intended for arts organizations, small artist-run groups, and community service organizations with ongoing or specific arts programs. The program’s primary focus is to fund participatory arts activities—projects where San José residents are directly involved in the creation or performance of artistic works. Eligible disciplines include dance, visual arts, music, literary arts, media and new media arts, theater, and other forms of cultural expression. Emphasis is placed on serving culturally diverse and economically underserved communities, as well as those with limited access to conventional arts venues and programming. take pART Grants are partial support awards, limited to a maximum of 50 percent of the total project cost. Grant requests may range from $2,500 to $25,000, though small organizations with annual budgets under $50,000 may apply for up to $15,000 if the project exceeds $25,000 in total cost. The program encourages applicants to include all costs—including artist fees, facilities, overhead, and administration—in their project budget. In-kind contributions may be counted toward the matching requirement, but only up to 25 percent of the total project cost and only if they are documentable. Organizations must demonstrate that the remaining 50 percent of the project’s cost will be supported by non-City funding sources. Eligibility requirements include having a principal place of business in San José, a minimum of one year of producing arts programming in San José venues, and either 501(c)(3) nonprofit status or sponsorship by a qualifying fiscal sponsor. Projects must occur within the funding period of July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. Ineligible projects include those that are solely fundraisers, religious or political in purpose, or school-specific programs. Organizations applying for other City of San José grants in the same fiscal year (such as Operating Grants or Festival, Parade, and Celebration Grants) are not eligible to apply for a take pART Grant for the same project. The application process is fully online and administered through WebGrants. A mandatory pre-application workshop was held on December 3, 2025, and applicants must either attend or review the recording as part of the eligibility requirement. Applications must be submitted electronically no later than 4:59 PM Pacific Time on Friday, January 16, 2026. Required components include a project narrative, budget form, organization information, and optional supporting materials such as brochures or press reviews. The Office of Cultural Affairs strongly recommends submitting applications early to avoid last-minute technical issues. Applications will be reviewed by a panel of professionals with expertise in the arts and community engagement, and evaluated based on project quality, community impact, organizational capacity, and appropriateness of budget. Projects that take place in neighborhood settings and target underserved communities are especially encouraged. Notifications will follow the City Council’s adoption of the budget in June 2026, with grant funds expected to be disbursed no earlier than October 2026 due to the City’s contracting procedures. Grantees must comply with final reporting requirements and are expected to acknowledge the City’s support in all promotional materials.

Strong emphasis on community impact and participatory arts; budget must match logic; clarity and accessibility of narrative is key.