Elevate Grant Program

The City of Austin's Elevate program, administered by Austin Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment (AACME), is designed to support and strengthen the city’s creative ecosystem. The program provides financial assistance to individual artists, arts groups, and nonprofit arts organizations based in the Austin metropolitan area. By investing in culturally rich programming, Elevate aims to enhance the vibrancy of Austin's artistic offerings and ensure that cultural activities are accessible to residents, visitors, and tourists. Since its launch in 2023, Elevate has distributed $15.5 million across 429 awards through two funding cycles. The program was developed with community input during a multi-year Cultural Funding Review process and is managed under the City of Austin’s Economic Development Department. Elevate funding can be used for a wide array of expenses directly related to the production and promotion of artistic events and activities. Eligible expenses include artist and administrative compensation, marketing and outreach, insurance, supplies, permits, venue or equipment rentals, and performance or service fees. However, ineligible expenses include travel, food, hospitality, fundraisers, capital campaigns, curriculum development, academic research, and re-granting of funds, among others. Grant recipients are prohibited from using multiple grants to cover the same expense—a practice referred to as "double dipping" in the program guidelines. If a fiscal sponsor is used, their fee may not exceed 10% of the grant award. Eligibility is open to 501(c)(3) arts nonprofit organizations, State of Texas designated arts nonprofits or groups, and individual artists, all of whom must have a maximum operating budget of $500,000 (with no cap for 501(c)(3) nonprofits). Applicants must demonstrate a minimum of two years of creative production history within Austin and be headquartered in the Austin Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). Additionally, more than half of their creative production must occur within the Austin City Council Districts or the Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ). Ineligible applicants include organizations with missions not rooted in arts and culture, those headquartered outside the MSA, and individuals or groups lacking the required production history. Applications are reviewed by a panel of trained external reviewers who assess submissions based on three main criteria: Creative Work (50 points), Capacity (30 points), and Public Connection (20 points). The Creative Work category evaluates the cultural significance of the applicant's mission and proposed activities. Capacity measures the qualifications and community connections of the team, as well as the alignment between budget and project scope. Public Connection examines how well the activities serve and are promoted to Austin's diverse communities. Feedback from panel reviews is shared with applicants, and final award decisions are reviewed by AACME leadership. Applicants are required to complete several steps as part of their commitment to the grant. These include an initial report with proposed activities and budget, a kickoff meeting and quiz, and a final report submitted within 30 days of completing the funded activities. The final report must include proof of expenditures, marketing compliance, participant data, and completion of two tourism marketing trainings. Grant recipients must also ensure that funded activities are listed on VisitAustin and comply with AACME’s branding requirements. The application deadline for the current funding cycle is December 4, 2025. Several workshops and virtual office hours are offered leading up to the deadline to assist applicants. The application process includes a preview and question list to help applicants prepare their submissions. Each response is limited to 3,000 characters and focuses on the applicant’s mission, proposed activities, budget, experience, and outreach strategy. While there is no explicitly stated recurrence, based on previous annual cycles, the program appears to be offered on a yearly basis, suggesting that the next cycle will likely open around October 2026.