Kenneth Rainin Foundation’s Open Spaces Grant Program

The Kenneth Rainin Foundation’s Open Spaces Program supports temporary, place-based public art projects that are artist-driven and engage deeply with the communities of San Francisco and Oakland. The program aims to fund visionary projects that push the boundaries of public art while fostering meaningful collaborations between artists, nonprofit organizations, and communities. Through this initiative, the Foundation seeks to empower artists to undertake ambitious, risk-taking projects that are publicly accessible and culturally resonant. The Open Spaces Program offers two types of grants: Development Support Grants and Production Support Grants. Development Support Grants provide $15,000 to $20,000 for the research, design, and planning phases of a project. These grants are geared towards projects in their formative stages and include optional access to experienced public art advisors. Production Support Grants, ranging from $100,000 to $175,000, fund the implementation and premiere of well-developed projects. These grants also include support for documentation and optional advisory support. Projects must occur in San Francisco or Oakland, be temporary but publicly accessible for at least a month, and demonstrate a significant level of artist compensation. Eligible applicants include Bay Area artists or collectives working with a Bay Area nonprofit or fiscal sponsor, and vice versa. Applications must showcase capacity for community engagement, project promotion, documentation, and evaluation. Additionally, grantees must designate at least one-third of grant funds to the artistic team, and sign a memorandum of understanding outlining project responsibilities. Production Support Grants specifically require in-person components and a public presence in either or both eligible cities. The grant process follows a two-stage application model. Stage One, open from May 21 to June 17, 2025, involves an eligibility quiz and submission via the GivingData platform. Selected applicants are invited to Stage Two, where full proposals are due between August 4 and September 8, 2025. Stage Two applicants receive an honorarium and attend a technical workshop. A review panel composed of artists and public art specialists evaluates proposals based on criteria including partnership strength, project relevance, community engagement, and execution capability. Awards will be announced in December 2025 for projects running from January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2027. Applicants are encouraged to participate in office hours with Sarah Williams, Arts Program Officer, and review pre-application materials. While work samples are not required for Stage One, they will be requested from those advancing to Stage Two. Financial documents are only necessary for funding recommendations. The Foundation emphasizes funding projects at the full requested amount, although due to high competition, some awards may be funded at a minimum of 70% of the requested amount. The Kenneth Rainin Foundation is committed to enhancing quality of life through its focus on the arts, early childhood literacy, and health research. The Open Spaces Program exemplifies this mission by nurturing public art that is accessible, innovative, and rooted in community engagement. Interested applicants should explore prior supported projects and utilize available resources such as FAQs and application templates to craft competitive submissions.