CALI Catalyst Grant Program

The CALI Catalyst grant program, administered by the Center for Cultural Innovation (CCI), is designed to support individual changemakers in California's arts and culture sector. Originating in 2021, the program seeks to recognize and fund those who are disrupting inequitable norms and contributing to greater equity and inclusion. With the support of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the initiative focuses on individuals or teams taking bold actions that have led to measurable, positive transformations in arts institutions, policies, or cultural practices. The 2025 cycle marks the third year of this three-year grant initiative. CALI Catalyst offers unrestricted grants of up to $7,500 to individuals or teams who have initiated change-making actions on or after January 1, 2020. Eligible applicants must be California residents working in the arts, including but not limited to artists, arts administrators, cultural producers, and teaching artists. Actions must have a tangible and measurable impact on the arts and culture field, whether at the local, regional, state, or national level. Ineligible applicants include organizations seeking general operating funds, those proposing projects that began prior to 2020, and previous CALI Catalyst grantees applying for the same project. The 2025 award cycle offers a total of $112,500, expected to support approximately 15 grantees. The application process involves responding to narrative and demographic questions and submitting support materials and two references who can attest to the impact and integrity of the change-making work. References must not be family members, long-time friends, or individuals with a financial relationship to the applicant. Reviewers will evaluate applications based on the scope of impact, intentionality to promote diversity and equity, and the applicant’s informed perspective and experience within the arts sector. There are two rounds of applications in 2025. Round one opens on May 27 and closes on July 11, with decisions announced by August 25. Round two opens on June 30 and closes on August 15, with results released by October 3. Applications must be submitted via the Submittable platform. CCI will host a live information session on June 3 and provide optional virtual office hours on June 10, June 18, and July 1. Recordings of the information session will be made available upon request. Grantees are required to submit a final report within 12 months of their award, outlining how the funds were used and describing the resulting impact. Although receipts are not required, line-item expenditures must be included. In winter 2026, grantees will also be invited to participate in virtual gatherings for community-building and peer learning among the CALI Catalyst network. Applicants seeking assistance can contact CCI via email at grants@cciarts.org or call 415.288.0530. Deaf and hearing-impaired applicants may use the California Relay Service. Technical support for the application platform is available through Submittable during business hours. All application materials, including sample previews and FAQs, are accessible through CCI’s website to support a transparent and informed application experience.

CCI recommends that references be people who can speak on behalf of the communities the applicant impacted. Reference calls do not guarantee funding.