The Zellerbach Family Foundation is offering Community Arts grants aimed at supporting artistic and cultural endeavors within Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Francisco Counties in California. The program seeks to foster community engagement and creative expression, aligning with the Foundation's mission to support arts that create and present work for an audience, or for community engagement. While described as general operating support, applications must include information about an upcoming project, which will be used for evaluation purposes.
The target beneficiaries for this grant program are 501c3 nonprofit organizations or fiscally sponsored individual artists, organizations, collectives, or groups with an annual budget under $2 million, located in or serving the specified counties. A key focus is on communities that have been historically underrepresented or excluded, and collaborating artists who represent gender parity, diversity of race/ethnicity, age, socio-economic status, and/or difference in ability. The program also prioritizes underfunded artists or arts organizations in Contra Costa County, aiming to address disparities in arts funding.
The program's priorities include supporting the creation and presentation of work for an audience or community engagement, and specifically engaging collaborating artists from the designated counties. There is a strong emphasis on equity and inclusion, ensuring that art is created by, with, and for diverse communities. The primary disciplines supported are dance, music, theater, literary arts, and visual arts, with a wide array of sub-disciplines also eligible. Certain disciplines like film and digital media are excluded unless they are components of multidisciplinary work within the primary categories, reflecting the program's specific artistic focus.
Community Arts plans to award approximately $1 million in grants, with individual grants typically in amounts of $5,000, $10,000, and $15,000. While more than one grant per calendar year may be awarded, priority is given to organizations that have not yet received support. Applicants must be in good standing with reporting requirements and with related cultural funds. The expected outcome is to empower diverse artists and organizations to produce impactful work, thereby enriching the cultural landscape of the Bay Area and promoting equitable access to arts funding. The program's design, with its focus on underrepresented communities and specific artistic disciplines, reflects a strategic priority to foster a more inclusive and vibrant arts ecosystem.
