General Operating Support Grant

The General Operating Support (GOS) Grant for FY26 is administered by the Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA), a state agency committed to cultivating vibrant communities across Georgia through strategic support for the arts. This program provides direct general operating support for nonprofit arts organizations that are based in Georgia and meet specific eligibility criteria. It replaces the previous Bridge and Partner Grant programs, reflecting GCA's continued evolution in supporting arts infrastructure within the state. The FY26 GOS Grant offers a fixed $10,000 award to eligible organizations, aiming to sustain and strengthen core operations such as administration, programming, marketing, rent, and other fundamental expenses. The program is intentionally inclusive, encouraging applications from organizations of all sizes and artistic disciplines, including first-time applicants and long-standing grantees. However, given funding constraints, not all deserving applicants may receive awards. To be eligible, applicants must be independent nonprofit arts organizations with IRS 501(c)(3) status, based and registered in Georgia, and must have had an annual operating budget of at least $100,000 in their most recently completed fiscal year. Organizations must also demonstrate that at least 50% of their programming is arts-based. Ineligible applicants include individuals, organizations with fiscal agents, for-profits, schools, libraries, and arts entities tied to universities or government. Out-of-state organizations or Georgia chapters of national groups are also ineligible for general operating support. Applications required submission through the GCA online grant system and included components such as narrative questions, a budget form, FY26 program list, support materials with a mandatory artistic work sample, a board list, and in some cases an IRS letter. Only complete and timely submissions were accepted. The application window for FY26 closed on February 7, 2025, and GCA will notify applicants of their status in early July 2025. Applications were reviewed by multidisciplinary panels, organized by organizational budget size, and scored solely on application content—prior GCA grant history did not influence FY26 decisions. The grant performance period spans from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. Funds are disbursed as reimbursement for eligible operating expenses, excluding items such as fundraising events, capital expenditures, tuition, and entertainment. The program does not require a cost-share or matching component. This is a non-recurring program with no stated cadence for future cycles, and the application deadline has passed. As such, this opportunity is currently closed.

Submit early; ensure clarity for reviewers unfamiliar with the organization; avoid jargon; complete all required fields; use the official GCA budget form