Quick Grant Program

The Quick Grant program, administered by the Center for Cultural Innovation (CCI), is a professional development funding initiative designed to support individual artists, creatives, cultural practitioners, cultural producers, and nonprofit arts organization staff in California. These funds are intended to enhance business acumen, administrative capacity, and financial resilience through eligible activities such as training, workshops, coaching, and consulting. Effective March 16, 2024, the program no longer operates on a reimbursement model. Instead, funds are disbursed upon the signing and return of the grant agreement and the submission of required documentation, such as a completed Form W-9 for awards of $600 or more. The program is structured to provide one award per fiscal year per individual of up to $600. For nonprofit arts organizations, up to two individuals—such as staff members, board members, or key volunteers—may each receive an award annually, subject to eligibility. Applications are assessed competitively based on available monthly funding. Priority is given to first-time applicants, those applying for time-sensitive activities, and organizations with annual budgets of $500,000 or less. All applications must be submitted via the Submittable platform, CCI’s online grant submission portal. Eligibility is geographically and categorically specific. Individual applicants must reside in California. Staff applicants must be part of a nonprofit, tax-exempt arts organization based in either San Francisco or San José. Activities proposed must have a clear impact on administrative or business skill development. Examples include participation in conferences or training, membership in professional networks, or hiring consultants and coaches. Ineligible activities include those centered on creative skill development, support for adjacent enterprises, overhead costs, college tuition, or artistic production and presentation. Applications are due by the 15th of each month at 12:00 p.m. PT, with review cycles running monthly and decisions typically communicated within one month. Applications open on the 16th of each month at 9:00 a.m. PT. Any activity proposed must begin no sooner than one month after the application deadline. Applications must include eligibility responses, a description of the proposed activity, an impact narrative, a project budget, and a résumé. If consultant services are requested, a letter of commitment and consultant biography or résumé are required. Applicants with fiscal sponsors must also provide additional documentation confirming their eligibility. Awarded applicants are responsible for enrolling in their proposed professional development activity and managing any contracts or payments associated with it. CCI does not pay vendors directly. Due to high demand, partial funding may be granted. For Los Angeles County applicants, funding to work with a consultant is highly limited and must include justification as to why the learning cannot be obtained otherwise. For questions, applicants are encouraged to contact CCI by email at quickgrant@cciarts.org or by phone at 415.288.0530. Additional technical support for the Submittable platform is available via the Submittable help portal. The Quick Grant program is made possible through the support of several funders, including the Maxwell | Hanrahan Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and various local arts agencies and commissions across California.

Make a strong case for skill-building; activities must start at least one month post-deadline