Virginia Commission for the Arts Creative Communities Partnership Grants

The Creative Communities Partnership Grants offered by the Virginia Commission for the Arts aim to encourage local and tribal governments in Virginia to support the arts by matching tax monies provided to independent arts organizations. The grant will match up to $4,500, subject to available funds, and is specifically intended for independent city, town, county, or tribal governments within Virginia. These funds are to be used for grants to independent, ADA-compliant arts organizations for arts activities within the locality. The activities should provide opportunities for underserved, under-resourced, and under-represented communities. Importantly, the grant does not cover payments to performers for specific performances; local governments interested in such funding should apply to the Virginia Touring Grants program. Eligible applicants for this grant include independent city, town, county, or tribal governments in Virginia. The funding scope excludes school arts budgets, arts programming by local governments, committees or councils of government, and departments such as parks and recreation. The local government match, which is required for the grant, must come from local government funds, and federal funds are not permissible for this match. The grant application process requires applicants to complete and submit an online application to the Commission by the specified deadline. Applications for the FY27 cycle will open in winter 2027 and will be due on April 1, 2026. Local or tribal governments that have not approved their budgets by this deadline may apply conditionally and confirm their application as soon as possible. The evaluation criteria for applications include clearly defined policies and procedures for awarding local funds to arts organizations and demonstrated community impact. The Commission staff reviews each application for completeness and eligibility, and incomplete or ineligible applications will be returned to the applicant with an explanation. The application and review process involves the Commission staff making recommendations on funding levels for each application, with the Commission Board reviewing these recommendations and taking final action. Applicants are notified of the Commission's decision by email following the Board meeting and pending the enactment of the fiscal year budget by the General Assembly. After confirmation of the grant award, each local or tribal government must complete an online Final Report/confirmation form, demonstrating that its governing Board has appropriated the matching funds and the funds from the Commission. Failure to submit this report by the deadline will result in the loss of the grant. Additionally, if the local or tribal government receives more than $750,000 in yearly federal expenditures from Commonwealth agencies, they must submit a Single Audit Report. For further information, applicants can contact the Virginia Commission for the Arts at their office located at Main Street Centre, 600 East Main Street, Suite #330, Richmond, VA 23219, or by phone at 804.225.3132.