The Statewide Community Regrant Program

The Statewide Community Regrant Program is administered by the New York State Council on the Arts in partnership with regional arts agencies such as the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council. Established in 1977, the program was created in response to a legislative mandate to increase local involvement in arts funding decisions and to ensure equitable access to cultural funding throughout New York State. Funds are distributed statewide through peer-reviewed panel processes managed by local agencies. The program specifically supports arts and cultural programming in Genesee and Orleans Counties through the GO ART! office, extending opportunities to diverse communities across geographic, economic, and cultural lines. The program has three major funding streams: Community Arts Grants (Reach), which support projects that enhance the cultural climate of neighborhoods and communities; Individual Artist Commissions (Ripple), which enable the creation of new work with strong community engagement; and Arts Education Grants (Spark), which fund projects that engage K–12 students and other community-based learning groups through the arts. These categories allow for flexible support of artists, organizations, and collaborations with community partners and schools. The 2026 grant cycle begins with informational workshops between July 19 and August 9, 2025. Applications open on August 18, 2025, and close on October 31, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Workshops or direct contact with program coordinators are mandatory for eligibility. Applicants may apply through the online Submittable portal hosted at goart.org. The review panel convenes in November 2025, recommendations are approved by the GO ART! Board in December, and awards are announced and distributed that same month. Funded projects must occur between January 1 and December 31, 2026, with final reports due within 30 days of project completion and no later than January 31, 2027. An awards ceremony is scheduled for April 2026. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations incorporated in New York, government or quasi-governmental entities, tribal nations, and individual artists or collectives. Individual applicants must apply with either a fiscal sponsor or a community partner. Applicants must be based in the same county as the project unless they are a tribal nation, which may be located anywhere in New York State. Artists must be at least 18 years old and not enrolled in a full-time degree program. Ineligible applicants include direct NYSCA applicants, state agencies, SUNY schools, 402 foundations, secondary schools, business corporations, LLCs, LLPs, and 501(c)(4) or 501(c)(6) organizations. Funding levels vary by category. Reach and Spark grants provide up to $7,500, while Ripple grants provide $5,000. Applicants may submit up to three requests totaling no more than $7,500 per regrant site, except for tribal nations, which are exempt from this cap. Matching funds are not required. Allowable expenses include artist fees, project supplies, equipment and software under $1,000, marketing costs, and administrative expenses directly tied to a project. Ineligible costs include general operating expenses, start-up funding, fundraising, non-arts activities, student projects, and activities not open to the public. Applications must include required forms such as letters of support, resumes, nonprofit status verification, board lists, financial statements, and IRS W-9 forms depending on applicant type. Review criteria for all categories include artistic merit, community impact, managerial and marketing strength, budget feasibility, and alignment with program priorities. Special emphasis is placed on first-time applicants, new projects, artist compensation, projects in underserved communities, and applicants from historically marginalized populations. Proposals will be evaluated by peer panels of local artists, administrators, and community leaders in Genesee and Orleans Counties. Final funding decisions are approved by the GO ART! Board of Directors. Successful applicants are expected to credit the program on all marketing materials and at events, adhere to project contracts, provide complimentary tickets to funded events, and acknowledge the land and communities of the Seneca Nation and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Appeals to funding decisions may be filed within ten days of notification if specific procedural grounds exist.

Emphasize artistic merit, community engagement, feasibility, and equity; priorities include first-time applicants, underserved communities, new projects, and compensation for artists.