The 2025 Arts & Culture Rapid Response Grant is administered by the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation to support arts and culture organizations in the Denver metropolitan area that are experiencing financial distress due to recent federal policy changes. These changes, including Executive Orders and related federal actions, have placed significant pressure on funding streams, particularly affecting organizations serving communities that are federally targeted, such as BIPOC, LGBTQ+, disabled, and other marginalized populations. The Foundation seeks to mitigate these adverse effects through this grant program.
The purpose of this grant is to provide rapid relief with awards ranging from $5,000 to $20,000. The funding is specifically intended for nonprofit or fiscally sponsored organizations with a strong commitment to celebrating arts and culture and that have experienced a demonstrable loss of revenue impacting their 2025 operations and programming. Priority consideration is given to groups that represent and serve communities facing heightened challenges due to federal policy changes.
Eligible applicants must be 501(c)(3) nonprofits or have a fiscal sponsor, with an annual operating budget under $2 million. The organization must be based in, and have the majority of its programming in, Denver, Adams, Arapahoe, or Jefferson counties. Additionally, applicants should have a minimum of three years of consistent arts and culture programming offered to the public.
The application process for the first round opened on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, with a deadline set for 5:00 PM on Monday, May 26, 2025. Notifications for the first round and details for the second round of applications are scheduled for June 2025. Applicants are advised that the Foundation is transitioning to a new grantmaking platform, and patience is appreciated during this period.
For any questions or to request accessibility accommodations, applicants can contact the grants team via email at admin@bonfils-stanton.org.
