ArtsRISE Grant

The ArtsRISE grant, administered by the Ohio Arts Council (OAC), is designed to expand access to the arts for historically underrepresented populations across Ohio. The initiative supports organizations that either represent these populations through their staff and board composition or aim to make their arts programming more welcoming and accessible to these groups. These include, but are not limited to, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Asian, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and Appalachian communities. The program specifically emphasizes deep, lasting organizational changes that improve equity, diversity, and inclusion in the arts. Funding from ArtsRISE can be used to support a wide range of activities, such as launching a concert series highlighting music by composers from culturally specific backgrounds, initiating arts programs for justice-impacted citizens, or creating inclusive arts experiences for people with disabilities. Awards are offered on a first-come, first-served basis and can be up to $5,000. There is no match required for applicants with an annual arts budget below $100,000, while organizations with budgets exceeding that amount must provide a 1:1 cash match. ArtsRISE grants cannot be used for projects already supported by other OAC funds, nor can they fund established programming by mid-sized or small Sustainability grantees. Eligibility for this program is restricted to organizations with nonprofit status or clear nonprofit intent. Eligible applicants include arts and cultural organizations across all disciplines, educational institutions from pre-kindergarten to university level, and other entities such as government or social service agencies that provide arts programming. Importantly, organizations must either consist of at least 50% staff and board members from an underrepresented population or actively design and implement projects centered on the needs of these communities. Projects that only incidentally engage such populations without intentional focus will be deemed ineligible. Applications must be submitted through ARTIE, OAC’s online grant system. The application must be submitted no later than 90 days before the proposed project start date. Awards are reviewed bimonthly and granted until funds are depleted or until August 30, whichever comes first. Successful applicants may request a partial payment of 50% of the grant once activities begin and expenses are incurred, with the remainder released after submission and approval of a final report. No partial payments will be issued within two months of the project end date. Proposals are reviewed by a panel of artists, educators, and community leaders, who score each application using four evaluation criteria: Program Quality, Community Engagement, Defining and Measuring Success, and Resource Management. Each category is worth 15 points, for a total of 60. Scoring focuses on aspects such as the cultural relevance of the programming, inclusivity of planning, and realistic budgeting. The OAC Board makes all final funding decisions based on panel recommendations. For the upcoming cycle, applications will open in March 2026. Submissions must be received at least 90 days before the intended project start date. Grant award announcements are expected by late July 2026, approximately 75 days after application submission. Grant agreements must be finalized within a month of notification, and the final report is due within 30 days after the project ends. Organizations that fail to meet these deadlines may be ineligible for OAC funding for up to five years.

Engage underrepresented populations meaningfully; ensure project goes beyond existing programming; align application narrative to review criteria including Program Quality and Community Engagement.