Arts Education Program Grant

The Arts Education Program Grant offered by the Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) supports impactful arts learning programs aligned with Georgia Learning Standards for K-12 students. This grant is targeted toward schools, nonprofit organizations, libraries, and government agencies operating within the state of Georgia. GCA emphasizes equitable access to funding, welcoming applications from both first-time and returning applicants across the spectrum of size, location, and programmatic focus. The initiative embodies GCA’s mission to foster vibrant communities through arts education and acknowledges the role of the arts in enhancing student learning, engagement, and development across all disciplines. This grant funds specific arts education projects that serve K-12 students, regardless of whether they occur during or outside of school hours, including summer and afterschool programs. Projects can include assemblies, residencies, arts integration initiatives, STEAM collaborations, and both in-person and virtual programming. To be eligible, programs must align with Georgia’s Fine Arts Learning Standards, and if integrated into other subject areas (e.g., STEAM), they must also align with those core content standards. Applicants must demonstrate a clear educational objective, alignment with standards, and evaluation mechanisms to measure the effectiveness of the program. Eligible projects may also include limited professional development for educators but cannot consist solely of such components. The application process requires submission through GCA’s online grant system by the firm deadline of February 6, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Required components include a completed application form, narrative responses, a detailed program budget using the prescribed template, support materials including work samples, and in some cases, an IRS 501(c)(3) letter. Applications that are incomplete or submitted after the deadline will be deemed ineligible without exception. GCA staff are available to assist applicants prior to the deadline, but support is unavailable after 5 p.m. on the day of the deadline. The grant program does not require submission of a Letter of Intent or other gating application. Award amounts range from $1,000 to $5,000, with a required 50% cash match. For example, an organization requesting the full $5,000 must raise at least $2,500 in matching funds. GCA’s grants are reimbursement-based, meaning grantees must expend funds before receiving reimbursement. Use of funds is restricted to eligible project costs, including salaries, fees, marketing, rent, utilities, and accessibility accommodations, and must occur within the funding period of July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027. Ineligible costs include fundraising, capital improvements, food, travel beyond allowed rates, and non-arts-related activities. The grant does not allow for indirect cost rates or fiscal sponsorships. Applications are reviewed by multidisciplinary panels organized by program budget size. Evaluators assess applications on criteria such as program design and goals, student impact and accessibility, alignment with learning standards, and organizational capacity. Each application is scored on a 100-point rubric, with funding awarded to the highest-scoring proposals until available funds are depleted. Panelists do not consider external information or prior funding history, so applicants must ensure their submissions are comprehensive and self-contained. Funding announcements are expected in July following staff reviews and panel deliberations. The grant is recurring on an annual basis, with a consistent deadline each year. Programs that are not selected for funding are encouraged to reapply in future cycles. Inquiries regarding eligibility, application requirements, or program design may be directed to Emily Yewell Volin, GCA’s Grants and Arts Education Programs Manager, at [email protected] or by phone at 404-962-4015. Accessibility-related questions may be directed to Pamela Ballard, the Accessibility Coordinator, at [email protected] or 470-720-0663.

Focus on clearly articulating alignment with Georgia Learning Standards; provide measurable outcomes; support accessibility and underserved populations; avoid ineligible expenses.