Grants for Independent school districts - Arts

Maine: Investing in Leaders of Color Grant Program offers a maximum award of $6,950 to support nonprofit leaders of color and their organizations. The program provides one-on-one coaching, a stipend for professional development and operating costs, and networking opportunities. It is designed for people of color in leadership positions in nonprofit organizations that serve communities of color and promote racial equity in Maine. Priority is given to leaders from organizations led by people of color. The grant consists of capacity-building funding, including one-on-one coaching, professional development, and operating costs. The program aims to promote and increase racial equity in Maine through supporting leaders and organizations serving communities of color.

The South Arts In These Mountains (ITM) initiative is a grant program designed to support projects that promote the sharing, teaching, learning, preserving, documenting, and continuity of folk arts and traditional culture within Central Appalachia. This aligns with a broader mission to foster cultural preservation and community enrichment, particularly in underserved regions. The program seeks to empower communities through their unique cultural heritage, ensuring these traditions are passed down through generations and remain vibrant within the region. The target beneficiaries for this grant program are nonprofit organizations and educational organizations located in Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) counties in Kentucky, North Carolina, and Tennessee. This includes a wide array of entities such as community cultural organizations, schools, colleges, universities, libraries, museums, performing arts presenters, community festival organizations, and faith-based organizations. The primary impact goal is to strengthen the traditional arts and cultural fabric of these communities, particularly those in rural areas with populations under 50,000, by providing essential funding for relevant projects. South Arts has several key priorities and focuses for this initiative. They are deeply committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, actively encouraging applications from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)-led and LGBTQIA+-led organizations, as well as organizations led by people with disabilities. Furthermore, they prioritize applications that feature BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and traditional artists with disabilities. Another significant focus is on funding traditional arts projects specifically in rural communities. The grants are awarded in the amount of $10,000, with a project period from October 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025. The expected outcomes and measurable results of the ITM initiative include a sustained and increased engagement with folk arts and traditional culture in Central Appalachia. Success will be measured by the number and quality of projects that effectively share, teach, learn, preserve, document, and support the continuity of these cultural practices. The prioritization of diverse and rural-led organizations aims to ensure that funding reaches those most in need of support and that a wide array of voices and traditions are represented and uplifted. The strategic priority of South Arts, as evidenced by this grant, is to build a more equitable and culturally rich Central Appalachia through targeted investment in its traditional arts.

CJI’s Leadership Circle is soliciting proposals from grassroots organizations led by formerly incarcerated and directly impacted individuals. The program aims to transform and reimagine the U.S. criminal legal system by building alternative community-based solutions and organizing to prevent the criminalization of marginalized identities and communities. This initiative directly aligns with CJI's mission to support meaningful, transformative, and systemic change within the criminal legal system, empowering future leaders who have often experienced incarceration themselves. The foundation's strategic priority is to support movement-building organizing that creates a new world, a "world they demand NOW." The target beneficiaries are formerly incarcerated individuals and directly impacted people, including primary family members, as well as marginalized groups within their communities (e.g., poor, houseless, young, elders, queer, trans, people with mental illness, people with disabilities). The program's impact goals include ending mass criminalization and incarceration, creating safe and healthy communities that do not rely on arrest and incarceration, and re-establishing rights and access for those formerly incarcerated or newly criminalized. The Leadership Circle's theory of change emphasizes shared authority among donors and community organizers, many of whom have lived experience with incarceration, to drive systemic change. The program prioritizes several key areas. This includes building alternatives to traditional carceral systems, investing in approaches that end mass criminalization, creating policies to reform and dismantle repressive legal systems, and uplifting the leadership and experience of those affected by the criminal legal system. Other focuses include re-establishing rights for formerly incarcerated individuals, promoting transformative and restorative justice, and supporting culturally appropriate healing programs connected to the criminal justice movement. CJI also has specific funding preferences for organizations led by formerly incarcerated individuals, groups operating in difficult political environments, those developing new leaders from marginalized backgrounds, and work addressing discrimination against incarcerated or detained people, particularly in the South, Indian country, and other rural areas. Expected outcomes and measurable results include the development of community-based interventions, changes in policies and institutions (like parole and probation), and a demonstrable commitment to systems change through organizing. The program seeks to empower new leaders, particularly from marginalized communities, and foster innovative collaborations among diverse organizations. While specific quantitative metrics are not provided in the description, the emphasis on "movement-building organizing" and "achieving systems change" suggests that the success will be measured by the demonstrable impact on criminal legal system reform and the empowerment of affected communities. CJI is particularly committed to supporting smaller, emerging organizations with budgets of $1 million or less, indicating a focus on grassroots impact and capacity building.

This grant provides funding to nonprofit organizations, schools, and government entities in Douglas County, Minnesota, to support initiatives that create meaningful community change in areas such as education, social services, health, arts and culture, and civic engagement.

This grant recognizes and rewards student and professional journalists in the U.S. who demonstrate exceptional ethical standards in their reporting, providing financial prizes based on the impact and integrity of their work.

This funding opportunity supports California-based organizations in preserving and making accessible important archival materials related to the LGBTQ+ movement and history, fostering community engagement and education.

This funding opportunity is designed for U.S.-based nonprofit organizations and government entities to produce a public concert and related events honoring exceptional jazz musicians and advocates, while also promoting community engagement and educational programming.

The St. Johns Cultural Council State of the Arts Grant Program, available to public school teachers and arts organizations in St. Johns County, Florida, offers up to six $1,500 grants for the development of new or enhanced artistic programs, covering costs such as production, materials, staff salaries, professional development, and insurance for public art projects.

This funding opportunity supports K-12 arts education programs in Georgia, providing financial assistance to schools, nonprofits, libraries, and government agencies to enhance student learning through creative initiatives.

This grant provides financial support for Colorado-based artists and organizations to create collaborative projects that use the arts to address pressing social, civic, environmental, and health issues in their communities.

This grant provides financial support to nonprofit organizations, public service entities, and government agencies serving the residents of Orcas Island, Washington, to enhance community-driven projects during the holiday season.

This funding opportunity supports community organizations in implementing one-year projects that improve their capacity and effectiveness, focusing on initiatives that can be sustained without ongoing fundraising.

This grant provides funding to nonprofit organizations, schools, and community groups in the Mille Lacs Lake Watershed area to support projects that promote environmental stewardship, community beautification, and economic vitality.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to a variety of organizations in King County, Washington, to deliver community-based parenting programs, home-based family services, and developmental screening for families with children from prenatal stages to age five.

This funding opportunity supports nonprofit organizations and local governments in enhancing public engagement and education in the arts across diverse communities through various artistic disciplines.

This grant provides funding for significant community projects in Portage and Waushara Counties that promote collaboration across various sectors to enhance quality of life in areas such as arts, education, environment, helping people, and wellness.

This grant provides funding to Black-led and Black-serving organizations in Appalachian Ohio to support community-driven projects that promote equity and empower African American communities across various sectors.

This funding opportunity supports emerging nonprofit arts organizations in Idaho that provide public arts programming and seek to enhance community engagement and access to the arts.

This program provides funding to designated local arts organizations in North Carolina to expand access to diverse and high-quality arts experiences across all counties in the state.

This grant provides funding to nonprofit organizations and public entities for innovative projects that improve the quality of life for residents in Onondaga and Madison counties, focusing on areas such as arts, education, health, and the environment.