Funding Opportunities

Updated July 10, 2024

ARTS LOAN FUND – ROLLING DEADLINE This Emergency Loan will support arts and culture nonprofits and fiscally sponsored organizations in the eleven San Francisco Bay Area counties. Organizations can apply for these low-interest loans to cover basic expenses such as staff salaries, artist payments, rent and other operating costs during this challenging time. Loans can also be used to cover costs associated with re-opening and/or presenting programming remotely such as equipment, software, etc. Preference is given to small and mid-sized arts and culture organizations (with budgets under $2 million).

HUMANITIES FOR ALL QUICK GRANTS – ROLLING DEADLINE Humanities for All is a grant program that supports locally initiated public humanities projects. This program responds to the needs and interests of Californians, encourages greater public participation in humanities programming, particularly by new and/or underserved audiences. It aims to promote understanding and empathy among all our state’s peoples in order to cultivate a thriving democracy. As of May 1, 2024, Quick Grant applications are now being accepted on a rolling basis, available to organizations with total yearly operating budgets of under $500,000.   

NEH GRANT: HUMANITIES COLLECTIONS AND REFERENCE RESOURCES – APPLY BY JULY 16 HCRR advances scholarship, education, and public engagement in the humanities by helping libraries, archives, museums, and historical organizations across the country steward important collections of books and manuscripts, photographs, sound recordings and moving images, archaeological and ethnographic artifacts, art and material culture, and digital objects.

YOUTH COMMUNITY ACCESS GRANT PROGRAM – APPLY BY AUGUST 14 The Youth Community Access Grant Program, funded by the Youth Education, Prevention, Early Intervention and Treatment Account (YEPEITA), created by Proposition 64, seeks projects that support youth access to natural or cultural resources with a focus on low-income and disadvantaged communities. This includes, but is not limited to, community education and recreational amenities to support youth substance use prevention and early intervention. Approximately $18.5 million dollars are available for awards this cycle.

IMLS MUSEUMS FOR AMERICA – APPLY BY NOVEMBER 15 The Museums for America program supports museums of all sizes and disciplines in strategic, project-based efforts to serve the public through exhibitions, educational/interpretive programs, digital learning resources, professional development, community debate and dialogue, audience-focused studies, and/or collections management, curation, care, and conservation. Museums for America has three project categories: Lifelong Learning, Community Engagement and Collections Stewardship and Access.

IMLS MUSEUMS GRANTS FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE – APPLY BY NOVEMBER 15 The Museum Grants for African American History and Culture (AAHC) program is designed to build the capacity of African American museums and support the growth and development of museum professionals at African American museums. The AAHC program supports projects that nurture museum professionals, build institutional capacity, and increase access to museum and archival collections at African American museums and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

IMLS NATIVE AMERICAN/NATIVE HAWAIIAN MUSEUM SERVICE PROGRAM – APPLY BY NOVEMBER 15 The Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services (NANH) grant program is designed to support Indian tribes and organizations that primarily serve and represent Native Hawaiians in sustaining indigenous heritage, culture, and knowledge. The program supports projects such as exhibitions, educational services and programming, workforce professional development, organizational capacity building, and collections stewardship.

IMLS INSPIRE! GRANTS FOR SMALL MUSEUMS – APPLY BY NOVEMBER 15 Inspire! Grants for Small Museums is a special initiative of the Museums for America program. It is designed to support small museums of all disciplines in project-based efforts to serve the public through exhibitions, educational/interpretive programs, digital learning resources, policy development and institutional planning, technology enhancements, professional development, community outreach, audience development, and/or collections management, curation, care, and conservation. Inspire! has three project categories: Lifelong Learning, Institutional Capacity, and Collections Stewardship and Access.

MUSEUM WORKERS RELIEF FUND – ONGOING LOTTERY Museum Workers Speak recently re-launched the Museum Workers Relief Fund and kicked off a new round of fundraising. Applications are open to any and all museum workers in the U.S. who have been laid off, furloughed, or otherwise severely impacted by Covid-19. Applicants have a chance to receive $500 in aid through a lottery system.

ARTS LEADERS OF COLOR EMERGENCY FUND Set up by the Arts Administrators of Color Network this fund supports US-based BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) artists AND administrators (consultants, facilitators, box office staff, seasonal/temporary employees, etc.) who have been financially impacted due to COVID-19. Apply to receive funds or donate. 

CALIFORNIA GRANTS PORTAL  The California State Library is excited to announce the launch of the California Grants Portal. Billions of dollars in grant opportunities from dozens of state departments and agencies can now be easily accessed and opportunities can be filtered by keywords or categories. The Grants Portal also makes it possible to search by eligible applicant types, including nonprofit organizations, public agencies, businesses, tribal governments, and others.