2025-2026 Creative Youth Workforce Development Grant

The City of Sacramento’s Office of Arts and Culture (OAC) has announced the Creative Youth Workforce Development Grant as part of its ARPA-funded initiatives for 2025-26. This program aims to provide meaningful workforce training and work-readiness opportunities for youth and young adults aged 16-24, focusing on underserved areas within Sacramento, such as US HUD Qualified Census Tracts, HUD-adjacent areas, and Sacramento Opportunity Zones. This initiative supports the creative sector while equipping youth with skills to succeed in various industries. The grant will fund up to seven awards of $75,000 each and three awards of $220,000 each. Sacramento-based nonprofit cultural organizations and for-profit creative businesses are eligible to apply if they are involved in media production, design, experience creation, or civic innovation. Proposed programs should prioritize youth training, internship opportunities, and readiness for professional roles in these fields. Organizations that received $75,000 or more in project funds from the Office of Arts and Culture in 2023 or 2024, including Capital Region Creative Corps grantees, are not eligible to apply. Key dates include a workshop for applicants on December 5, 2024, which will be recorded and made available online. All questions regarding the solicitation must be submitted in writing to artgrants@cityofsacramento.org no later than December 12, 2024, by 4:00 PM PT. Answers to submitted questions will be posted on December 15, 2024, at 4:00 PM PT on the OAC website. Applications must be submitted by January 10, 2025, at 11:59 PM PT. Applicants should develop proposals that align with the grant’s goals of high-impact training and work-readiness programs. This includes demonstrating how their initiatives will serve youth in the specified priority areas and equip participants with valuable skills. Strong proposals will outline clear program objectives, anticipated outcomes, and strategies for implementation. The grant offers a significant opportunity for creative businesses and organizations to foster workforce development while addressing youth employment challenges in underserved communities. Interested applicants should carefully review the full application guidelines available on the OAC website and attend the workshop to ensure their submissions meet all requirements. Prospective applicants are encouraged to register for the Zoom workshop, submit their questions by the designated deadline, and confirm their eligibility before applying.