Community Arts Grants

The Community Arts Grant for Spring 2025 is administered by the Arts Council for Monterey County (Arts4MC). This grant program supports nonprofit organizations that provide public arts and culture programs within Monterey County, California. The aim of the funding is to strengthen the local arts ecosystem, with a strong commitment to racial equity, inclusion, and geographic diversity across the region. The council places a special emphasis on artistic traditions that enable full and meaningful creative expression. The primary purpose of the grant is to support the creation and presentation of artistically excellent work, enhance the sustainability of local arts organizations and individual artists, engage broader and more diverse audiences, and promote the social impact of the arts. Projects are encouraged to serve underserved communities, foster artistic innovation, build organizational capacity, and promote collaborative partnerships between artists and communities. Grants of up to $7,500 will be awarded annually, with applicants eligible to receive only one grant per year. Funding is competitive, with an estimated 75% of applicants receiving awards. The program is open exclusively to nonprofit organizations that are either independently registered as 501(c)(3) or have a qualifying fiscal sponsor. Applicants must have a primary mission centered on public arts or cultural programming and must have operated within Monterey County for at least two years. Applications are reviewed based on three primary criteria: Artistic Excellence and Relevance, Impact and Sustainability, and Equity and Accessibility. Each application is scored by a diverse panel representing all five supervisorial districts of Monterey County. In addition to written responses, applicants must submit financial documentation, work samples, and other supporting materials. Video and audio samples must be shared via publicly accessible links and cannot exceed three minutes in length. The Spring 2025 application period opened on April 1 and will close on May 12 at 5 PM. Weekly Zoom support hours are offered on Tuesdays from April 8 to May 6. Grant decisions will be announced by June 6, with agreements due by June 11 and a grantee reception scheduled for June 23. Funded projects must be implemented between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026. Contact for the grant is Klara Hickmanova, Programs Manager, available via email at klara@arts4mc.org. For additional information, applicants are encouraged to visit the Arts Council’s grants webpage or the online grants portal.