OVERVIEW

Center for Cultural Innovation (CCI) offers recurring and one-time grant opportunities for individual artists and arts workers across the nation, with open application cycles occurring throughout the year that center a range of disciplines and focus areas. For this reason, we’re actively seeking individuals interested in joining peer grant review panels and engaging in shared decision-making processes. 

Learn more about CCI's grant opportunities here.

Prospective panelists should be interested in the grantmaking process and in supporting individuals in the arts. They should also have a deep understanding of a particular discipline or area of experience. We also encourage folks who are coming up in the field to consider serving on a grant panel as a professional development experience. All panelists will receive an honorarium for their valuable time and expertise. 

Panelists will be selected based on the needs of the particular grant panel and contacted by CCI staff to discuss panel participation and commitment (including, but not limited to, online training, independent review and scoring, and grant panel discussion).

We will keep the information you submit below on file for two years (2026 to 2027). We will only contact you if you are being considered for an upcoming panel. 

Thank you for your commitment to supporting individuals in the arts!

Note: Your responses are CONFIDENTIAL and will be used for internal purposes only.

SUPPORT

If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact CCI at grants@cciarts.org.

The Investing in Artists: Tools & Equipment program supports individual craft artists in purchasing artistic tools and/or equipment that support their ability to make object-based work. This program is open to individual craft artists, craftspeople, and folk and traditional artists in the United States and its Territories, with geographic eligibility rotating over the 2024–2026 funding cycle.

Funding will be awarded through a competitive grant application process. Competitive applicants will present a clear request, demonstrate a sustained commitment to their craft discipline, and illustrate how funding will provide linchpin support, such as enabling the artist to meet demand, address safety requirements or other regulations, replace outdated or damaged equipment, or reach a higher standard of quality or craftsmanship. In other words, funding will support craft artists’ careers and their ability to make work. A total of $60,000 is available in the 2026 funding round.

We encourage you to review the Guidelines, Application Preview, and Frequently Asked Questions before applying. You can access all relevant materials here.

ELIGIBILITY

To be considered for funding, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Identify as an individual working craft artist. (See definition in Guidelines.)
• Align with CCI’s definition of craft. (See definition in Guidelines.)
• Reside full-time in an eligible region. Investing in Artists: Tools & Equipment's 2024-2026 funding cycle will rotate geographic eligibility.
• For the 2025 Round: Eligible applicants must reside full-time in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, or Virginia.
• In 2024, funding was available to craftspeople residing full-time in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming, as well as American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
• In 2025, funding was available to craftspeople residing full-time in Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, or Wisconsin.
• Presented artistic work in a public context—including online/digital platforms—within the last three years (i.e., since 2023).
• Are 18 years or older at the time of the application deadline.

The following are ineligible for funding consideration: 

• Artist collectives, coops, or collaboratives;
• Nonprofit or fiscally sponsored organizations;
• Recipients of the Maxwell/Hanrahan Award in Craft, administered by United States Artists;
• Incomplete applications and those with inaccessible work samples or other required files;
• Full-time or matriculating students;
• Applicants who submit more than one application;
• Requests to support training in or experimentation with a new medium;
• Requests for routine art materials or supplies;
• Requests for fixed costs (e.g., studio rent, equipment/tool insurance and ongoing maintenance, utilities);
• Requests to support capital improvements or repairs, purchases made before the award of the grant, consultant fees, personal compensation, or payment of debts, credit cards, loans, or other financial responsibilities; and
• Applicants who have a conflict of interest (family or financial relationships) with the boards, staff, and directors of CCI or the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation.

QUESTIONS & SUPPORT

CCI staff are here to help! For questions about the grant guidelines or application, email us at grants@cciarts.org (include “IA: Tools & Equipment” in the subject line) or call 415.713.7650. For Deaf applicants and those with hearing loss, contact CCI using the California Relay Service—our staff is trained in making and receiving these calls.

If you need technical assistance (e.g., password or upload issues), request support at: https://www.submittable.com/help/submitter. Submittable’s business hours are 9 am–5 pm MT. They aim to respond within 24 business hours.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The Creative Economy Fund (fka Creative Industries Incentive Fund) awards project grants to arts, cultural, and creative-based commercial businesses that are located in the City of San José and involved in the production or distribution of the arts, including manufacturers, service providers, presenters, and designers, among others. Funding supports projects and activities aimed at building successful arts, cultural, and creative-based small businesses in San José. For the 2026 grantmaking round, a total of $55,000 is available.

Grants of up to $8,000 will be awarded through a competitive grant application process. Competitive applicants will contribute to the city’s cultural vibrancy, demonstrate readiness for project implementation, grow and achieve greater financial resilience, and demonstrate economic impact(e.g., attracting visitors, generating sales tax, creating jobs) in the City of San José. Competitive applicants will also reflect the City’s diverse cultural communities and creative-based commercial landscape.

The Creative Economy Fund is an initiative of the City of San José Office of Economic Development and Cultural Affairs (OEDCA). The Center for Cultural Innovation (CCI), a nonprofit intermediary focused on the economic security of individuals in the arts, is partnering with OEDCA to administer it. 

Please visit the San José Creative Economy Fund webpage here to view an application preview (.doc and .pdf versions), grant guidelines, and frequently asked questions.

ELIGIBILITY 

To be eligible for Creative Economy Fund consideration, businesses must meet the following criteria: 

• Be a commercial enterprise, including small businesses (defined by the City of San José as businesses with 35 employees or less) and sole proprietorships (Note: businesses do not have to be brick and mortar; they can be online storefronts or nomadic enterprises);
• Be based in San José;
• Primarily provides a cultural, creative, or arts-related service or product; 
• Be in good standing with the City of San José, evidenced through possession of an active San José business tax certificate (aka business license, business permit)* and fulfillment of OEDCA or any other City department’s funding requirements, if applicable; and
• Cannot have a conflict of interest (family or financial relationships) with the boards, staff, and directors of CCI or OEDCA.

Past CIIF grantees, along with past and current Creative Economy Fund grantees, are eligible to apply if a final report has been submitted to and approved by CCI prior to the deadline of June 26, 2026. Please note that first-time applicants may be prioritized.

HOW TO APPLY 

Applications will be accepted from May 12, 2026, at 9 a.m. PT through June 26, 2026, at 11:59 a.m. (morning) PT. Complete applications must be submitted by the deadline—no exceptions will be made. In addition, applications with missing or inaccessible content (e.g., corrupted or password-protected files) will not be reviewed.

Businesses with more than one owner, principal, et al., will select a single representative (i.e., a lead applicant) to create a Submittable account and apply. If funding is approved, this individual will be responsible for fulfilling the grant requirements.

QUESTIONS & SUPPORT

CCI staff are here to help and listen. For assistance, please email us at grants@cciarts.org (include Creative Economy Fund in the subject line) or call 415.288.0530. You may also schedule a time to speak here. For Deaf applicants and those with hearing loss, contact CCI using the California Relay Service—our staff is trained in making and receiving these calls.

For technical assistance (e.g., upload issues), request support at: https://www.submittable.com/help/submitter/. Submittable’s business hours are 9 am – 5 pm MT. They aim to respond within 24 business hours.

New updates effective November 16: Individual applicants will now be required to complete a short identity verification step through Submittable’s secure Identity Verification (IDV) process before submitting their Quick Grant application. You can learn more about IDV here.

• Please note that you will need access to a valid, unexpired government-issued ID (such as a driver’s license, state ID, or passport) and a device (smartphone, tablet, or laptop/computer) with a working camera to complete this step.

Notifications for this cycle will be shared via Submittable on July 15, 2026, by 5:00 pm PT. We encourage you to add Submittable to your Safe Senders list so that you don't miss any communications from CCI—see instructions here.

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The Quick Grant program provides up to $600 in professional development funds to staff members of nonprofit arts organizations based in San Francisco or San José, as well as to California-based artists, creatives, cultural practitioners, and cultural producers. This program supports artists and arts workers with funding to enroll in workshops, attend conferences, and work with consultants, coaches, and mentors in order to build their administrative capacity, hone business skills, and strengthen the financial resilience of an organization, artistic practice, or area of cultural production.

Effective July 16, 2025, the Quick Grant program is expanding its eligibility to include advocacy education and caregiving expenses. CCI understands that artists face growing pressure to self-advocate in the absence of traditional worker protections. We believe that this change supports the essential skill-building in policy engagement and systems change, critical to enhancing the capacity for artists to practice their work. This update reflects our commitment to strengthening the financial resilience and long-term sustainability of individual artists and arts workers. 

WHO CAN APPLY

Individual Artists, Creatives, Cultural Practitioners, & Cultural Producers

• Must currently reside full-time within the State of California

Nonprofit Arts Organization Staff Members

• Staff of a nonprofit, tax-exempt arts organization located in the City and County of San Francisco or the City of San José
• Staff of a fiscally sponsored arts organization with the majority (i.e., 75%) of the organization's public programming occurring within the City and County of San Francisco or the City of San José (see HOW TO APPLY section for additional eligibility requirements)

ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES

To be eligible for Quick Grant funding, activities must:

• Build administrative capacity, hone business skills, and/or strengthen the financial resilience of the grantee’s practice, area of cultural production, or arts organization.                                                                      
• This includes activities with a focus on advocacy education, technology skill-building, and training in areas like copyright registration or other intellectual property protections.
• Begin after the application notification date. For example, for the August 15, 2026, deadline, the proposed activity must start on or after the notification date of September 16, 2026.     

INELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES

At this time, Quick Grant funding cannot support the following:

• Activities focused primarily on creative or artistic skill development, art teaching/teaching artist methods and techniques, or artistic presentation/production 
• Activities that support an applicant’s adjacent enterprise
• Funding to offset applicant’s regular salary or wages or fees for temporary/contract employees
• Funding to support overhead expenses
• Funding to purchase art supplies, materials, or advanced inventory 
• Activities proposed by artists, creatives, cultural practitioners, or cultural producers to support the operations of a nonprofit organization or a role in arts administration, and vice versa, activities proposed by organizational staff to support an individual art or cultural practice 
• Activities that begin less than one month after the nearest application deadline (applications are due on the 15th of each month); for example, if you apply by the August 15 deadline—between July 16 and August 15—the activity cannot begin until on or after September 16
• Funding to offset fees associated with college tuition or college credit activities

To view an Application Preview (.doc and .pdf versions), Grant Guidelines, and Frequently Asked Questions, please visit the Quick Grant webpage here.

For technical assistance (e.g., upload issues), request support at: https://www.submittable.com/help/submitter/. Submittable’s business hours are 9 am – 5 pm MT. They aim to respond within 24 business hours.