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 2024 grantmaking round, a total of $40,000 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 the Creative Economy Fund. 

To view an Application Preview (.doc and .pdf versions), Grant Guidelines, and Frequently Asked Questions, please visit the San José Creative Economy Fund webpage here.

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 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 July 17, 2024, deadline. Please note that first-time applicants may be prioritized.

HOW TO APPLY 

Applications will be accepted beginning April 24, 2024, at 9 a.m. PT and accepted until June 17, 2024, 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. Please email us at grants@cciarts.org (include Creative Economy Fund in the subject line) or call 415.288.0530 for assistance. 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 are 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.

CALI Catalyst provides unrestricted grants of up to $7,500 to California changemakers who are creating tangible impact within the arts and culture sector, shifting power and influence to historically underrepresented voices.

CALI Catalyst launched in 2021 to provide financial support and validation to individuals whose frontline work to upend the status quo in the arts and culture sector is creating tangible change and moving the needle towards greater equity and inclusion. 

When individuals take bold steps to challenge the status quo, they risk sacrificing their jobs, social status, and reputation, and more often than not, their hard labor goes unpaid. CALI Catalyst recognizes that this is precisely the time when the arts and culture sector needs to support these changemakers who are ensuring historically marginalized communities—such as BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and people with disabilities–don’t fall through the cracks. By speaking out and taking action, such as exposing discriminatory hiring practices or disrupting harmful philanthropic norms, these individuals make the arts and culture field better for everyone. The CALI Catalyst grant program aims to support such leaders financially, recognizing that the fear of financial risk can silence voices and discourage meaningful change.

Please visit the CALI Catalyst webpage to review the Application Preview (.doc and .pdf versions), Grant Guidelines, and Frequently Asked Questions.

HOW TO APPLY

CALI Catalyst will offer two open application rounds in 2024. These are:

• Round #1: Applications will be accepted from March 13 to May 6, 2024, at 11:59 a.m. (noon) PT. Notifications will be sent via Submittable on July 1 by 5 p.m. PT. 
• Round #2: Applications will be accepted from June 12 to August 5, 2024, at 11:59 a.m. (noon) PT. Notifications will be sent via Submittable on September 30 by 5 p.m. PT. 

CCI staff are here to help and listen. Please email us at grants@cciarts.org (include CALI Catalyst in the subject line) or call 415.288.0530 for assistance. 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 are 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.

Notifications for this cycle will be shared via Submittable on June 15, 2024, by 5:30 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.

The Quick Grant program supports artists and arts organizations' financial resilience through professional development support.

The Quick Grant program provides grants of up to $600 to California artists, creatives, cultural practitioners, and cultural producers, and San Francisco/San Jose nonprofit arts administrators to participate in professional development activities that build administrative capacity, hone business skills, and strengthen the financial resilience of the grantee’s practice, area of cultural production, or arts organization.

WHO CAN APPLY

• California artists, creatives, cultural practitioners, and cultural producers; and
• San Francisco and San José nonprofit arts organization staff

ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES

• Professional development activities that build administrative capacity, hone business skills, and/or strengthen the financial resilience of the grantee’s practice, area of cultural production, or arts organization.
•  Activities must begin after application notification. For example, for the March 15 deadline, the proposed activity must start on or after April 16.

INELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES

• 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.
• Requests to support overhead, general operating expenses, or lost income.
• Funding to purchase art supplies, materials, or advance 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.
• Activities that have already taken place or that will occur before application notifications are sent.

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.