Grants for Arts Organizations
To ensure a robust art and culture ecosystem for both residents and visitors to the City, Cultural Affairs offers grant programs for Santa Monica-based arts and heritage nonprofits.
Continue the Process:
- Arts Transportation Grant
- Organizational Support Program (OSP)
- Community Access & Participation (CAP)
The FY 2024 -25 Arts Transportation Grant (ATG) Program is now open!
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
To enhance the quality of life of Santa Monica’s residents, Santa Monica Cultural Affairs created the Arts Transportation Grant (ATG) program to provide broad access to a diversity of arts and culture activities throughout LA County. ATG funds are available for Santa Monica-based schools and nonprofits to reimburse transportation costs for trips to arts & culture destinations within LA County. Funding comes from the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s Proposition A Local Return funds.
PROGRAM DETAILS
Funding is available for excursions taking place between October 15, 2024 and May 31, 2025. Grants are available under this program to reimburse the transportation cost of taking Santa Monica students and/or residents to cultural destinations such as performing arts venues and museums within LA County.
Applications are accepted on a first-come-first-served basis until all funding has been awarded. Applications are reviewed by City staff and are approved or declined according to the eligibility requirements listed above and funding available. Applicants will be notified within four weeks of submitting a grant proposal regarding the status of their application.
APPROVED 2024-25 ARTS TRANSPORTATION EXCURSIONS
Will be posted here as grants and trips are approved.
QUESTIONS?
Contact: artsgrants@santamonica.gov or 310-905-0828
The 2023-25 Organizational grant Program (OSP) is now closed. Deadline for submission of applications was 11:59 PM, Tuesday, January 31, 2023
Program guidelines for the 2023-25 OSP are downloadable here.
Santa Monica’s Organizational Support Program (OSP) was created in 1996 to provide multi-year support to the City’s resident nonprofit arts and heritage nonprofits. The program makes grants of up to ten percent of local organizations’ budgets. Grants are awarded after an application process, currently on a two-year cycle. Resident organizations are defined as those whose primary administrative office and primary location of programming (more than 50% of program activities) are within Santa Monica city limits. Prospective applicants must read the OSP program guidelines before beginning an application.
Organizations receiving grants are expected to:
- Provide Santa Monica’s diverse communities with opportunities for creativity, artistic participation, and a better understanding of cultural heritage.
- Increase and sustain world-class artistic production and exhibitions in Santa Monica.
- Highlight the city as an international creative center.
- Open avenues of discourse among the public to broad topics of human creativity and learning.
Questions about this program should be directed to artsgrants@santamonica.gov or 310-905-0828
Applications to the 2024-25 Community Access & Participation (CAP) grant program are now closed.
PROGRAM TIMELINE:
Applications Open: Monday, September 23, 2024
Application Deadline: Wednesday, October 16, 2024, 11:59pm
Arts Commission Approval: Monday, November 18, 2024
Award Announcements: December, 2024
Project Term: January 1, 2025, through June 30, 2025
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The City of Santa Monica’s Community Access & Participation (CAP) program provides grants to City-based nonprofit arts and culture organizations to provide Santa Monica residents and visitors increased access to high quality arts and culture programs.
WHAT’S NEW
We have updated the eligibility requirements, guidelines and application processes for the 2024-25 Community Access & Participation (CAP) program:
- The CAP application and process has been shortened, simplified and will be completed on a simple online application form.
- Current or last cycle (2023-24) grantees of The City of Santa Monica’s OSP and CAP program are not required to submit supplemental financial materials as part of the CAP application. (Please note, it is still required that organizations complete and maintain financial information annually, [SMU DataArts, 990s, etc.], but it is no longer a requirement to submit them as part of the CAP application.)
- Organizations that are not funded currently through the OSP program, or were funded in the last CAP grant cycle (2023-24) must submit both an SMU DataArts Funder Report and 990 for their most recently completed fiscal year.
- Organizations may submit one application per CAP application cycle. Grant award amounts will range between $3,000 - $6,000, depending on the organization's budget size and total 2024-25 CAP funds available.
- Applications will be internally reviewed by City of Santa Monica Arts Commission staff and will not be subject to a panel review process. NOTE: OSP applications will still be reviewed by an external panel.
- CAP Project categories have been updated to reflect the City of Santa Monica’s 2023-25 Priorities.
QUESTIONS?
Contact: artsgrants@santamonica.gov or 310-905-0828