CA$H Dance

CA$H Dance welcomes applications from Artists and Organizations creating work in the Bay Area.

Note: If you identify as a Collective, you can apply in either category. Additional details below.

All applicants must:

• Both reside and make work in one of the following counties:
  • Alameda
  • Contra Costa
  • Marin
  • Napa
  • San Francisco
  • San Mateo
  • Santa Clara
  • Solano
  • Sonoma
• Submit only one application
• Have a project budget or annual operating budget under $75,000 
• Have not received a CA$H Grant in Spring 2024 or Spring 2025
• Note: No applications from full-time students during the application or grant period.
• No applications that are fully supported through a college or university.

Artist

Apply as an Artist if you:

• Have presented at least one public dance work in the Bay Area (outside of a college, university, or postsecondary program).
• Have a project budget under $75,000.
• Are 21 years of age or older 

You may apply as an Artist if you are working:

• independently
• with a mentor, teacher, or consultant
• with collaborators supporting your artistic vision

If you direct a dance organization, only apply as an Artist if the proposed project is separate from your organization’s work.

If you have fiscal sponsorship or nonprofit status, you should apply as an organization.

Organization

Apply as an Organization if you:

• Have presented at least two public dance works in separate years in the Bay Area.
• Have a project budget under $75,000.

You should generally apply as an organization if:

• Your project is taking place under a dance company’s umbrella.
• You are the director or lead artist of a fiscally sponsored project, dance school, nonprofit, or dance business.
• Your project has fiscal sponsorship.
• The grant would be awarded to a project, company, or school that carries your name (for example: Ed Mock & Dancers).

NOTE: Collective applications can be submitted in the Artist or Organization category.

A Collective may apply if:

• Every member meets the Artist or Organization requirements.
• All members share artistic and administrative responsibility for the proposed project.

If you’re still unsure whether CA$H Dance is the right fit, we encourage you to contact Dancers’ Group at [email protected].

Applicants do not need nonprofit status or a fiscal sponsor to apply.

Note: Dancers’ Group may move an applicant to a different category during the review process if it is believed that this new category more closely aligns with how the applicant is working.

1. Register to Apply

Complete one of the registration forms by Wed, Sept 2.

Artist
Organization
Collective

Registering ensures you are eligible to apply to CA$H Dance before taking time to start an application. Applicants who do not register by the deadline will not be eligible to apply for the 2026 CA$H Dance grant.

2. Eligibility Review

Dancers’ Group staff will review your registration and contact you within 2–3 business days if any additional information is needed. Once your eligibility is confirmed, you’ll receive an email with a link to the application.

3.Submit Your Application
Complete and submit your application by:

• Organization Application due by Mon, Sep 14
• Artist Application due by Mon, Sept 21

 

Organization Application Preview & Tips 

Artist Application Preview & Tips 

Dancers’ Group staff review applications for completeness and reassign application categories when needed. Applications are reviewed by a panel of Bay Area artists and arts administrators.

Panelists will consider:

• Overall artistic impact and/or potential of the proposed activity 
• Representation across the SF Bay Area dance community 
• Strength of artistic history and/or potential 
• Priority for First-time CA$H Dance grantees

The panel will consider how the artist or organization describes what they plan to explore, investigate, develop, or work on during the five-month grant period.

Applicants have the opportunity to describe outcomes they hope to achieve in the months that follow, such as completing a dance film, developing material for a performance, hosting community gatherings, offering educational activities, or other objectives related to their practice like research and creative rest.

You are not required to create a new work, produce a public event, or complete a specific project. The application allows you to document your desires as an Artist or Organization during the grant period

If you have questions at any stage of the application process, contact Dancers’ Group at [email protected]. Staff are available to help applicants understand requirements, application materials, and program expectations.