Grants & Artistic Support

Dancers’ Group maintains this calendar of grants, residencies, and opportunities that support dance and dance-makers in the Bay Area. This calendar is not exhaustive and details can change – please confirm details with each grant/opportunity.

Deadline: Wed, Mar 4

City of Berkeley: Civic Arts Grants-Individual Artist Projects

The Civic Arts program supports a culturally vibrant and diverse arts ecosystem within the City of Berkeley by funding grants to artists, arts organizations, and festivals. Individual Artist Project grants support artists living in Berkeley with project-based funding. Projects must include original work created during the Grant Activity Period and a public presentation that engages Berkeley residents in a meaningful way.

Deadline: Wed, Mar 11

City of Berkeley: Civic Arts Grants-Community Festivals

The Civic Arts program supports a culturally vibrant and diverse arts ecosystem within the City of Berkeley by funding grants to artists, arts organizations, and festivals. Community Festival grants fund community festivals and special events that: • celebrate and preserve a rich variety of cultural opportunities for Berkeley’s residents; • bolster Berkeley’s vitality; • increase Berkeley’s reputation as a vibrant destination for visitors; • create meaningful experiences that build community. Community Festival grants support a range of events throughout the City, from small-scale and firsttime events to large-scale and established festivals. Funded events must be open to the entire public and have a free component. Please note: This grant is for festivals that are one- or multi-day events, but generally events that occur one time per year. This grant is not intended to fund ongoing programming

Deadline: Sun, Mar 15

ARTogether’s Artist Mentorship Hub & Residency

ARTogether’s Artist Mentorship Hub is a multidisciplinary art program for emerging refugee, immigrant, diasporic, and underrepresented artists in the Bay Area. The program centers wellness, collective power building, and peer connection while providing mentorship, guidance, and professional development led by local artists and art professionals established in the field. Participants receive a free, shared art studio at the ARTogether Center to activate for their individual and collective art projects. This year’s program cohort will consist of 8 artists. The program will be held in-person at the ARTogether Center in Oakland.

Deadline: Mon, Mar 16 at 8:59pm (PST)

New England Foundation for the Arts: National Dance Project Production Grant

Awarded to 20 dance projects annually through a competitive two-stage application process. Artists/choreographers and/or companies apply to receive a package of support that includes:

$45,000 for the creation of a new dance project
$10,000 in general operating support for the artist/company
$10,000 for production residency and/or community engagement plans
$35,000 to support a U.S. tour of the work

Deadline: Mon, Mar 23 11:59PM CST

2026 NFA: Individuals and Ensembles Meet the Moment Grant

For over 20 years, the NALAC Fund for the Arts (NFA) has provided critical funds to Latinx/é artists, cultural workers, and ensembles to further develop their artistic vision and creative capital. Established in 2005, the NFA was developed in partnership with the Ford Foundation and guided by artists and community leaders who saw the need for more resources for Latinx/é creatives in the United States, including Puerto Rico. NALAC recognizes the transformative power of the arts in social change. Given our times, this year NALAC will award 20 NFA: Individuals and Ensembles Meet the Moment Grants of $5,000 each to fund artistic/cultural projects, initiatives, and opportunities that support the individual or ensemble in addressing public concerns and/or influencing social change. These funds are available to Latinx/é individual artists, individual cultural workers, and ensembles (defined as a group of artists working together).

Deadline: Tue, Mar 24

Kenneth Rainin Foundation: New & Experimental Works Grants

The NEW Program supports small and mid-size dance, theater and multidisciplinary arts organizations with grants of $5,000-$30,000 to enable Bay Area artists to produce visionary projects relevant to the communities they serve. Since 2015, this program has awarded over $4 million to 149 arts organizations.

Pre-Application Workshop: Tues, Feb 24, 12-1 PM Application Period: March 3-24, 2026 at 11:59 PM PDT

Deadline: Fri, Mar 27

Cultural Center for Innovation – Investing in Artists : Artistic Innovation

The Investing in Artists: Artistic Innovation program (fka Investing in Artists) supports diverse, Bay Area working artists who are developing new work in the performing or media arts that pushes the envelope of their creative process, explores new artistic collaborations, and/or supports artistic growth and experimentation that extends the boundaries of their art-making.

For the 2026 Round: Must reside full-time in Marin, Napa, Solano, or Sonoma County when applying and for the duration of the grant period (June 2026 – June 2027).

Deadline: Thu, Apr 2

Creative Capital Award

In celebration of 25 years of national artist support, the 2027 Open Call invites project proposals from individual artists for the Creative Capital Award and the new State of the Art Prize. All grants will be awarded via a national, open call, external review process. The Creative Capital Award provides individual artists with unrestricted project grants for the creation of innovative, original, and imaginative new artistic works. The Award provides unrestricted project grants from $15,000 up to $50,000, plus professional development support, industry connections, and community-building opportunities.

March 2, 2026: Round I application portal opens
April 2, 2026 at 3:00PM Eastern Time: Round I application deadline

Deadline: Mon, Apr 6

Dresher Ensemble Artist Residency (D.E.A.R.)

The Dresher Ensemble Artist Residency (D.E.A.R.) was established in 2012 to support Northern California artists actively exploring new aesthetic premises and pushing the boundaries of conventional art forms and media. The program provides artists free studio space and up-to-date equipment to create new work in time-based arts such as theater/performance, dance/movement, music/sound art/instrument invention, and collaborative and interdisciplinary work. D.E.A.R. grants up to six awards annually to individual artists or groups of artists collaborating on a single project. The lead artist must be a Northern California resident and not a student at the time of the application and residency.

Deadline: QUARTERLY – Apr 13, Jul 13, Oct 13

Zellerbach Family Foundation: Community Arts

Supports the creation of work by Bay Area artists and access to the arts for Bay Area communities. Grantseekers must be located in or serving communities in Alameda, Contra Costa or San Francisco Counties. While Community Arts grants are awarded as general operating support, application materials must include information about an upcoming project. Applications must be submitted by 5:00pm on the application cycle due date. Late and/or incomplete applications will be considered in the following cycle, if eligible. $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000.

Deadline: Fri, Apr 17

2026 World Arts West Cultural Dance Catalyst Fund Guidelines + Application

World Arts West is honored to be part of the Wallace Foundation’s Advancing Well-Being in the Arts National Arts Partners initiative, alongside 11 other BIPOC-led arts service organizations. Through this regranting program, World Arts West will support California-based organizations whose work sustains, advances, and uplifts diverse cultural traditions, advances well-being in their communities, and strengthens connections across generations. This initiative is designed to increase access to resources, foster equity in funding, and amplify the voices of under-resourced cultural communities. In addition to direct funding, grantees will also join a cohort-based engagement model (including a beginning, mid-point, and closing gathering and other professional development opportunities based on cohort feedback), creating opportunities for exchange, collaboration, and mutual support.

Deadline: Mon, Apr 27

Alliance for California Traditional Arts: Apprenticeship Program

The Apprenticeship Program encourages the continuity of the state’s thriving traditional arts and cultures by contracting mentor artists to offer intensive, one-on-one training to eligible apprentices. Each $5,000 contract will support a period of concentrated learning, from 6 mos. to a year, for apprentices who demonstrate a committed engagement with, and a talent for, a specific traditional art form or cultural practice.

Deadline: Mon, Apr 27

Alliance for California Traditional Arts: Living Cultures

The Living Cultures Grant helps communities in California carry forward, strengthen, and share their traditions with $7,500 grants to individual artists/culture bearers and $10,000 grants to nonprofits and Tribal Nations, as well as other organizations and community groups who work with fiscal sponsors.

Projects involving any genre of traditional arts—including but not limited to music, dance, storytelling, theater, traditional cooking, and crafts, or other handmade arts—are welcome.

Deadline: QUARTERLY – June 1, Sep 1

The Svane Family Foundation: Culture Forward Grant

Culture Forward is a $5 million grant initiative by The Svane Family Foundation supporting arts and culture projects that attract families, students, and young professionals to Downtown San Francisco. Grants are open to individual artists, collectives, and arts and culture organizations. Applications will be reviewed and grants will be distributed on a quarterly basis.

Deadline: Mini-Grants are offered monthly and applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Submit your application before the end of the month to be considered for the next month’s award.

ARTogether: Mini-Grants for Artists

Awards $500 to Bay Area refugee and immigrant artists for work on a current or ongoing art project. Preference will be given to refugee artists and to projects which are beyond the development stage.

Deadline: Applications are reviewed and grants are awarded monthly based on available funds. Apply by the 10th of every month.

First Peoples Fund: Yéigo Action Grant

Offers grants for individual Native artists and culture bearers who are in need of quick financial assistance for an artistic opportunity, emergency situation and/or sudden unanticipated expense related to their art practice or business. $100-$5,000.

Deadline: Monthly, visit each chapter’s page for their guidelines.

The Awesome Foundation

Each fully autonomous chapter of the Awesome Foundation supports awesome projects through micro-grants, usually given out monthly. There are chapters in Marin (currently inactive), Oakland (currently inactive), San Francisco, San Jose, and Santa Cruz. Awesome Disability and Awesome On the Water are independent chapters of the Awesome Foundation. $1,000.

Deadline: Applications for residencies at different parks are continuously updated and rotated throughout the year. Visit the website for current listings and deadlines.

National Parks Arts Foundation: Residencies

Works directly with select artists and the National Park Service (and their affiliates) to create unique Artist in Residency programs within the wonders of the National Parks. The NPAF is currently active in parks across the nation.

More info at https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/allresidencies

Deadline: Applications are open periodically throughout the year.

Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants

Provides one-time grants of up to $5,000 for unexpected medical, dental, and mental health emergencies to artists in financial need who are creating in the visual arts, film/video/electronic/digital arts, and choreography.

Deadline: Ongoing; Applications must be received by the JFLA at least 3 months prior to the beginning date of the project.

Japan Foundation Los Angeles: Arts & Culture Mini Grant

Supports projects that will enhance further understanding of Japanese arts and culture. Applications can be accepted only for projects that take place within the 13 states west of the Rocky Mountains. Up to $5,000, paid in the form of reimbursement.

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