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, Jan 7

PUSH Dance: Sanctuary Residency

PUSH Dance Company’s Sanctuary Residency offers developmental space for San Francisco-based choreographers to conduct research for developing ideas, works-in-progress and new works, and offers technical assistance for an audience showing. A key feature of the residency includes support for companies, groups, collectives or co-creators/collaborators. – An opportunity to work in a sanctuary-like setting – 40 hours of studio time and 10 hours technical time – Mentorship during the production phase The Sanctuary Residency culminates as part of a larger showcase in the spring and festival in the fall.

Deadline: Fri, Jan 9 at 5pm (PST)

Palo Alto Community Fund

PACF was established nearly 50 years ago by local residents committed to helping our community thrive. Today, PACF serves as a catalyst for positive change and an enduring community resource supporting a vibrant Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, and Menlo Park. PACF invests in impactful organizations addressing community needs. PACF grants provide general operating support. We believe nonprofit leaders know best how to allocate funding, and our approach is grounded in the principles of trust-based philanthropy. Most grants provide one year of funding and typically range from $5,000 to $20,000. Based on available funding and organizational need, PACF may offer multi-year (two-year) grants at its discretion.

Deadline: Mon, Jan 12

New Century Dance Project (NCDP)

Francisco Gella, founding artistic director of the New Century Dance Project (NCDP), invites choreographers to submit their work to be considered as part of the 2026 Festival held from July 24 - August 2. Choreographers selected will create a new work in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Specifically, NCDP is seeking choreographer fellows who are upper-level collegiate (Junior and above) through established career professionals. Selected choreographers will create a new work in six days on advanced preprofessional dancers which will be performed at the end of the NCDP festival.

Deadline: Mon, Jan 13 at 5PM

Vallejo Arts Fund

The Vallejo Arts Fund provides grants to Vallejo-rooted artists, cultural bearers, collectives, and organizations, from a broad range of life experiences and perspectives, that support arts and cultural practices and work in Vallejo, CA. The Vallejo Arts Fund (VAF) will distribute $1,000,000 over the next two years, from 2025 - 2027, to support arts and culture in Vallejo, which is a start to addressing structural inequities that have impacted historically excluded artists, culture bearers, arts organizers, and their communities. The Fund seeks to support artistic and cultural work within the performing arts, visual arts, digital and media arts, traditional folk arts, and oral/written storytelling.

Deadline: Thu, Jan 15

Fleishhacker Foundation: Small Arts Grants

The Fleishhacker Foundation’s Small Arts Grants program provides general, unrestricted support to small and mid-sized arts and culture organizations in San Francisco, Alameda, and Contra Costa counties that produce and present new work by professional Bay Area artists in the disciplines of dance, music, theater, visual arts, interdisciplinary arts, or film.

The program also provides post-production support for film projects directed by filmmakers who reside in these counties.

Applications are open to the following:

Nonprofit arts and culture organizations with annual expense budgets between $100,000 and $499,999 that meet the eligibility criteria below;
Fiscally sponsored arts and culture organizations with annual expense budgets under $500,000 that meet the eligibility criteria below;
Film projects with budgets under $750,000 that meet the eligibility criteria in the For Filmmakers section below.

There are two review cycles each year: spring and fall. Application deadlines are generally January 15 for spring decisions and July 15 for fall decisions.

The deadline for applications for the fall review cycle was July 15, 2025. The application portal for the spring 2026 review cycle will open in November 2025. Proposals are due January 15, 2026.

Deadline: Thu, Jan 15

Ucross Foundation – Artist Residency

The residency program is open to visual artists, writers, composers, choreographers, interdisciplinary artists, performance artists, and collaborative teams. Applicants must exhibit professional standing in their field; both established and emerging artists are encouraged to apply. Ucross provides each artist with living accommodations, meals, work space, and uninterrupted time so that the artists can focus on their creative process. Residencies range from two weeks to six weeks in length.

Deadline: Mon, Jan 26 at 5PM EST

Independent Arts Producer Residency

In August 2026, Producer Hub will pilot a week-long Independent Arts Producers Residency at Tofte Lake Center in Ely, Minnesota, and adjacent to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

This week-long residency will be focused on creating time and space for independent producers in the performing arts to aid their work in the field in a natural retreat environment. This time will be primarily unstructured. The goal is to create time and space to relax, ideate, and be in community with others.

Residency Dates: August 5–11, 2026

Deadline: Mon, Feb 2

Princess Grace Awards

The Princess Grace Awards recognize both creative generators (including but not limited to theater directors, designers, choreographers, film directors, etc.) and performance-based creatives (including but not limited to actors, dancers, etc.). In the film discipline, we only accept applications from film directors. We do not review applications from screenwriters or cinematographers. A Playwriting Fellowship* is offered through a partnership with New Dramatists.

The Princess Grace Award is an unrestricted cash grant of $15,000 paid directly to the artist.**

- Open to U.S. based artists currently living and working in the United States. Applicants who are not U.S. citizens must have permanent work authorization from USCIS
- All applicants must be nominated by a non-profit university, organization, media arts center or previous Princess Grace Award winner. Self-nominations are not allowed.
- An artist can only be nominated by 1 organization or individual in a given year. Applications are evaluated on the individual artist’s artistic merits

Applicants self-identify the discipline(s) in which their work lives, and also self-identify in which discipline(s) they would like their work reviewed. Applicants self-identifying as multidisciplinary select a primary discipline and then any secondary disciplines.

Multidisciplinary artists: It is strongly advised for applicants that identify as multidisciplinary and would like to be reviewed in multiple disciplines ONLY select disciplines in which they have work samples that reflect those disciplines. i.e., if you are a director who works in theater and film, but you only have samples of your film work, you should not ask to be reviewed by the theater panel.

Deadlinbe: Thu, Feb 12

NEA Grants for Arts Projects

The NEA is committed to supporting excellent arts projects for the benefit of all Americans. Activities funded through Grants for Arts Projects (GAP) enable Americans throughout the nation to experience the arts, foster and celebrate America’s artistic heritage and cultural legacy, and benefit from arts education at all stages of life. We also support arts and health programs, including creative arts therapies, that advance the well-being of people and communities. We strongly encourage applications for arts projects that focus on one or more agency funding priorities. We welcome applications from first-time and returning applicants; from organizations serving rural, urban, suburban, and tribal communities of all sizes; and from organizations with small, medium, or large operating budgets. We fund arts projects in the following disciplines: Arts Education, Challenge America, Dance, Design & Our Town, Folk & Traditional Arts, Literary Arts, Local Arts Agencies, Museums, Music, Opera, Our Town, Presenting & Multidisciplinary Works, Theater & Musical Theater, and Visual & Media Arts.

Deadline: Wed, Feb 25, 2026 11:59 EST

Mid Atlantic Arts: USArtists International

USArtists International® (USAI) supports U.S. artists' engagements abroad with matching grants of up to $11,000 toward eligible travel expenses. The program funds individuals and ensembles based anywhere in the U.S. across all performing arts practices and disciplines. To apply, you must have at least one invitation to perform at an international festival where you are being paid an artist fee or an invitation to perform at a global performing arts market like CINARS or PAMS. Review the guidelines for additional eligibility requirements, updates to the program, and details on the new 1:1 grant matching requirement.

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.

Deadline: Ongoing; For online projects, applications are accepted on a rolling basis and must be received by JFNY at least 1 month prior to the project start date. For in-person/hybrid projects, applications must be submitted at least 3 months prior to the project start date.

Japan Foundation New York (JFNY): Grant for Arts & Culture

Aims to support projects that will further understanding of Japanese arts and culture. They accept applications from non-profit organizations for projects that take place within the 37 states east of the Rocky Mountains, plus Washington DC, regardless of the location of the applicant organizations. Up to $5,000, paid in the form of reimbursement.

Deadline: Ongoing. Recommended to apply 6-8 weeks before your presentation date.

Foundation for Contemporary Arts: Emergency Grant

$500 - $3,000. Provides urgent funding for visual and performing artists who:

Have sudden, unanticipated opportunities to present their work to the public when there is insufficient time to seek other sources of funding
Incur unexpected or unbudgeted expenses for projects close to completion with committed exhibition or performance dates.

Deadline: Ongoing; funding decisions are generally made within eight weeks of submitting an application.

Community Foundation for Monterey County: Organizational Development Grants

Supports focused, strategic projects that strengthen a nonprofit’s ability to be resilient now and in the future. Grants can help organizations make progress in addressing unique, non-recurring management or leadership situations or to significantly strengthen their internal functioning and therefore ability to advance their mission. Typically $5,000 - $10,000.

Deadline: Ongoing; funding decisions are generally made within eight weeks of submitting an application.

Community Foundation for Monterey County: Opportunity Grants

Supports emerging organizations and ventures, urgent needs and other time-sensitive efforts where a small amount of money will make a difference. Typically $5,000 - $20,000.

Footer

Stay Connected