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, Oct 22 at 12:00pm (PST)

San Francisco Arts Commission: Artist Legacy Grant

The Artistic Legacy Grant (ALG) acknowledges the impact of an artist who has been living and practicing their craft in San Francisco for the last 25 consecutive years or more. This grant category aims to uplift and celebrate an artist who has contributed to San Francisco’s diverse arts and culture ecosystem. Through their artistic practice, the applicant artist is a vital member of their respective community(ies), has a history of deeply engaging with San Francisco communities including one or more of the historically underrepresented communities highlighted in the 1993 Cultural Equity Endowment Legislation, has a history of working to educate the broader community on the importance of their culture and/or artistic genre, and seeks to preserve their artistic legacy. The Artistic Legacy Grant provides San Francisco based artists up to $100,000 over 25 months/2 years. Projects must take place between JULY 1, 2026 — JULY 31, 2028

Deadline: Fri, Oct 31

Djerassi Resident Artists Program

The Djerassi Resident Artists Program 2026 application invites artists across disciplines to apply for one or all three sessions, including the Leonardo@Djerassi session for art and science collaborations. Applicants provide contact and demographic info, discipline, and residency plans, plus a résumé/CV and up to five work samples. The application also asks for a short bio, professional achievements, prior residencies, studio needs, demographic information, accessibility, and eligibility for select fellowships. There is a $50 fee.

Deadline: Mon, Nov 10

LABA BAY AREA Artist Fellowship 2026

For 2026, LABA BAY AREA will select up to 10 fellows, a mix of visual artists, writers, dancers, musicians, actors, and other culture-makers, to study classic Jewish texts in a non-religious, open-minded, free-spirited, and emotionally, intellectually and physically accessible setting. The yearly curriculum is centered around a theme, and previous ones include Taboo, Beauty, Paradise, Eat, Mother, and Humor. The 2026 theme for all LABA locations will be NAME, and will be explored through writings from the Torah, Talmud, Mishnah, and Zohar alongside select contemporary texts.

Deadline: Thu, Nov 13 at 12:00pm (PST)

San Francisco Arts Commission: Arts Impact Endowment

The AIE 2024-2029 will support three broad areas of funding channels, connected to a single theme of Keeping Artists in San Francisco. Racial and social justice is the primary lens for all program design. Provides San Francisco-based artists up to $50,000 and San Francisco-based arts organizations between $50,000 to $100,000 depending on the funding area. Grant terms are 25 months. Projects and activities must take place in San Francisco and provide a public benefit to the City of San Francisco and its communities. Creation of work and any related public benefit must take place between July 1, 2026 and July 31, 2028.

Deadline: Wed, Nov 19

Asian Cultural Council – Individual Fellowships 2026

The Individual Fellowship program offers an opportunity for artists, scholars, and arts professionals in Asia and the United States to pursue research and a self-directed cultural exchange experience in another country, territory, or region. An Individual Fellowship is not a residency to produce new work, a fund to attend or participate in a single conference or event (i.e. not a travel grant), or an individual’s public relations tour. Rather, Individual Fellows explore focused research questions and activities that enable and promote cultural immersion, dialogue, relationship-building, collaboration, and the exchange of knowledge and ideas among peers. These experiences and relationships lead to invaluable creative inspiration, collaborative opportunities, and a more global and nuanced perspective.

Deadline: Wed, Nov 19

Asian Cultural Council – Organization Grant 2026

The Asian Cultural Council’s (ACC) Organization Grant program offers an opportunity for arts and culture organizations in Asia and the United States to pursue travel and activities that enable a deep cultural exchange experience for the organization, their staff, and other individuals and communities with whom they connect. ACC’s Organization Grants support a range of activities that advance international dialogue, the sharing of practices and ideas, and the building of relationships across borders. Organization Grants may support travel to another country, territory, or region for their activities and/or hosting activity participants in the country, territory, or region where the organization is based.

Deadline: Sun, Nov 30

World Arts West (WAW) Grants Accelerator Program (GAP)

The World Arts West (WAW) Grants Accelerator Program (GAP) is a year-long, cohort-based mentorship and training program designed to support cultural artists and organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area who are historically excluded from traditional philanthropy. GAP provides hands-on training, peer learning, and one-to-one coaching to support participants to successfully apply for and secure foundation and government grants. The program is free of charge for all participants. For the purposes of this program, World Arts West defines a cultural artist or organization as a practitioner or organization whose creative work serves to express, preserve, advance, and communicate the values, traditions, and stories of a community or culture, often with an intention to share with others and/or contribute to community well-being.

Deadline: Sun, Nov 30

Unrehearsed (Virtual) Artist Residency Program

Nava has been facilitating the Unrehearsed Artist Residency Program, a virtual program that funds and supports South Asian dance and movement artists from many different backgrounds, genres, and identities. Many of these artists are challenging the status quo, which often prevents us from witnessing certain stories or points of view. The artists self-define what challenging the status quo means to them and then show up with their art in the most beautiful, deep, and personal ways.

The cohort will have 6 monthly meetings while working on their projects separately, and the residency will culminate in a virtual Work In Progress Sharing in September. Each cohort member receives an award of $1500, and up to $2500 in production support for US based artists, and up to 40,000 INR for India based artists.

Deadline: Mon, Dec 1

Fleishhacker Foundation: Arts Performance and Exhibition Spaces (APEX)

Annual grantmaking in this program now takes place once each year at the Foundation’s spring Board meeting. Letters of Inquiry are generally due by December 1, and applications are generally due by January 15.

Arts Performance and Exhibition Spaces (APEX) Grants (formerly Special Arts) are awarded to anchoring arts and culture nonprofit organizations with annual budgets between $500,000 and $2 million that produce and present new work by professional Bay Area artists and that also operate performance venues or exhibition spaces in San Francisco, Alameda, or Contra Costa counties and meet the other eligibility criteria listed below.

Deadline: Tue, Dec 2

Rauschenberg Dancer Emergency Grants

Provides one-time grants of up to $3,000 to eligible dancers facing dire financial emergencies, due to the loss or lack of recent/current live performance work, because of circumstances outside of their control.

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.

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