Photo courtesy of Arms Wide Open
About the Grant Opportunity
Over the past two years, Prebys Foundation has invested in the arts ecosystem to strengthen organizational capacity, reach new audiences, and deliver engaging programs that foster dialogue, connection, and belonging. Another critical capacity need for our region is affordable, accessible venues and spaces.
According to Americans Speak Out About the Arts (2023),
- 86% of Americans believe “arts and culture improve my community’s quality of life and livability.”
- 72% of Americans agree that “Arts and culture events are safe spaces to share thoughts and ideas, even when others have different views.”
- 72% believe that “Arts and culture provide shared experiences with people of different races, ethnicities, ages, beliefs, and identities.”
- Yet only 51% of Americans believe that “everyone in my community has equal access to the arts.”
The arts play a vital role in creating social cohesion, economic opportunities, and a sense of belonging in the San Diego region. However, the arts community faces significant challenges, including unequal access to arts and culture as well as organizational capacity and infrastructure.
The foundation’s strategy plan and theories of investments in 2023 and 2024 focused on building internal and external capacity in the arts and culture landscape.
Long-term goals of the foundation for the Arts are to:
- Ensure great arts education, programming, and institutions are accessible and exciting to all communities and neighborhoods.
- Support emerging and underrepresented artists to create and be celebrated for their art, and to live and thrive in San Diego County.
- Strengthen and diversify public support (funding and audience engagement) for inclusive and innovative art and artists.
Invigorating creative venues and spaces contributes to the health of arts and culture organizations and the surrounding community. It fosters well-being and pride of place within neighborhoods and across the region. This initiative builds on the past two years of work while also honing in on ongoing community discussions about accessible, affordable venues and spaces for arts experiences and participation in San Diego County.
This initiative’s goals are to:
- Enhance access to quality venues and spaces;
- Build the capacity of the arts and culture organizations managing and/or activating these spaces.
Guidelines
- Funding length: 1‑year funding
- Potential Grant Amount: Grants will be up to $250,000 over 1 year
- Total Funds for the Initiative: $3.75M in funding
- Number of Awards: We anticipate awarding 30 – 35 grants
- Type of Funding: Funding may be general operating or programmatic, as long as costs and activities align with the goals and outcomes of the initiative
Eligibility
- 501(c)(3) organizations, fiscally sponsored entities, or tribal entities
- Located in and serving San Diego County
- Organizations where a central part of the mission and vision is arts and/or culture
- Current grantees are eligible to apply as long as the current award does not overlap with this grant, both in scope and timeframe
What We Will Fund
- Increased access to arts and culture experiences through activation in places where access to arts and culture amenities is limited or significantly underinvested.
- If your organization is committed to a venue or space for a longer duration (own, operate, or rent):
- Infrastructure to enhance the space and/or artist/audience experience (including addressing safety, ADA, or other needs)
- Costs related to partnerships and collaborations (e.g. shared space, affordable rent programs)
- Technology that supports consistent activation of the venue/space (e.g. paperless ticketing, digital ticket lottery system)
- Performances, exhibitions, art-making, and other related activities in specific venues and spaces.
- Preference for:
- Venue(s)/space(s) that are confirmed or pending with a high likelihood of use.
- Collaborations and partnerships.
- A focus on addressing issues for populations/communities that are most disconnected from resources (e.g. transportation or cultural barriers; those specific to new/emerging artists, artists and organizations that have historically had less access to resources, or art deserts).
- A proven track record of meaningfully engaging audiences/the community, whether in the stated venue(s)/space(s) or others.
What We Will Not Fund
- Organizations where a central part of the mission and vision is not arts and/or culture
- Capital campaigns
- Endowments
- Planning grants
- A venue/space that is fully or primarily virtual
- A venue/space that is not yet built
- Infrastructure purchases/upgrades with a short window of use
Criteria
- Projects/activities must align with at least one of the following activities related to the venue/space as a means of increasing access to arts and culture within the community:
- Maintenance or development of new/upgraded arts and culture infrastructure (e.g. lighting or sound systems)
- Increased mutually beneficial partnerships and collaborations
- Enhanced vibrancy of the venue/space’s neighborhood/surrounding area (for example, driving traffic to local businesses, building social trust, activating dark areas in ways that enhance public safety)
- Project must focus on populations/communities that are most disconnected from engagement with arts and culture experiences (e.g. addressing transportation or cultural barriers; centering new/emerging artists, artists or organizations that have historically had less access to resources, or art deserts).
- Venue/space activation must occur during the grant period. (Proposed activations may be part of your ongoing activities.)
- Demonstrate how this activation aligns with community needs (those served and/or the surrounding neighborhood), either through past engagements and/or proposed project design.
Timeline
| Timeline | Activity |
|---|---|
March 5 |
Grant Portal opens & application available |
March 6-April 29 |
Office Hours available |
April 30 |
Grant Portal closes & application deadline (5pm PST) |
June 30-July 3 |
Notification of application status |
July 8-22 |
For applications moving forward, period to submit additional information & have conversations with staff |
July 31 |
Notification of awards |
August-September |
Contracting and payment |
References & Resources
Americans for the Arts’ Americans Speak Out About the Arts (2023)
Additional links to research, case studies, and projects are included in the FAQs below.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the timeline for this initiative?
- March 5: Grant Portal opens & application available
- March 6‑April 29: Office Hours available
- April 30: Grant Portal closes & application deadline (5pm PST)
- June 30-July 3: Notification of application status
- July 8 – 22: For applications moving forward, period to submit additional information & have conversations with staff
- July 31: Notification of awards
- August-September: Contracting and payment
How long is the grant period?
Funding will be for a 12-month period.
Do I need to apply for a specific grant period?
We anticipate grant funds being paid in late August/September, so proposals beginning around this time are preferred. Additionally, all grantees in this initiative will have the same reporting deadline (date TBD; typically 30 – 90 days after the grant period ends). In order to meet our internal learning objectives, we are more likely to fund projects that are fully or nearly complete by this deadline.
What is the limit of funding one project can request?
Grants will not exceed $250,000.
What do you mean by “venue or space”?
- Traditional arts and culture venues (e.g. museums, theatres, arts and cultural centers)
- Community spaces (e.g. community centers, schools, senior centers, libraries)
- Less-traditional community spaces (e.g. parks/nature, streetscapes, cafes, warehouses)
Why is the foundation focusing on venues and spaces? How does this initiative fit within the foundation’s strategy for the Arts?
The foundation’s strategy plan and theories of investments in 2023 and 2024 focused on building internal and external capacity in the arts and culture landscape. Long-term goals of the foundation for the Arts are to:
- Ensure great arts education, programming, and institutions are accessible and exciting to all communities and neighborhoods.
- Support emerging and underrepresented artists to create and be celebrated for their art, and to live and thrive in San Diego
- Strengthen and diversify public support (funding and audience engagement) for inclusive and innovative art and artists
This initiative builds on the past two years of capacity building work while specifically addressing the ongoing discussions about accessible, affordable venues and spaces that the arts and culture community has shared with us and other stakeholders.
What sources inspired this grant opportunity?
Research, case studies, and projects that have provided background and inspiration for this initiative include:
- Americans for the Arts’ Americans Speak Out About the Arts (2023)
- Americans for the Arts’ Arts Impact Explorer Tool
- Grantmakers in the Arts’ Creative Placemaking series (2021−2022)
- The National Endowment for the Arts’ Curtains Up & Defying Gravity reports (2024)
- The National Endowment for the Arts’ Healing, Bridging, Thriving Summit (2023)
- The National Endowment for the Arts’ Creative Placemaking (2010)
- University of Cambridge’s Bennett Institute for Public Policy’s place research project
Are partnerships or collaborations required?
Partnerships or collaborations are not required. However, the foundation recognizes that partnerships both between arts and culture organizations and across sectors contribute to a robust arts and culture sector and can highlight community assets and address needs and barriers in ways that single organizations may be unable to do alone.
How will grants be evaluated and selected?
Applications will be evaluated by assessing alignment with the initiative’s goals and criteria. Reviewers will also consider:
- Population(s) served
- Geographic location(s) of proposed venue/space
- Project design
- Connection between organization and/or artist(s)/cultural practitioner(s), population, and venue/space
- Strength of partnership/collaboration, if applicable
Do you provide feedback if my application is not funded?
Yes. Foundation staff contact every applicant during the application process by phone and email. Whether your request is funded or not, we are happy to provide feedback during our initial phone call or by scheduling a later time to speak.
My organization is a current grantee. Can we apply for this opportunity?
Current grantees are eligible to apply for this grant as long as the current award does not overlap with this grant, both in scope and timeframe. Examples of eligible situations:
- If your current grant is for youth workforce or to expand organizational capacity by hiring a CFO or commissioning a new work.
- If your current grant is for a venue/space and the grant period ends by or before this grant period would begin (approximately September 2025).
In an effort to distribute the foundation’s investments across the arts and culture community, current grantees under any initiative with more than 6 months left on a current contract when this grant period begins are less likely to receive funding through this initiative.
Once I start an application, how do I return to my in-progress work?
Access your Grant Portal here.
Log in to your account using the credentials created during registration. Navigate to your saved application to make changes or complete it.
What if my project is new? Am I eligible to apply?
New projects will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis with the understanding that if it is at the conceptual stage, and no planning or partnerships have been committed, it will likely not move forward.
What will the application include?
- Organizational details (including fiscal sponsor, if applicable)
- Narrative questions that address the initiative’s goals, intended outcomes, and criteria
- Evaluation and assessment plan (current and/or planned)
- Demographics (geographic, age, income, etc.)
- Location of venue(s)/space(s)
- Attachments:
- 990
- Operating Budget
- Project Budget, if applicable
What is the allowable overhead/indirect cost?
Prebys is committed to paying the true costs associated with your project or program. In addition to direct costs related to your project, please include indirect/overhead costs (up to 20% of project budget) associated with this request.
Do you have a Project Budget template?
Yes – you can download the template here.
Using this template is optional. If you do not use it, please ensure you include the following in your attachment:
- Both expenses and income (committed/pending/prospective)
- Internal organizational measures of impact analysis
- A line item for overhead/indirect cost
Partnerships/collaborations should outline any cost sharing.
What are the reporting requirements for grant recipients?
Our reporting processes closely align with our learning plan, aiming to inform, bring new ideas and feedback, and provide valuable insights into community work and impact. In general, the only required reporting for grantees is a final report at the conclusion of the grant period.
I have a question about the initiative, my eligibility, or the application questions. Who do I contact?
Please contact Alexandra Kritchevsky, Program Officer, at alexandra@prebysfdn.org or 619−860−2100 x104.
You can also schedule Office Hours through Calendly. Click here to schedule Office Hours or paste this link into your browser: https://calendly.com/alexandra-prebysfdn/prebys-office-hours.
I have a question about the Grant Portal. Who do I contact?
Please contact Victor Alcala, Grants Administrator, at valcala@prebysfdn.org or 619−860−2100 x109.
