The Cultural Funding Program seeks to unite Oaklanders to create and support a sense of belonging through the arts and culture.
Today, the City of Oakland announced that applications are now being accepted for 2022-2023 Cultural Funding Program grants to support nonprofit arts organizations and community festivals. Applicants must reside in Oakland and all activities must be submitted in Oakland between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024. Interested nonprofits can access grant guidelines and applications at www.oaklandculturalarts.org. The submission deadline is Thursday, August 31, 2023 at 5 pm
“These grant opportunities seek to affirm expression, recognition and understanding of the variety of diverse communities that make Oakland unique and vibrant,” said Oakland Cultural Affairs Manager Roberto Bedoya.
To assist applicants, Informational webinars It will be presented in July and August. Details about the webinars will be posted on www.oaklandculturalarts.org
The Voices of the Neighborhood for the Holidays The grant program aims to bring Oaklanders together to create and support a sense of belonging within a community, foster social connections that lift our spirits, nurture the well-being of our community, and offer visions for our collective future through of the festival culture. The program will award grants of up to $20,000 to Oakland-based nonprofit organizations that produce festivals in Oakland. Grantees will be required to demonstrate 1:1 funding matching for City funding. Festivals are defined as a wide variety of in-person events that are free and open to the public, including small-scale and first-time festivals to large-scale and established festivals.
Assistance to the Cultural Organization GRAMThe rant program is a two-year grant opportunity that supports Oakland-based 501(c)3 nonprofit arts and cultural organizations. Priority funding goes to groups deeply rooted in Oakland communities. The grants will provide general operating support of up to $35,000 over two years. Organizations must have received funding from the Cultural Funds Program for at least two of the last four years. Fiscally sponsored organizations and individuals are not eligible for this grant opportunity.
The Cultural Funding Program is based on a competitive panel process to determine award recipients and funding allocations. Among the criteria the selection panel is considering is a racial equity category that seeks to encourage grants that create cultural opportunities for communities affected by racial disparities and help reimagine pathways for a more equitable society. The category includes consideration of whether the programs target and serve groups and communities affected by racial disparities.
The review panel’s grant recommendations must be reviewed by the Funding Advisory Committee and approved by the City Council before contracts are awarded.
The Cultural Funding Program is administered by the City’s Division of Cultural Affairs. For more information please visit www.oaklandculturalarts.org or contact Raquel Iglesias at (510) 238-2212 or riglesias@oaklandca.gov.
About the Cultural Affairs Division
The Cultural Affairs Division is located in the City’s Economic and Labor Development Department. The division includes the City’s Cultural Funding Program, which provides approximately $1 million annually in grants to support the arts; the Public Art Program, which commissions and supports public art in Oakland; professional development programs for artists and arts organizations; and volunteers from the advisory bodies of the City Council.
