A consortium of seven San Francisco Cultural Centers announce the availability of $714,000 in facility-related reopening grants for arts and culture nonprofits in San Francisco. Eligible organizations with physical spaces can apply to receive grants of up to $35,000, and eligible organizations with virtual spaces can apply to receive grants of up to $10,000. Eligible organizations with both physical and virtual spaces can apply for both grants for up to $45,000. Physical spaces are defined as spaces with a property address in San Francisco. Virtual spaces are defined as online spaces that enhance the organization’s ability to produce and publicly disseminate artistic and cultural experiences to San Francisco residents and visitors.

For questions about the San Francisco Arts Reopening Fund, please email grantmaking@communityvisionca.org.

The San Francisco Arts Reopening Fund is a program of the seven San Francisco Arts Commission-designated Cultural Centers, is administered by Community Vision, and supported by the San Francisco Arts Commission. Each Center is a cornerstone of the arts in the communities they serve. Together, the Cultural Centers act as a new community arts intermediary in San Francisco. To learn about each Center, click here.

Application Process

Step 1: IS YOUR ORGANIZATION ELIGIBLE?

Eligibility requirements include: 

• Artistic programs, projects, and organizations must practice and perform artistic and cultural forms of creative activity, expression, preservation, and community wellness, reflective of the communities they serve.
• Must be a registered, 501(c)3 tax-exempt nonprofit, or be fiscally sponsored by one.
• Organizations with physical spaces must rent or own a property located in San Francisco that is used for public art production and performance. If renting, the organization must either have two or more years left on the lease, or have a five-year track record or longer of renting in the space.
• Organizations must have an annual revenue budget of less than $1 million for the current and previous fiscal year. If your organization is fiscally sponsored, this limit is related to your project’s revenue, not that of the fiscal sponsor.
• Organizations must have provided public arts programming in San Francisco since at least January 2018.

Priority will be given to: 

• Projects led by organizations that are driving change and amplifying visions for their own communities.
• Organizations with annual revenue budgets of less than $250,000.
• Investments that will serve organizations beyond post-COVID reopening.

Eligible use of funds: 

• All costs must cover post-COVID space-related reopening activities.
• $447,000 is available for one-time physical reopening-related expenses. Examples include HVAC, design costs for revised space layouts, unboarding windows, facilities-related staff time, and deferred rent.
• $267,000 is available for one-time virtual reopening-related expenses. Organizations reopening virtually are those creating or expanding an online presence of the organization that displays or presents art online and furthers online interaction between artists and their audiences. Examples of expenses include technology upgrades, one-time investment into web-based subscriptions, and technology-related staff training.
• Organizations can apply for both virtual and physical reopening-related expenses as long as the uses are distinct from one another.
• Expenses incurred or paid from January 1, 2021 are eligible, as long as they conform to the San Francisco Arts Reopening Fund Procurement Guidelines (applicable to all service contracts).
• Grants will be sized to be no more than 50% of an organization’s average annual revenue budget.

Step 2: REGISTER FOR AN APPLICATION INFORMATION WEBINAR 

We will be hosting one informational webinar. If you are unable to join us, check back and we will post the recording on this page.

• Wednesday, September 15, 2021: 1 pm PST. Watch the recording.

Step 3: READ THE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQS) FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. 

You can access the FAQs by clicking here. 

Step 4: GATHER REQUIRED APPLICATION INFORMATION

We anticipate the application will take 15-30 minutes to complete once all information and files listed below are gathered.

As part of the application process, you will be required to input the following information:

• Organization name and contact information
• Date of incorporation and/or commencement of services
• Description of the organization’s mission, vision and values (no word count)
• Description of the communities served by the organization (no word count)
• Requested grant amount
• Description of the requested use(s) of the grant funds including estimated cost
• Declaration of any COVID-19 rescue funding received such as Paycheck Protection Program loans, California State COVID-19 Relief grants, and foundation relief grants since the beginning of the pandemic including dates.

As part of the application process, you will be required to upload the following:

• A copy of your organization’s IRS Determination Letter confirming your 501(c)(3) status, or a fully-executed fiscal sponsorship agreement with a tax-exempt organization.
• A copy of the recorded Grant Deed or fully-executed lease for the relevant arts space. Documents must be signed by a representative of the organization. (Physical spaces only)
• Documented proof your nonprofit is based in San Francisco. For example: a City and County of San Francisco business license, a current lease agreement, a current bill mailed to the organizational name and address, or other legitimate documentation
• A copy of your organization’s current budget.
• Financial statements for the last two operating years. Audits, 990s or internal statements accepted. Internal statements should include a balance sheet and profit and loss statement for each year. Fiscally-sponsored projects should submit financial statements for their individual project only.
• Staff bios and a list of Board Members’ affiliations.

Step 5: COMPLETE & SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

Applications are now closed. If you have questions, visit the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to view answers to common questions. If you still cannot find the answer you’re looking for, or if you are experiencing technical difficulties, email us at grantmaking@communityvisionca.org.

Final funding decisions will be made the week of November 8, 2021.

Reporting Process 

All grantees will be required to share a short video or audio clip (five minutes or less), photographs or a written reflection (300 words or less) answering the following questions, as well as a list of final expenses by March 31, 2022.

• Please tell us whether you used the funds as planned or whether there were any changes and why.
• What impact did the funds you received have on the success of your reopening?
• How many artists benefited from this investment? _______ (number)
• How many members of the public benefited from this investment? ________ (number)

• Application period opens: Thursday, September 9, 2021
• Application information webinar
  • Wednesday, September 15, 2021: 1 PM PST: Watch the recording.
• Application deadline: Friday, October 8, 2021 at 12 PM PST.
• Grant awards announced: Week of November 8, 2021
• Grant disbursement: Funds will be disbursed within 10-14 days after the grant agreement is signed and, if necessary, a San Francisco Arts Reopening Fund Procurement Form is submitted and approved.

Join us to learn more about the program and application process.

Wednesday, September 15, 2021
1 PM PST
This webinar has passed. Watch the recording.

Program
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Procurement
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Frequently Asked
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Community Vision’s Racial Equity Statement

Community Vision is dedicated to anti-racist practices and to building an anti-racist organization. We recognize that a history of discriminatory financial practices and intentional disinvestment have contributed to a lack of economic progress in low-income communities and communities of color. We provide capital and technical assistance for low-income communities and communities of color to ensure fairness in opportunities, resources, and rights for everyone.