Community Vision announces the availability of $540,000 in capital grants for arts and culture nonprofits that have been negatively impacted by the 5M development project and have a substantial track record of serving the South of Market (SOMA) neighborhood in San Francisco. Ideal projects will be one-time, real estate-related investments that catalyze long-term sustainability for the organization and long-term anchoring for the SOMA community. There is no grant maximum, however Community Vision anticipates making 2-5 awards.

The SOMA Cultural Anchor Fund is administered by Community Vision and supported by the San Francisco Arts Commission. For questions about the SOMA Cultural Anchor Fund, please email grantmaking@communityvisionca.org.

Application Process

Step 1: IS YOUR ORGANIZATION ELIGIBLE?

Eligibility requirements include: 

• Must be a registered nonprofit organization. Fiscally-sponsored organizations are eligible.
• Must be located in the SOMA neighborhood of San Francisco.

Eligible use of funds: 

• All costs must be associated with one-time leasing or acquisition projects.
• One-time operating costs are eligible, including lease deposits and investments in staffing or contractors to add capacity for the project, up to 50% of the requested amount. Monthly rent is not an eligible cost.
• Predevelopment costs are eligible, including but not limited to design, due diligence, capital campaign fundraising, and permitting, up to 50% of the requested amount.
• Construction costs are eligible, including general and specialty contractors, up to 100% of the requested amount.
• Acquisition costs are eligible up to 10% of the purchase price, and up to 100% of the requested amount. See our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for more information about acquisition projects.
• All service contracts will need to comply with Community Vision’s Procurement Guidelines for San Francisco Capital Grants.
• Expenses incurred or paid from May 25, 2021 forward are eligible.

Step 2: REGISTER FOR AN APPLICATION INFORMATION WEBINAR 

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

• Tuesday, June 1, 2021: 2:30 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: SUBMIT A LETTER OF INTEREST

Letters of Interest (LOIs) are due by Friday, July 23, 2021 at 12 pm PST. Prior to submitting your LOI, please review the Program Guidelines and LOI Guiding Prompts. 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’re experiencing technical difficulties, email us at grantmaking@communityvisionca.org.

Applications are now closed. 

ABOUT THE REVIEW PROCESS 

Community Vision, in partnership with Facilities, Arts, and Communities Experts (FACE), will review the LOIs and invite program-aligned projects to complete a full application in Phase Two of the application process. These invitations will be issued the week of August 30, 2021 and full applications will be due Friday, October 29, 2021 at 12 pm PST. The FACE group along with Community Vision will use the below review criteria to guide final decisions about which organizations are invited to complete a full application.

ABOUT THE FACILITIES, ARTS, AND COMMUNITIES EXPERTS PANEL

The Facilities, Arts and Communities Experts (FACE) group is the panel of local experts who are experienced arts, culture, and community development leaders that will assist Community Vision with making funding recommendations. Panelists bring unique industry perspectives, and are deeply-rooted members of their communities. Learn about the panelists.

Review Criteria: 

• Mission fit (20 points): Describe your organization’s focus on the practice, exhibition, or performance of creative activity, artistic expression, cultural preservation, and community healing, and how the mission is reflective of the communities served.
• Track record and organizational impact (20 points): Tell us how your organization has meaningfully engaged the SOMA community before and during the 5M project, and share your organization’s most important accomplishments and the impact they’ve had on SOMA-based beneficiaries.
• Project’s long-term impact on organization (20 points): Explain how the proposed project will catalyze long-term sustainability for the organization.
• Project’s long-term impact on community (20 points): Explain how the proposed project will catalyze long-term anchoring for the SOMA community.
• Impact of 5M on organization (20 points): Describe how the 5M development has negatively affected the organization and its beneficiaries, and what the future impact of the project will be on your communities.

• Request for Letters of Interest announced: Thursday, May 20, 2021
• Application information webinar
  • Tuesday, June 1, 2021: 2:30 pm PST: Watch the recording.
  • Wednesday, June 30, 2021: 6 pm PST: Register here.
• Letter of Interest due: Friday, July 23, 2021 at 12 pm PST (portal will close automatically).
• Invitations for full applications issued: Week of August 30, 2021
• Full applications due: Friday, October 29, 2021 at 12 pm PST (portal will close automatically).
• Grant awards announced: January 2022
• Grant disbursement deadline: June 30, 2023. All service contracts will need to comply with Community Vision’s Procurement Guidelines for San Francisco Capital Grants.

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

Tuesday, June 1, 2021
2:30 pm PST
Online Webinar

Program
Guidelines

Letter of Interest
Guiding Prompts

Sources & Uses
Template

Procurement
Guidelines

Acquisition
Sources & Uses
Template

Frequently
Asked
Questions

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.

The San Francisco Arts Commission’s Racial Equity Statement

The San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) is committed to creating a city where all artists and cultural workers have the freedom, resources, and platform to share their stories, art and culture and where race does not predetermine one’s success in life. They also acknowledge that it occupies traditional and unceded Ohlone land. Fueled by these beliefs, they commit to addressing the systemic inequities within their agency, the City and County of San Francisco and the broader arts and culture sector. This work requires that they focus on race as it confronts inequities of the past, reveals inequities of the present, and develop effective strategies to move all of us towards an equitable future.