NYSCA Reserve Fund Grants

Applicants are eligible for a grant amount based on their organization’s operating budget:

• Operating Budget under $150K: awarded up to $10K
• Operating Budget $150K – $500K: awarded up to $25K
• Operating Budget $500K – $1M: awarded up to $50K
• Operating Budget $1M – $3M: awarded up to $75K

• Organization Contact Information
• Organization History and Narrative
  • Artistic Discipline
  • Mission 
  • Organizational History
  • Programs and Activities 
  • Audience and Community
  • Supporting Documentation (optional)
    • Option to upload any supporting documentation that shows your organization’s projects and programs to date as a single, combined .pdf.
    • This can include annual reports, press clippings, news articles, newsletters, and/or testimonials.
• Reserve Fund Information
  • Please select whether you are Starting or Building a Reserve Fund:
    •  If Starting a Reserve Fund:
      • Describe your organization’s reserve goals, plans, and policies related to use and replenishment by answering the questions within this section.
    • If Building on an Existing Reserve Fund:
      • Upload your current reserve policy as a PDF, and describe your organization’s reserve goals, plans, and policies related to use and replenishment by answering the questions within this section.
• Financial & Organizational Materials
  • Annual Operating Budget
  • Organization Chart
  • List of Board of Directors
  • Documentation of Non-Profit Status

If awarded, grants are paid in two installments after meeting the following requirements:

• 80% will be released after a copy of the organization’s Reserve Policy has been submitted to NYFA.
  • As the governing body with fiduciary oversight to ensure the financial sustainability of the nonprofit, the Board of Directors of the organization must adopt a Reserve Policy affirming their commitment to using the funds appropriately. 
  • An approved Reserve Policy must be submitted to NYFA within 90 days of the award notification date.

• 20% will be released after a Final Report is submitted, ensuring that the funds were retained.
  • The organization must submit documentation that demonstrates that the first installment of grant funds were retained, in full, in an interest bearing account for a minimum of three months during the fiscal year.
  • Final Reports must be submitted within one year of the award notification date.

Supplementary support and guidance will be offered to all recipients to assist in the development of their cash reserve policy and to help ensure that these requirements are met.

No, to be eligible for this grant, the organization must have received a NYSCA grant at least once within the past three years (FY23-FY25).

No, only organizations that are recognized as 501(c)(3) nonprofit entities are eligible for this grant. Organizations must have their own 501(c)(3) status, and grants are not awarded to those working under a fiscal sponsor.

Building and maintaining a cash reserve offers several benefits, including:

• Strengthening the organization’s ability to weather financial challenges and unexpected expenses
• Enhancing future-facing balance sheets to leverage additional funding
• Supporting strategic planning and capacity building
• Ensuring the organization can manage itself rather than relying on funders’ decisions
• Helping to manage unexpected losses such as funding cuts, pandemics, or financial downturns
• Allowing for the covering of property repairs and replacements

Grant awards will range from $10,000 to $75,000, depending on the organization’s operating budget. Applicants are eligible for an amount that corresponds with their budget:

• Operating Budget under $150K: up to $10,000
• Operating Budget between $150K and $500K: up to $25,000
• Operating Budget between $500K and $1M: up to $50,000
• Operating Budget between $1M and $3M: up to $75,000

If awarded, the funds must be used towards stabilizing the organization’s budget by establishing a reserve fund or building on an existing reserve fund.

Grants are paid in two installments after meeting the following requirements:

• 80% will be released after submitting a copy of the organization’s Reserve Policy to NYFA
• 20% will be released after submission of the Final Report, due within 90 days of the end of the fiscal year, confirming that the funds were properly retained

Yes, if awarded the grant, you will need to submit an approved Reserve Policy within 90 days of the award notification, and a final report at the end of the fiscal year ending in 2026. The final report must include documentation proving that the initial grant installment was held in full in an interest-bearing account for at least three months. Final reports are due within 90 days after the fiscal year ends.

Yes! In addition to the financial support provided through the grant, recipients will also receive supplementary services, including:

• One virtual workshop focused on organizational reserve funding and long-term sustainability strategies
• One hour-long, one-on-one consulting session to address specific needs or challenges
• Monthly office hours for ongoing support and to answer any pressing questions

Supplementary services will begin promptly after you receive the grant in Fall 2025, starting with a virtual workshop on organizational reserve funding and long-term sustainability strategies. After the workshop, you will have access to a one-on-one consulting session and monthly office hours.

Participation in the supplementary services is optional but encouraged. You are not required to engage in the offered services as long as you meet all other grant requirements through submitting your board-approved reserve policy and final report.

All applications must be submitted through the Submittable platform. All open applications can be found here: https://apply.nyfa.org/submit

If you haven’t already, you will need to create a free Submittable account to be able to access the application. Visit www.submittable.com to start a free account.

Step-by-step guidance for using the Submittable platform and setting up a free account is available here.

Yes. To save your application as a draft, scroll to the bottom of your working application and select “Save Draft.” Sign in to your submittable account to view your draft applications. You can also sign in via the direct link to saved drafts here.

No. All applications must be submitted online through the following link to be considered for review: https://apply.nyfa.org/submit. 

For assistance in applying, please reach out through our Contact Page. We ask that requests for assistance be made as soon as possible, and at least two weeks prior to the deadline to allow adequate time for staff to support you in submitting an application on time.

Instructions for scanning documents on an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch are available here. Instructions for scanning documents on an Android device using Google Drive are available here.

This free online tool can help you convert to a wide variety of file types. Accepted file types are listed directly on the application.

You have the option of including notes and comments about your work samples in the metadata field. Once you have selected and uploaded your file on Submittable, an additional metadata field will appear in the application form. Please include additional information about the work samples there.

We highly suggest using a laptop or desktop computer to complete your application on the platform, rather than a mobile device or tablet. Free access to these types of computers are available at most public library branches throughout New York City. For a smoother performance, we recommend using either Firefox or Chrome as your browser. If you’re already using Chrome, please clear the browser cache and cookies. Additionally, please make sure you are using the most up to date version of your browser.

If you are still running into technical issues, you can reach out to Submittable’s Support team directly via the contact form, Submitter Support, or via the support email address [email protected] so that they can troubleshoot directly.

NYFA staff do not have access to your Submittable account.

To preview your submitted application, please sign in to your Submittable here. If you continue having issues viewing your submission, please reach out to [email protected] for further assistance.

Note: Submitted applications should only be previewed using the link above. You may not be able to preview your submitted application by signing in through the same portal link you used to apply.

No. All applications must be submitted by the deadline. Please note that the application form will automatically close and stop accepting applications at the deadline time of 5:00 PM ET, regardless of whether you still have a draft application open on your browser. We strongly encourage you to submit your application at least 24-48 hours before the deadline date to allow time to address any technical issues. NYFA cannot extend the deadline regardless of the cause of the problem you may have encountered.

By completing this information you are helping NYFA secure future funding, collect general information about our audience, and properly assess our effectiveness in serving the creative community. Your responses will remain anonymous and any personally identifying data will be removed prior to sharing the demographic data with third parties. 

NYFA is committed to supporting individuals from all backgrounds and disciplines and will continue to work towards values of equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility across all programs. Read NYFA’s DEIA statement on our website.