Arts Access Grant
GRANT TIMELINE
Applications Opened: Tuesday, September 17
Applications Closed: Tuesday, November 19, 5:00 PM ET*
Applicants Notified: Spring 2025
*Please note that the application form on Submittable will automatically close and stop accepting applications at this time.
HOW TO APPLY
NYFA only accepts applications online via apply.nyfa.org/submit.
Before applying, please view grant guidelines below.
ABOUT
The Arts Access Grant supports community-based organizations and collectives in their efforts to produce public arts and cultural programs that bolster the cultural vibrancy of the Queens communities and neighborhoods where they are located and operate. Applicants may submit grant requests for $1,000 to $5,000.
APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY
Arts Access Grants offer project-based financial support for Queens-based small-budget 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations or unincorporated artist collectives.
All QAF applicants are required to attend a live info session or watch a recorded info session. Any one member of an organization or artist collective may attend or watch an info session on behalf of their group. Attend or view an info session here.
WHO CAN APPLY?
- Organizations that apply must be a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and must provide proof of nonprofit status with a 501(c)3 determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service.
- Collectives that apply must be unincorporated artist collectives.
- The organization or collective applying must have existed for at least one year.
- Applicants must have an operating budget of less than $100,000 in at least two of the last three years.
- Applicants must be located/based in Queens and show proof of a Queens address in the application.
- Applicants can make only one project request per year that does not exceed $5,000.
- Applicants must designate a “Lead Applicant” to complete the Arts Access application and act as the point person throughout the selection process.
- Lead applicants must be at least 18 years of age by December 31, 2024.
WHO CANNOT APPLY?
- Past recipients of any QAF grant who failed to submit a final report or are otherwise out of compliance with their QAF Cultural Contract.
- Applicants that received an Arts Access Grant consecutively for the past three years (2022, 2023, 2024).
- Applicants applying for DCLA funds in another county/borough for fiscal year 2025.
- Organizations that have applied for direct funding from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs for Fiscal Year 2025.
- NYC public school district, public, private or parochial schools, including public colleges or universities.
- For-profit organizations (such as corporations, limited liability companies, etc.) or New York City agencies, even with the use of a fiscal conduit/sponsor organization that is a 501(c)3.
- Lead applicants cannot be students, full or part-time, either currently enrolled at the time of application or who will be enrolled in 2025. This includes degree programs and certificate programs.
- Organizations that directly apply for a 2025 Arts Access Grant cannot also fiscally sponsor a different applicant in the same year.
- Applicants of a 2025 QAF New Work Grant are not eligible for the 2025 Arts Access Grant.
PROJECT ELIGIBILITY
Proposed projects must include a public component that takes place in Queens* within the 2025 calendar year (January 1 – December 31, 2025) and provides Queens community members with the opportunity to experience dynamic, easily accessible arts and cultural events. Public Components can include, but are not limited to: exhibitions, performances, festivals, screenings, readings, and workshops. Projects may be in any artistic discipline. Preference is given to public programs that are free or have a sliding scale fee to participate.
*Public components may be held in-person, virtually, or combination of both. All presentations and events taking place virtually must include some type of live component (i.e. an artist talk, Q&A, listening, or viewing event) and must be targeted towards local Queens audiences or participants. Uploaded videos/media or online galleries alone are not sufficient. Applicants proposing virtual public components still must be based in Queens.
Eligible Grant Expenses:
- Artists’ Fees and compensation
- Please note: QAF encourages all of its applicants to include artist fees for themselves and their collaborators within their submitted project budget!
- Technical Assistance fees (i.e. videographer, audio editor, translators and interpreters, etc.)
- Planning and preparation expenses for a proposed event
- Supplies and materials needed to execute the proposed project (individual items may not exceed $1,000)
- This can include but is not limited to: art supplies, sheet music, hardware, and memory cards
- Equipment, software, subscriptions, and training related to the creation and promotion of virtual programming (individual items may not exceed $1,000)
- This can include: cameras, lighting equipment, subscriptions associated with virtual programming, and training to utilize these tools
- Venue rental for the project (general home/studio rent is not eligible)
- In-state travel expenses
- Marketing and publicity costs
Ineligible Grant Expenses:
- Public programs that exclude the general public, including members-only access workshops or programs
- Recreational, religious, or therapeutic art programs or commercial art or entertainment– this includes clowning, magic, culinary arts, and cosmetology
- Fellowships, scholarships, residency fees
- Start-up costs for new collectives/organizations
- In-school arts education activities and programs exclusively serving a school’s student body (after school activities that are open to the general public are eligible)
- Direct living or general operating expenses (residential or studio rent)
- Equipment costs or capital goods whose total exceeds $1,000
- Acquisitions
- Entertainment costs including openings, receptions, catering (food and drink), fundraising
- Out-of-state travel expenses
- Programs in which children (under 18) are paid
GRANT REQUIREMENTS
If awarded, grant recipients are required to do the following during the grant period:
- Sign and return Grant Agreement to NYFA.
- Submit a Project Change Request Form to NYFA to request any significant changes to the awarded project proposal (if applicable).
- Include funding credit on all marketing and event materials.
- Submit an Event Confirmation Form at least four weeks before the public component is scheduled to take place.
- Submit a Final Report within one month of completing all project activities.
***Applicants can only submit ONE application to QAF in the 2025 calendar year.***
The 2025 Arts Access Grant is supported in part by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Greater New York Arts Development Fund, in partnership with the City Council.
All questions should be directed to [email protected].
APPEALS
Denied applicants will have 10 days from the date of notification to make an administrative appeal of the funding decision.
The three grounds for appeal are:
- Non-presentation of information
- Misrepresentation of information
- Improper procedure: Contention by the applicant that: 1) the review of the funding request by the appropriate panel was biased; 2) the decision by the selection panel was arbitrary and capricious.
To begin the appeals process, the applicant must first speak with NYFA staff to receive application feedback and panel notes. Once the applicant has received application feedback and grounds for appeal are valid, a formal letter to the Executive Director of NYFA must be submitted. The formal letter must specifically cite the ground(s) for the appeal, and must request that the decision be appealed.
NOTE: Dissatisfaction with a denial of an award or with the grant amount is not eligible grounds for appeal.
Click here to view Application Guidelines as a PDF 点击此处查看中文申请指南。 Haga clic aquí para ver las pautas de solicitud en español.Image Credit: Marc Nunez, Gotham Dance Theater performance at Queensboro Dance Festival at Hunters Point LIC (August 2021). Photo Credit: Josef Pinlac.
