The ARTS open doors to creativity and innovation.

The ARTS matter because they help us see the world from different perspectives. They give us empathy and help us understand people, places, periods of history, and issues with which we may otherwise be unfamiliar.

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Funding

Arts Education Funding

There are many sources of funding for arts education to ensure equitable access for all students. State funding can be used to address priorities in Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAPs) through arts education. Federal funding can also be used to provide arts education through Titles I, II, III, and IV to meet specific needs related to disadvantaged students, professional learning, language learners, and generally ensure access to a well-rounded education. Once a program is in place and funded, additional funds available through the passage of Proposition 28 can be used to expand and supplement what districts currently provide. Expanded Learning Opportunities Programs can extend arts learning beyond the regular school day. 

Proposition 28

In 2022, California voters passed Proposition 28 which adds The Arts and Music in Schools Funding Guarantee and Accountability Act to the California Education Code. Proposition 28 provides a means to supplement existing arts education programs and increase equitable access to fully staffed, sequential, standards-based arts education for all students at all grade levels. County Arts Leads are working to support Proposition 28 implementation in county operated student programs and supporting school districts as they plan for implementation. We have a growing list of resources to support planning and implementation. 

Resources for Implementation

Arts Education Funding Sources (PDF): Developed by Santa Clara County Office of Education
Thanks to Proposition 28 School Districts Need Art Teachers (PDF): Authored by Dr. Eric Engdahl for the California County Superintendents Arts Initiative
Other Resources
Prop 28-Arts and Music In Schools: General information from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing
Proposition 28-Arts and Music Education Funding: Information from the California Department of Education

Organizations Supporting the Arts

The list below provides some representative organizations that support the arts.  It is important to learn more about the funding organization’s mission and goals to determine if there is a match with your specific goals/needs. Funding programs generally provide eligibility criteria, which an applicant must meet before a funding application will be considered.

American Orff-Schulwerk Association Grants

The American Orff-Schulwerk Association is a professional organization of music and movement educators dedicated to the creative teaching approach developed by Carl Orff and Gunild Keetman. Orff Schulwerk offers a variety of funding for training, instruments, or creative projects in educational settings. You must be a member to download grant applications. The organization membership form is also available online. More information ›

Bank of America Grants

The Bank of America Foundation believes in the power of the arts to help educate and enrich societies, bring communities together and create greater cultural understanding. The Bank of America has been steadfast in support of the arts and annually supports more than 1,500 nonprofit cultural institutions around the world. The site includes guidelines and grant applications. More information ›

Chinese Historical and Cultural Project

A nonprofit organization founded in 1987 to promote and preserve Chinese American history and culture. The site provides a wealth of information and links. The organization sponsors small grants to schools and nonprofit organizations. The grant application can be completed through an online form or printed and submitted by mail. The mission of the HELP program is to encourage cultural diversity education in Santa Clara County, California. More information ›

California Arts Council

The California Arts Council is a state agency based in Sacramento, USA. Its eleven council members are appointed by the Governor and the state Legislature. The agency’s mission is to strengthen arts, culture, and creative expression as the tools to cultivate a better California for all. More information ›

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation is a nonpartisan, private charitable foundation that advances ideas and supports institutions to promote a better world. This foundation has supported efforts to advance education for all, preserve the environment and support vibrant performing arts, strengthen Bay Area communities, make the philanthropy sector more effective, and foster gender equity and responsive governance around the world. The Performing Arts Program makes grants to support meaningful artistic experiences for communities throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. There is a list of grant awards with links available on the site. More information ›

The National Endowment for the Humanities

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is an independent federal agency and one of the largest humanities program funders in the United States. NEH grants go to cultural institutions, such as museums, archives, libraries, colleges, universities, public television, and radio stations, and to individual scholars. This site offers links to specific grants with applications and updated deadlines. More information ›

Jonathan Larson Foundation Grants

The Jonathan Larson Grant is an unconditional annual investment in individual talent. The grant is awarded to musical theatre composers, lyricists, and librettists, or writing teams, early in their career, to support artistic endeavors and safeguard long-term music writing careers. The program is sustained in a permanent home at the American Theatre Wing. Applicants may apply online and view past recipients. More information ›

National Endowment for the Arts

The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent federal agency that is the largest funder of the arts and arts education in communities nationwide and a catalyst of public and private support for the arts. By advancing equitable opportunities for arts participation and practice, the NEA fosters and sustains an environment in which the arts benefit everyone in the United States. More information ›

StoryNet

The National Storytelling Network is a membership organization made up of individuals and organizations involved in storytelling. Its mission is to advance all forms of storytelling within the community through promotion, advocacy, and education. More information ›

U.S. Department of Education

The United States Department of Education site consists of the President’s and secretary’s priorities, funding opportunities, student financial assistance, research and statistics, news and events, programs and services, publications and products, Education Offices and budget, education job openings, and links to other sites. Visit the Educational Resources section on the front page under “Other Academic Subjects” to find a variety of resources for advocacy, funding, and research. More information ›

Walmart Community Grants

Walmart and SAM’S CLUB awards Community Matching Grants. Program Associates raise funds with a local nonprofit organization at their stores. Walmart and SAM’S match a portion of the funds raised. Organizations qualifying for the Matching Grant Program are 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations or organizations that are exempt from needing 501(c)(3) status, such as public schools, churches, and government agencies. Grants are awarded locally through the retail store as part of their Good Works Program. More information ›

Children’s Music Workshop

The links below are provided from The Children’s Music Workshop Grant Center which includes category links to federal, regionally specific, and private grant sources for the arts. Some sites contain guides to writing grants and helpful hints. There is also a selection of fundraising ideas and instrument donation sites for music.

Nonspecific
Private
  • Chamber Music America: CMA Grants and Awards, including grants, awards, and other funding: https://chambermusicamerica.org/grants/
  • Grantmakers in the Arts: Consortium of private, family, corporate, and community foundations: https://www.giarts.org
  • Mockingbird Foundation: MFI is particularly interested in projects that encourage and foster creative expression in any musical form (including composition, instrumentation, vocalization, or improvisation), but also recognizes broader and more basic needs within conventional instruction. MFI encourages applications associated with diverse or unusual musical styles, genres, forms, and philosophies: https://www.mockingbirdfoundation.org
  • Philanthropic Research: GuideStar: The Donor Guide to the Charitable Universe: grant search engine: https://www.guidestar.org
Region Specific
Federal