The Creative Connections Fund supports creativity and the expansion of diverse, relevant cultural offerings in local communities across California and primarily outside San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. The Fund targets small and midsize arts organizations and offers project grants of up to $50,000, over a maximum of 24 months, through an open, competitive review process.

The Creative Connections Fund aims to support small and midsize arts organizations with a diversity of projects and ideas. Our rationale is two-fold.

First, small organizations play an important role in the arts ecosystem. They have close ties to the communities they serve, present aesthetics that have particular relevance to their audiences, and involve local artists. In this way, community-based arts organizations support grassroots creativity and add to the cultural offerings of the neighborhoods and cities they serve, which, in turn, adds to the cultural vibrancy of the state.

Second, because we frequently partner with organizations that have annual budgets greater than $2 million, the Creative Connections Fund is an important complement to our invitational portfolio and a way to reach arts organizations of all artistic disciplines and aesthetics, located in all geographic locations in California.

To view a list of the most recent Creative Connections Fund grantees, click here.

Apply to the Creative Connections Fund

There are six steps to the application process:

1. Confirm that your organization is eligible for a Creative Connections Fund grant.
2. Review the criteria.
3. Complete your organization's profile on the California Cultural Data Project.
4. Download the application template.
5. Build your grant budget and write a narrative.
6. Submit the application and Cultural Data Profile to Irvine.

Application Deadlines in 2009

Questions?

If you have questions, please see our Creative Connections Fund FAQ or contact us at:

Creative Connections Fund
1.800.374.6851
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

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