The Creative Connections Fund supports creativity and the expansion of diverse, relevant cultural offerings in local communities across California and primarily outside the San Francisco Bay Area. The Fund offers project grants of up to $50,000, over one or two years, through an open, competitive review process.

The Creative Connections Fund aims to reach 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 regions of California.

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 deadline in 2008

Applications may be submitted beginning May 1, 2008 and are due August 1, 2008 at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Funding decisions will be made by November 2008.

Questions?

If you have questions, please see our Grantseeker FAQ or contact us at:

Creative Connections Fund
The James Irvine Foundation
1.800.374.6851
artsfund@irvine.org