The Community Investments program supports San Francisco-based artists, arts organizations, and communities with an equity lens through grants, technical assistance, arts education initiatives, and community-based Cultural Centers.
Please sign up for our newsletter to stay informed about any grant program updates.
For the 2025-2026 grant cycle, the San Francisco Arts Commission has awarded $10.4 million to support 151 grantees, including more than $7.5 million in grant funding awarded to 98 individual artists and 47 arts nonprofit organizations, and nearly $3 million in funding support has been awarded to support cultural centers.
Read the full Press Release to learn more
view SFAC's full list of grantees, award and project summaries:
Advance Payment Policy
On Tuesday, September 9, 2025, SFAC presented a webinar orientation to help explain the Advance Payment Policy compliance requirements and processes associated with SFAC's FY26-27 grant opportunities.Please see these files for more information on the policy,
Advance Payment Policy (PDF)
Advance Payment FAQ (PDF)
Advance Payment Policy Orientation webinar materials:
Presented virtually on Zoom
Tuesday, September 9, 2025 at 6:00 P.M. - 7:00 P.M.
See the presentation slides (PDF)
The recording of this session with ASL interpretation is available here (Vimeo).
Bitly link to the recording link on Vimeo: https://bit.ly/sfacadvancepaymentwebASL
Password: FY26AdvancePaymentASL
The recording of this session with the presentation slides and speakers, without ASL interpretation is available here (Vimeo).
Bitly link to the recording link on Vimeo: https://bit.ly/sfacadvancepaymentweb
Password: FY26AdvancePayment
FY 2026-2027 Grant Opportunities
Applicants looking for the Cultural Equity Initiatives or San Francisco Artists categories are encouraged to apply to the Arts Impact Endowment grant categories.
Please email SFAC's team at sfac.grants@sfgov.org for more information.
Special Project Grants Application Deadline: October 8, 2025 at 12 p.m. NOON
Artistic Legacy Grant Application Deadline: October 22, 2025 at 12 p.m. NOON
Arts Impact Endowment Application Deadline: November 13, 2025 at 12 p.m. NOON
FY26 SFAC Grant Guidelines - All Categories
FY26 SFAC Grant Application Instructions - Artists
FY26 SFAC Grant Application Instructions - Organizations
Para obtener información en español, comuníquese al 311.
本資助申請表的翻譯版本將應請求而提供；但僅受理英文版本的申請表。查詢詳情，請聯絡311。
Ang pagsasalin sa Tagalog ng aplikasyon para sa pagkalooban na ito ay makukuha kung hihingilin. Ngunit ang aplikasyon sa Ingles lamang ang aming tatanggapin. Para sa tulong, maaring i-contact siart-info@sfgov.org.
Technical Assistance Sessions
For more information on all these sessions, please visit SFAC's Grant Information Sessions webpage and the SFAC Calendar webpage. All times listed below are in Pacific Time.
| Advance Payment Policy Info Webinar |
See Grant Information Sessions |
| Fiscal Sponsor Webinar | See Grant Information Sessions |
|
Level Up, Creatives! Career Development Workshop Series: Arts & Capital with SFAC'S Community Investments Team: Presented by SFAC 2024 Artist in Residence Rhiannon Evans MacFayden (India Basin Waterfront Parks) |
Wednesday, September 17, 2025, 4:30 P.M. - 7:30 P.M. In-person only (will be recorded) Southeast Community Center |
| FY26 General Grant Seeker Information Session |
Friday, September 19, 2025, 12:00 P.M. - 1:30 P.M. Hybrid: In person and streamed via Zoom (will be recorded) San Francisco Disability Cultural Center (DCC)
|
| FY26 Grant Seeker Information Webinar | Arts Impact Endowment (AIE) |
Monday, September 22, 2025, 12:00 P.M. - 1:30 P.M. Virtual on Zoom (will be recorded) |
| FY26 General Grant Seeker Information Session |
Tuesday, September 23, 2025, 5:30 P.M. - 7:00 P.M. In-person only (will not be recorded) Southeast Community Center |
| FY26 Grant Seeker Information Webinar | Artistic Legacy Grant (ALG) |
Monday, September 29, 2025, 12:00 P.M. - 1:30 P.M. Virtual on Zoom (will be recorded) |
| Instagram Live Conversation: Arts Organizations |
Wednesday, October 1, 2025, 5:00 P.M. - 5:45 P.M. Virtual on Instagram (will be recorded) |
| FY26 Required Documents and Work Samples Webinar |
Friday, October 3, 2025, 12:00 P.M.. - 1:30 P.M. Virtual on Zoom (will be recorded) |
| SFAC FY26 Grant Information Session: Presented by 2026 Cultural Ambassador Destiny Muhammad |
Monday, October 6, 2025, 5:30 P.M. - 7:00 P.M. In-person only (will not be recorded) Ruth Williams Opera House |
| SFAC Grant Workshop: Grant Writing Made Easy (for Arts Orgs): Presented by Independent Arts & Media |
Tuesday, October 7, 2025, 6:00 P.M.. - 8:00 P.M. In-person only (will not be recorded) Pacific Felt Factory |
| FY26 Arts Impact Endowment (AIE) Grant | Q&A Follow-Up Webinar |
Friday, October 10, 2025, 12:00 P.M.. - 1:30 P.M. Virtual on Zoom (will be recorded) |
| Instagram Live Conversation: Artists |
Thursday, October 16, 2025, 5:00 P.M. - 5:45 P.M. Virtual on Instagram (will be recorded) |
| Instagram Live Conversation: Tips for Applying for a SFAC Grant |
Thursday, October 23, 2025, 5:00 P.M. - 5:45 P.M. Virtual on Instagram (will be recorded) |
No deadline extensions will be granted. In fairness to others, we cannot accept late or incomplete applications. If the applicant does not provide the complete set of information in the appropriate format by the deadline, the application may be deemed incomplete and ineligible.
Questions
SFAC is committed to providing information about the grants program. We have included a formal questions procedure for this year’s guidelines. Per SFAC's formal questions procedure, You can review the current version of the Frequently Asked Questions pdf (as of September 16, 2025) here.
Please submit any additional questions in writing to sfac.grants@sfgov.org by October 9, 2025. All questions received by Thursday, October 9, 2025 will be answered and posted on SFAC's website by Friday, October 10, 2025.
Duplicate questions will not be addressed in the updated (by October 10, 2025) Frequently Asked Questions pdf (link forthcoming).
Any questions submitted to SFAC staff after October 9, 2025, will be responded to on an ongoing basis by SFAC staff.
Grant Categories
FY26 SFAC Grant Guidelines - All Categories
FY26 SFAC Grant Application Instructions - Artists
FY26 SFAC Grant Application Instructions - Organizations
For inquiries about past grant categories, please email sfac.grants@sfgov.org.
The Artistic Legacy Grant (ALG) acknowledges the impact of an artist who has been living and practicing their craft in San Francisco for the last 25 consecutive years or more. This grant category aims to uplift and celebrate an artist who has contributed to San Francisco’s diverse arts and culture ecosystem.
Through their artistic practice, the applicant artist is a vital member of their respective community(ies), has a history of deeply engaging with San Francisco communities including one or more of the historically underrepresented communities highlighted in the 1993 Cultural Equity Endowment Legislation, has a history of working to educate the broader community on the importance of their culture and/or artistic genre, and seeks to preserve their artistic legacy.
The Artistic Legacy Grant provides San Francisco based artists up to $100,000 over 25 months/2 years. Projects must take place between JULY 1, 2026 — JULY 31, 2028
For questions, contact Program Officer Jennifer Chu at jennifer.chu@sfgov.org or (415) 535-7305.
For the next five years (2024-2029), Arts Impact Endowment (AIE) funds are focused on Keeping Artists in San Francisco. This theme comes from the 2024-2029 Cultural Services Allocation Plan (CSAP). AIE addresses needs in the arts community by keeping artists and arts workers from being displaced. It does this by funding:
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Their work
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Their working environments
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Their connections to the communities that nurture them
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The organizations and ecosystem that support them
The CSAP for the AIE 2024-2029 will support three broad areas of funding channels, connected to a single theme of Keeping Artists in San Francisco. Racial and social justice is the primary lens for all program design.
Provides San Francisco-based artists up to $50,000 and San Francisco-based arts organizations between $50,000 to $100,000 depending on the funding area. Grant terms are 25 months. Projects and activities must take place in San Francisco and provide a public benefit to the City of San Francisco and its communities. Creation of work and any related public benefit must take place between July 1, 2026 and July 31, 2028.
The three funding channels are:
General Support 1: Ongoing work: What this funds:
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Artists: basic needs
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Organizations: general operations
Maximum grant request amount: $50,000 Artists and $100,000 Organizations
Resilience & Growth = General Support 2: Growth & Planning What this funds:
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Artists: equipment purchase of $10,000 or more for a single item, professional development, capital (not labor).
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Organizations: equipment purchase of $10,000 or more for a single item, organizational development, professional development for staff, capital (not labor).
Maximum grant request amount: $50,000 Artists and $75,000 Organizations
New Creative Opportunities = Project Support What this funds:
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Artists: artistic works and/or activities, research and development, a phase or portion of a larger project.
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Organizations: artistic works and/or activities, research and development, a phase or portion of a larger project.
Maximum grant request amount: $50,000 Artists and $50,000 Organizations
For questions about this grant category, please contact:
General Support 1: Ongoing Work
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Artist Program Officer: Jennifer Atwood (she/her) jennifer.atwood@sfgov.org or 415-252-2271
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Organization Program Officer: Jennifer Chu (she/her) jennifer.chu@sfgov.org or 415-252-2258
General Support 2: Growth & Planning:
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Artist Program Officer: Jennifer Atwood (she/her) jennifer.atwood@sfgov.org or 415-252-2271
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Organization Program Officer: Anne Trickey (they/them) anne.trickey@sfgov.org or 415-252-2213
New Creative Opportunities = Project Support
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Artists Program Officer: Jennifer Atwood (she/her) jennifer.atwood@sfgov.org or 415-252-2271
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Organizations Program Officer: Jennifer Chu (she/her) jennifer.chu@sfgov.org or 415-252-2258
The Cultural Equity Initiatives (CEI) grant program will not be offered during FY 2025-2026. Applicants looking for the Cultural Equity Initiatives grant category are encouraged to apply to the Arts Impact Endowment grant category (if eligible).
For questions, contact Program Officer Jennifer Chu at jennifer.chu@sfgov.org or (415) 535-7305.
The San Francisco Artist Grants (SFA) category will not be offered during FY 2025-2026. Applicants looking for the San Francisco Artist Grant grant category are encouraged to apply to the Arts Impact Endowment grant category (if eligible).
For questions, contact Program Officer Jen Atwood at jennifer.atwood@sfgov.org or (415) 252-2271.
Each year at the beginning of the new fiscal year in July, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors releases a list of budget amendments, commonly known as "addbacks." These are funds that elected officials allocate to various City departments for citywide programs as well as for services and resources in their respective districts. The San Francisco Arts Commission conducts an open and transparent request for proposals for allocations that we receive through the addback process. This competitive process is utilized throughout the City for the allocation of public funds.
In addition to addback funds, the Special Project Grant category also includes funds from other City departments mandated for arts focused work. The allocations in Fiscal Year 2025-2026 address a range of arts activities related to neighborhood and/or community-focused engagement and arts access. Many of these allocations align with the legislative mandates of the Cultural Equity Endowment. These grants are one time opportunities and based on specific project goals shared by the funding source.
Supervisor District numbers can be found at: http://propertymap.sfplanning.org/
Purpose and Funding Categories:
1. SOMA Pilipinas Cultural District Support for Arts and Cultural Programming: Support for up to $145,000 for 25 months for an arts and culture nonprofit located in SOMA Pilipinas (see map) that is dedicated to a long-term programming vision for a new narrative focused on culturally relevant placemaking.
2. Citywide Night of Ideas Curation: Support up to $120,000 for 31 months for a nonprofit arts and cultural 501(c)(3) organization or fiscally sponsored entity to curate performances for the San Francisco Public Library’s Night of Ideas, scheduled for dates in Spring 2026, 2027 and 2028.
Applicants may only apply for funding specific to those geographic areas or communities outlined within these guidelines. For questions about this grant category, please contact Senior Program Officer, Anne Trickey (they/them) at anne.trickey@sfgov.org or 415-806-5884.