San Francisco Arts Commission Announces Launch of 2026–2027 Grant Opportunities

SAN FRANCISCO, September 16, 2025 – Today, the San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC)is thrilled to announce the launch of its 2026–2027 Grant Opportunities to support local artists and arts organizations.

Grant Guidelines and Applications for Special Project Grant (SPX), Artistic Legacy Grant (ALG), and Arts Impact Endowment (AIE) Grant categories are now open. Application deadlines are due by noon PT on October 8, October 22, and November 13, respectively.

“With the launch of our 2026-2027 grant opportunities, the Arts Commission reaffirms our commitment to investing in and supporting San Francisco’s local artists and cultural institutions,” said Ralph Remington, Director of Cultural Affairs. “We’ve worked hard to make this process more intuitive, equitable, and aligned with the needs of the arts community. These improvements to our grantmaking work will help ensure that artists and organizations have the resources they need to create meaningful work that reflects the spirit, diversity, artistic legacy that San Francisco is known for.”

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What’s New for 2026-2027 Grants:
Amid ongoing financial challenges for the arts sector, and in response to community feedback gathered from the Arts Impact Endowment (AIE) Year One Survey identifying a desire to simplify the application process, SFAC is introducing a streamlined grantmaking structure designed to lower barriers and to strengthen accessibility, equity, and transparency.

These updates to SFAC’s grantmaking program aim to ensure artists and arts organizations have the resources and support they need to succeed and continue their work to enhance San Francisco’s arts and cultural landscape.

“I am proud of the Arts Commission’s deep investment in San Francisco’s artists and arts organizations,” said Denise Pate, Director of Community Investments. “Our community helped shape these updates, and these changes will make it easier for applicants to access funding and continue their work in these challenging times.”

All funding from the Cultural Equity Endowment (San Francisco Artist (SFA) Grant and Cultural Equity Initiatives (CEI) Grant and the Arts Impact Endowment will now be distributed through two grant categories:

• Arts Impact Endowment (AIE) and Artistic Legacy Grant (ALG).
  • Note: Applicants may only apply to one of these two categories. Organizations may continue to apply for Special Grants (SPX), which are funded separately from the Cultural Equity and Arts Impact endowments.

Other key improvements include simplified funding category names and separate applications for artists and organizations in the SmartSimple grants portal for a smoother applicant experience.

Updates to Funding Categories:

• General Support 1: Ongoing Work (formerly Sustaining Ongoing Initiatives) - up to $50,000 for artists, up to $100,000 for organizations, for long-term, ongoing work;
• General Support 2: Growth and Planning (formerly Resilience and Growth) - up to $50,000 for artists, up to $75,000 for organizations, ideal for space/capital support and strategic planning;
• Project Support (formerly New Creative Opportunities) – up to $50,000 for both artists and organizations, for new creative projects.

Increased Funding Support:
SFAC is also proud to announce the Artistic Legacy Grant (ALG) grant amount has been increased from $75,000 to $100,000 over a 25-month grant period.

Policy Updates:
SFAC is incorporating a new Advance Payment/Reimbursement Policy that will apply to new grants made in 2026-2027 to align with Citywide policy updates issued by the Controller’s Office. Details about the new payment policy were shared during a virtual Advance Payment Policy Information Session held on September 9, 2025. A recording of the information session is available at sfartscommission.org/grants.

Cultural Ambassadors:
For the third year in a row, SFAC is working with a cohort of Cultural Ambassadors as bridge builders and influencers to assist with outreach in the arts community and to help increase awareness of available grant opportunities, upcoming grant information sessions, and to encourage prospective grantees to apply. This year’s Cultural Ambassador cohort include: Sequoya Waukazoo-Nakai, Destiny Muhammad, Nihan Roth, and Ebti.

SFAC is hosting several upcoming grant-related events and webinars to provide additional support for applicants.

In-Person Grant Information Sessions:

• Wednesday, September 17, 4:30-7:30 p.m., Southeast Community Center, 1550 Evans Ave, San Francisco
• Friday, September 19, 12–1:30 p.m., San Francisco Disability Cultural Center, 165 Grove Street, San Francisco
• Tuesday, September 23, 5:30–7:00 p.m., Southeast Community Center, 1550 Evans Ave, San Francisco

Virtual Webinars:

• View Recording of Advance Payment Policy Info Session Webinar
• View Recording of the Fiscal Sponsor Webinar
• Monday, September 22: Grant & Arts Impact Endowment (AIE) Launch
• Monday, September 29: Artistic Legacy Grant (ALG) Info Session
• Friday, October 3: Required Documents/Work Samples Info Session
• Friday, October 10: Arts Impact Endowment (AIE) Q & A Session

For more information about our grants and upcoming information sessions and virtual webinars, visit the SFAC Grants webpage or the Grants Information Sessions webpage for details.

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Call for Grant Panelists

The San Francisco Arts Commission seeks Bay Area individuals with expertise in the arts and culture field to participate in the peer review grant panels. This is a paid opportunity to be part of SFAC's grant-making process.

To be considered as a panelist for one of the FY26 grant panel reviews, applications must be received by October 30, 2025, by 11:59 p.m. For more information, and to apply to become a peer review panelist, visit sfartscommission.org/panelists.

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About SFAC’s Grantmaking Program:
In July 2025, SFAC announced the award of more than $10 million in grant funding to 151 San Francisco-based artists, cultural organizations, and community-based cultural centers.

Since 2005, SFAC's grantmaking program, administered by the Community Investments team, has awarded more than $107 million in funding support to local artists, arts organizations, and cultural centers. SFAC AIE grants are supported by Hotel Tax (Prop. E) funds, which was passed by voters in November 2018 and ensure a dedicated percentage of hotel tax revenue go towards supporting arts and cultural programming. The Arts Impact Endowment grant guidelines are shaped by the 2024–2029 Cultural Services Allocation Plan (CSAP). 

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About the San Francisco Arts Commission  
The San Francisco Arts Commission is the City agency that champions the arts as essential to daily life by investing in a vibrant arts community, enlivening the urban environment and shaping innovative cultural policy. Our programs include: Civic Art Collection, Civic Design Review, Community Investments, Public Art, SFAC Galleries, and Art Vendor Licensing. To learn more, visit sfartscommission.org.