Community Catalyst Grants

Overview

The Community Catalyst Grant Program is an evolution of the Arts Access Grants. The Community Catalyst Grant Program has the goal of uplifting historically under-resourced populations in Santa Clara County through community-driven, impactful artistic projects . Rather than a change, this is an evolution of the program intended to accomplish three things:

1. Lower the Barrier to Entry: The Community Catalyst Grant opens up funding to individual artists, informal collectives, and unincorporated groups who were previously ineligible
2. Narrow the Focus to Community Ownership: The review process places its highest emphasis (40%) on community leadership, co-creation, and lived experience rather than institutional longevity or traditional "artistic excellence".
3. Simplify the Application and the Reporting: The new program significantly reduces administrative burden by streamlining application materials and offering multi-format final reporting options.

The focus of this program are projects that utilize arts and culture as a catalyst for community dialogue, healing, collective action, and/or capacity building in under-resourced communities.

Grant Amount: $5,000 - $20,000 (One-time only, renewable up to one time)

Eligibility Guidelines

Mission Alignment

Primary mission or primary project focus must be on arts and culture engagement within or led by individuals from under-resourced populations in Santa Clara County

Fiscal Status

Eligible applicants must operate as:

1. 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization or Fiscally Sponsored project. 
2. Unincorporated community group with a clear, established history of local arts programming (requires a bank account in the group's name or a dedicated fiscal sponsor).
3. Individual artist/collective with a clear community partner (e.g., school, community center, church) willing to accept funds on their behalf.

NOTE

• Institutions of primary and secondary education are not eligible.
• Local governments are not eligible.
• Universities and colleges are limited to providing fiscal sponsorship for one arts program only. Grants may not support operating costs for the university or college, but must be applied to program and overhead costs of the applying entity.
• Grants may not be applied toward support for political or religious purposes, fundraisers for other organizations or causes, capital improvements, lobbying, or projects already completed.

Location

Project activities must take place in and primarily serve communities within Santa Clara County.

Duration

This is a one-time grant, renewable once for the same or a deeply related project (max 2 years of funding) pending available resources.

Note on "Under-Resourced Populations": We define this as communities that have historically and systematically faced disinvestment and are often excluded from mainstream cultural funding opportunities. We trust the applicant to define how their specific community meets this criterion.

Review Criteria

Our review process will prioritize the following criteria, with the intent of sharing power and prioritizing community voice:

1. Community Ownership & Leadership (40%):

• • Evidence of Co-Creation: Is the project design, budget, and desired outcome rooted in the expressed needs and guidance of the target under-resourced population?
  • Authentic Leadership: Is the project led by artists, organizers, or organizations who share lived experience with the community being served?
  • Capacity: Does the organization/artist demonstrate the capacity to carry out the project they have proposed?

1.  
2. Imagination & Impact (35%):
   • Vision: Does the project use art to challenge existing inequities, build collective power, or imagine a more just future for the community?
   • Cultural Relevance: Does the project honor and reinforce the cultural assets, traditions, and resilience already present in the community?
   • Feasibility: Is the budget realistic for the proposed activities and grant amount ($5k–$20k)? Or does the project define funds that fill in the remaining funding needs?
3. Alignment and Trust (25%):
   • Transparency: Is the budget clear, and do the funds primarily flow to the artists, community leaders, and local resources?
   • Organizational Health: Does the applicant demonstrate a commitment to equity and fairness in their internal practices (e.g., compensating artists and collaborators fairly)?

Timeline

September 1, 2026: Grant Application Opens
September 11, 2026: Applicant Information Session
October 9, 2026: Grant Application Closes
October 19 - November 13, 2026: Panel Application Review
Week of November 16, 2026: Panel Meeting
Week of November 7, 2026: Grant Announcement
December 2026 - December 2027: Grant Period

Program Shifts At-A-Glance

Preview the Application

Questions?
Contact SVCREATES' Program Director,  Sinjin Jones.
sinjin@svcreates.org
(408) 998-2787 x204