Cultural Sustainability: Community Roots

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Artwork by Uzo Njoku.

Introduction

Cultural Sustainability, a new grant program offered by the six U.S. Regional Arts Organizations (USRAOs) in partnership with The Wallace Foundation, provides general operating support to arts organizations rooted in communities of color with annual operating expenses under $500,000.

Mid Atlantic Arts’ Cultural Sustainability: Community Roots program provides unrestricted operational funding to arts organizations founded by, with, and for communities of color, allowing them to sustain and expand their practices, benefiting the communities they serve. It also supports cross-cultural arts experiences and fosters stronger collaboration between artists, communities, and the RAO’s.

The program provides general operating support to arts and culture organizations serving BIPOC communities with budgets under $500,000 and at least three years of programming. Mid Atlantic Arts will select up to 20 grantees from the ten states and territories we serve (DC, DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA, PR, USVI, VA, and WV).

Cultural Sustainability is made possible by support from The Wallace Foundation in partnership with the six US Regional Arts Organizations (USRAOs). This opportunity is part of The Wallace Foundation’s Advancing Well-Being in the Arts initiative, which funds arts organizations founded by, with, and for communities of color to advance their well-being, enhance understanding of their contributions to community, and ultimately help to build a more equitable and sustainable arts ecosystem.

Eligibility and Schedule

Eligibility

To be eligible for this grant, your organization needs to meet the following criteria:

  • Budget: Operating budget under $500,000 (excluding emergency funding like COVID relief, CARES Act, ARPA).
  • Experience: At least three years of arts and cultural programming. These years don’t have to be consecutive or tied to your incorporation date.
  • Community Focus: Your programming should show a strong commitment to supporting historically underserved communities of color.
  • Leadership: Your leadership team must be closely connected to the communities they serve, whether artistically or administratively.
  • Mission: Your mission should prioritize serving arts organizations founded by, with, and for communities of color.
  • Your organization is working to address systemic inequities through their practices.
  • Your organization must also be one of the following:
    • 501(c)(3) nonprofit
    • For-profit entity (LLC, S-corp, etc.)
    • Artist collective (either incorporated with a tax ID or with a fiscal sponsor from an established for-profit or non-profit entity that has a tax ID)
  • Not have received ArtsHERE funding from your RAO

Timeline

Guidelines and Application

The guidelines below are for information purposes only. The deadline for this program was Friday, January 10, 2025 at 12:00pm EST.

Program Guidelines and Webinar

Grantees

The full list of Mid Atlantic region Cultural Sustainability grantees includes:

Delaware

District of Columbia

Maryland

New Jersey

New York

Pennsylvania

Puerto Rico

US Virgin Islands

Virginia

West Virginia

Panelists

Applications of Cultural Sustainability: Community Roots were reviewed by a panel of 21 arts advocates, arts leaders of color, culture bearers, and multidisciplinary arts practitioners from across the Mid Atlantic Arts region. View the full list here.

Opportunity & Support Type
Grant
Target Candidate
Organizations
Discipline
Multidisciplinary
Regional Requirement
DC
DE
MD
NJ
NY
PA
PR
USVI
VA
WV
Questions or need guidance?
Sarah Branch
Program Director, Creativity in Community
Sarah Theune
Program Associate. Performing Arts and Creativity in Community
Funding support provided by:
  • Wallace Foundation logo