ArtsFairfax Project Support Grants Program 2026

ArtsFairfax Project Support Grants Program 2026 is sponsored by ArtsFairfax. Supports nonprofit arts organizations in Fairfax County, the City of Fairfax, and the City of Falls Church to create innovative projects that enhance community access to the arts and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Project Support Grants - ArtsFairfax ArtsFairfax Project Support Grants serve arts organizations with funding to support projects that engage Fairfax County residents. Project Support Grants are awarded in four grant subcategories, including Arts in Education, Opportunity, Partnerships, and Arts Access.

The ArtsFairfax Project Support Grant seeks to: Provide financial and other means of support to both established and emerging arts organizations. Promote opportunities for arts organizations of all disciplines to create, present, and celebrate their artistic endeavors. Be a catalyst for increased private sector support for arts organizations through leveraged public funding.

Encourage wide participation in the arts through diverse cultural programming available to all residents of Fairfax County. Support activities that would not normally be part of your organization’s usual activities. “Through this grant, we were able to undertake a challenging new pilot project.

During this process, our volunteers actively participated, bonded with each other, and shared a collective dream.. ” – CAFE (Community Art For Everyone) Project Support Grant Information & Resources FY27 Project Support Grant Application Opens: May 7, 2026 Application Deadline: July 15, 2026 at 7:00 PM ET Late applications will not be accepted.

Applications must be submitted via the online application system; hard copies of Supplemental Materials or Work Samples will not be accepted.

Now Accepting Applications FY27 Project Support Grant Timeline FY27 Information Session – May 28, 2026 FY27 Work Session (optional) – June 30, 2026 4:00 - 5:30pm FY27 Application Deadline – July 15, 2026 at 7:00 PM ET FY27 Panel Review – August 26-27, 2026 FY27 Award Announcement – October 2026 FY27 Initial Payment – October 2026 FY27 Final Reports Due – August 1, 2027 FY27 Final Payment – Aug/Sept 2027 The FY27 Project Support Grant Information Session will take place on Zoom on Thursday, May 28 .

ArtsFairfax Grants Staff will review eligibility requirements, grants guidelines, and the panel and award process. Applicants are not required to attend. Register for the Information Session A recording of the session will be made available here after the live session takes place.

A work session will take place on Tuesday, June 30, 2026 . This optional in-person session provides direct time with ArtsFairfax Grants Staff, within a small group setting, to answer questions and troubleshoot your upcoming ArtsFairfax submission.

Designed as an unstructured opportunity to discuss questions, responses, and challenges within the ArtsFairfax application, applicants are encouraged to drop in at any point during the session. Bring your draft or partial application materials to discuss in a small group setting. If you’re unsure how to approach any part of the application, this session is for you!

New and returning applicants welcome. Register for the Work Session Download Information Session Slides Non-profit arts organizations based in Fairfax County, the City of Fairfax, or the City of Falls Church are eligible to apply for Project Support Grants. Arts organizations who do not yet have their nonprofit status may be eligible to apply with a Fiscal Sponsor.

View the FY27 Project Support Grant Guidelines View the eligibility criteria and funding restrictions of the FY27 Project Support Grant Guidelines. Purpose of Project Support Grants Project Support Grants support activities that would not normally be part of your organization’s usual activities.

Examples of Eligible Activities If your organization provides afterschool arts instruction, then this funding could support the design and implementation of a new class offering that has not been offered before. If your organization occasionally hosts a guest artist, then funding could support bringing an artist who might normally be financially out of reach.

This funding is not intended to support ongoing activities that your organization does on a regular basis as part of your mission. There are four grant subcategories within the Project Support Grant Program. An organization can submit one grant application in a single subcategory.

The four subcategories are: View the full description of each category in the FY27 Project Support Grant Guidelines. Late applications will not be accepted. Applications must be submitted via the online application system; hard copies of Supplemental Materials or Work Samples will not be accepted.

Now Accepting Applications For your reference only, templates of the application are available for download. All application materials must be submitted through the ArtsFairfax online application system.

Project Support Grants are non-recurring grants used to support eligible nonprofit arts organizations, both established and developing, in providing activities that engage new audiences in the arts and contribute to the vibrancy and quality of life in Fairfax County. Applicants may request $1,000-$25,000. These grants will not fund operating expenses.

Download Project Support Application Download Organization Profile for Grant Applicants Project Schedule Table and Project Support Financials Table All applicants must complete the Project Schedule Table and Project Support Financials Table as part of their submission.

Download the Project Schedule Table Download the Project Support Financials Table Additional Required Documentation Organization Profile for Grant Applicants (Download Submittable PDF) IRS Letter of Determination Most recent IRS Form 990 submission (do not include schedules) List of current board members that includes profession, work address, and place of residence for each one; please highlight members who work or live in Fairfax County Treasurer’s Report or Audit for the most recently completed fiscal year; an audit is required if the applicant has two consecutive years of income of $1,000,000 or more.

Brief biographies (one paragraph each) of board officers and key staff members Work Samples and Supplemental Materials View the Project Support Grant Guidelines for additional specifics.

View a list of recent recipients: ArtsFairfax FY26 Project Support Grantees View Sample Application Answers Submitting your Application Online Application Instructions Organization Profile Update Instructions Following the grant application deadline, ArtsFairfax staff determines whether an applicant is eligible and whether an application is complete.

Staff may contact applicants for additional information needed to make an eligibility determination. If an applicant is determined to be ineligible, the application will be rejected without evaluation. Also, incomplete applications are subject to rejection without evaluation.

If an application is rejected, the applicant will be notified by email. All eligible and complete applications are evaluated by panel review. Review panels are generally comprised of approximately five individuals who have no conflicts of interest.

Panelists are arts professionals with knowledge of or expertise in the segments of the arts community that are eligible to apply to ArtsFairfax for funding. They review and evaluate each eligible application on its own merit. ArtsFairfax selects panel members for their diverse backgrounds, expertise in a particular arts discipline, knowledge of grant practice, and/or knowledge of the community.

View the complete Evaluation Criteria on page 8 of the Grants Guidelines . ArtsFairfax will notify applicants of the schedule for the panel meeting. Panel meetings will be livestreamed and open for observation by applicants.

Staff will provide applicants with notes summarizing the panel discussion and comments on their application. The ArtsFairfax Board of Directors makes the final funding decisions based on the evaluations by the panels, available funds, and the overall goals of the Project Support Grant and of ArtsFairfax.

FY26 Project Support Grant Cycle Dates FY26 Information Session – May 2025 FY26 Panel Review – August 27-28, 2025 FY26 Award Announcement – October 2025 FY26 Initial Payment – October 2025 FY26 Final Reports Due – August 1, 2026 FY26 Final Payment – Aug/Sept 2026 FY26 Final Reports will be available on Submittable in June 2026. View FY26 Project Support Grant Guidelines . View the FY26 Project Support Grant Terms and Conditions .

For specifics regarding how to fulfill the funding credit requirements, view the Funding Acknowledgement . Add your upcoming events to the ArtsFairfax Events calendar. Add your organization to our Arts Directory .

Find More ArtsFairfax Grants Review Funding Acknowledgement npowlison@artsfairfax. org What Can We Help You Find? Join the ArtsFairfax Newsletter Get news from ArtsFairfax straight to your inbox.