Combined Capacity-Building and General Operating Funds

Combined Capacity-Building and General Operating Funds is a grant from Arts Services Inc. of Western New York, distributed through the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation Arts & Culture Initiative in partnership with the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo.

Awards of up to $15,000 are available to arts and culture organizations in Western New York's eight counties plus Monroe County that have at least one full-time staff member (or one FTE). Funding supports general operating expenses and capacity-building efforts to help organizations pursue ambitious missions. A companion General Operating Micro Grant of up to $2,500 is available for organizations with less than one FTE.

Priority is given to organizations playing a key role in sustaining a thriving regional economy.

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Wilson, Jr. Foundation Arts & Culture Initiative In 2021, the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation established endowment funds at the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo to support arts and culture in the eight counties of Western New York, plus Monroe County, in recognition of the key role arts and culture organizations play in a thriving economy.

Since the inception of the Arts & Culture Initiative, the Community Foundation has prioritized community feedback in the creation of this annual funding opportunity. Click here to learn more about the history of this grant process.

The result of this work are three funding opportunities for 2025: Combined Capacity-Building and General Operating Funds of up to $15,000 for organizations with at least one full-time (or one FTE) staff member to help organizations build the solid foundation necessary to pursue an ambitious mission and vision; General Operating Micro Grants of up to $2,500 for organizations with less than one full-time staff member to execute immediate programming ; Year 2 Capacity-Building and General Operating Funds for 2024 Grantees ONLY : Continued Capacity-Building support to continue building upon the work started in 2025.

Click here for details on this invited process. For Monroe County arts organizations: To simplify the process and communication, the Rochester Area Community Foundation will distribute funding for Monroe County. Our expectation, where possible, is the funding will continue to align with the parameters set by the fund annually.

For arts organizations based in the eight counties (excludes Monroe County): Applications are submitted electronically through the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo’s grant portal . No paper, emailed or PDF applications are accepted. For Monroe County arts organizations: Applications are submitted electronically through the Rochester Area Community Foundation’s grant portal .

No paper, emailed or PDF applications are accepted. Combined Capacity-Building and General Operating Funds for organizations with at least one full-time (or one FTE) staff member to help organizations build the solid foundation necessary to pursue an ambitious mission and vision; General Operating Micro Grants for organizations with less than one full-time staff member to execute immediate programming.

To better understand the differences between these two grant opportunities, please review the comparison chart here. Please click here to learn more about the virtual grant training sessions that were held in June 2025. Application available online August 4, 2025.

Application due September 12, 2025 by 4 p. m. No exceptions.

Micro Grant decision notification November 2025. Capacity-building grant decision notification December 2025 Small to mid-sized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that have arts and culture as core to their mission. Exceptions may be made for the core mission in rural communities with limited independent arts and cultural organizations.

Exceptions must be granted by the Community Foundation in writing. Please write to Yuki at yukinr@cfgb. org to explain the unique circumstances in your rural community by August 29, 2025.

Applicant organizations must be physically located in and/or operate in one or more of nine counties – Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans, Wyoming. Applicant organizations must have had an operating budget of no more than $500,000 in their most recently completed fiscal year. NOTE: We look at the operating expenses when determining the operating budget size of an organization.

While organizations undergoing significant capital projects resulting in significantly reduced programming are eligible to apply, organizations with fully active programming will be prioritized. The 13 organizations named by Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation receiving direct, yearly funding are not eligible.

Fiscal sponsorships are acceptable; the fiscal sponsor does not need to meet above criteria but the applicant organization does. Frequently Asked Questions Please click here to view answers to frequently asked questions. For arts organizations based in the eight counties (excludes Monroe County): Please direct all questions to Yuki Numata Resnick, Director of Arts and Culture, at yukinr@cfgb.

org . For Monroe County arts organizations: For general questions about the Arts & Culture Initiative, please reach out to Yuki Numata Resnick, Director of Arts and Culture, at yukinr@cfgb. org .

For specific inquiries about the application and application logistics, please reach out to Annette Jiménez Gleason at ajimenezgleason@racf. org . Additional Information and Training Sessions Click here to view recorded trainings and slides for each grant opportunity.

Click here for general guidelines. Click here for more about Capacity-Building. Click here for the Evaluation Rubric.

Click here for the Micro Grant Application. Click here for the Capacity-Building Application. For Monroe County applicants, the order of the questions may be different, however, the questions themselves are all the same.

Applications will be reviewed by experienced external evaluators who are artists, arts practitioners and arts administrators representing all nine Western New York counties. Each county will be awarded a minimum of two Capacity-Building + General Operating grants and two Micro Grants, assuming eligible applications have been received in each county. Questions?

Reach out to our team. Receive Funding or Support Make a difference in Western New York and beyond 726 Exchange Street, Suite 525