Youth Arts Miami (YAM) Grants Program

Youth Arts Miami (YAM) Grants Program is sponsored by Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs. This general operating support program is for established non-profit youth arts organizations with a year-round presence in Miami-Dade County, whose primary focus is youth arts.

Youth Arts Miami (YAM) Grants Program | Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs Youth Arts Miami (YAM) Grants Program Contact: Dana Pezoldt | (305) 375-2161 | dana. pezoldt@miamidade.

gov Deadline: Thursday, March 12, 2026, 11:59 PM Category A Applicants: $160,000 Category B Applicants: $65,000 Category C Applicants: $35,000 FY 2026-2027 Youth Arts Miami (YAM) Grant Program Guidelines Youth Arts Miami provides operational funding support to established non-profit youth arts organizations having a year-round presence in Miami-Dade County, whose primary mission is to create, present or exhibit cultural arts programs for and/or with children and youth.

Applicants to this program must have at least a 3-year consecutive track record of providing a year-round season of youth arts activities for children/youth in Miami-Dade County. Programming must include public access components such as performances or exhibitions. Units of government and educational institutions such as schools, colleges and universities may not apply.

The Youth Arts Miami (YAM) grants program is structured into three funding categories: Category A funds large-sized professional youth arts organizations possessing the potential to achieve regional, national, or international visibility as evidenced by the organization’s current programs and structure.

To be eligible to apply for YAM Category A, an organization must: have been invited by Department staff to apply for Category A funding have operating revenues of more than $500,000 for the last completed fiscal year, (including in-kind services support not to exceed 25% of total cash operating revenues) have at least one full time paid professional administrator have a significant youth-arts programming history with demonstrated success in: steadily leveraging previous Department grants for organizational and artistic growth and advancement creating, producing, and presenting innovative work commissioning new/significant work providing training and developing proficiency in a variety of genres within or across artistic disciplines producing a comprehensive set of year-round programs encompassing direct, high-quality arts experiences for youth Category B funds mid-sized semi-professional and professional youth arts organizations demonstrating operating revenues of between $200,000 and $500,000, for the last completed fiscal year (including in-kind services support not to exceed 25% of total cash operating revenues), and that employs at least one paid professional administrator .

Category C funds small and/or developing youth arts organizations demonstrating cash operating revenues of between $50,000 and $200,000, for the last completed fiscal year as demonstrated by IRS 990 tax filing.

Mandatory Pre-Application Requirements: As stated in the Youth Arts Miami (YAM) grant guidelines, all applicants are REQUIRED to have a pre-grant submission consultation (or attend a workshop) at least one week prior to the application deadline, either by telephone or by virtual platform (such as Zoom or GoTo Meeting) with the YAM program administrator before access will be granted to the online application.

In addition, if you are a first-time applicant and/or a new staff member unfamiliar with SurveyMonkey Apply (SMA), your consultation will require additional time to cover system basics. There are no exceptions to these requirements.

FY 2024-2025 Youth Arts Miami Grants Program Panel Members | FY 2023-2024 YAM Grantees List YAM Grants Program Timeline* October 1, 2026 - September 30, 2027 Consultation Period with Department Staff February 2, 2026 - March 5, 2026 Pre-Grant Submission Workshops YAM Pre-Grant Workshop #1 Wednesday, February 4, 2026 - 2:30 PM YAM Pre-Grant Workshop #2 Monday, February 9, 2026 - 11:00 AM Application Comments / Corrections Issued Revised / Final Application Due April 17, 2026 - May 18, 2026 Cultural Affairs Council Approval Board of County Commissioners Approval Award Notifications Issued Availability of Grant Funds No earlier than January 2027 *Dates/times subject to change.