Search Through Arts Grants for Nonprofits in New Mexico in the U.S.

Collections-Related Grants for Nonprofits 

The Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation provides a variety of grants related to our art collections for individuals and nonprofits. Through these programs, we seek to heighten public interest and awareness, fuel innovative scholarship, and promote dynamic partnerships in the fields of art and art history.

The Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations whose innovative projects and original ideas will provide promising insights into the fields of art which we collect: Art of the Spanish Americas, Digital & Media Art, Japanese Bamboo, and Post-War Painting & Sculpture. We also welcome requests pertaining to the arts and culture of the American Southwest.

Grant Categories

The projects we support through our Collections-Related Grants for Nonprofits fall within one or more of the following categories:

Exhibitions

As of Spring 2023, we are excited to learn about exhibitions that are slated to open in Spring 2024 through 2026. We welcome the opportunity to become an early funder of landmark exhibitions that relate to our collections, and which significantly raise the public profile of those genres while also advancing art historical scholarship. Historically, we have cultivated strong relationships with medium-size museums across the country that reach a diverse regional audience and value innovative curation. Exhibition funding can include:

• development,
• scholarship,
• construction,
• outreach,
• traveling costs,
• admissions subsidies, and more.

Convenings

To encourage scholarly debate and dialogue, we fund academic conferences and workshops that will significantly advance the fields of art scholarship related to our collections. We urge applicants to familiarize themselves with industry standards for honoraria and per diems in advance of creating a convening budget.

Academic

Research, travel, manuscript development, hiring research assistants, equipment, etc. to support original scholarship related to our collection areas. Academic projects should culminate in a clear final deliverable such as a book manuscript or peer-reviewed article. For potential partners working in university settings, a letter stating our policy on funding indirect costs is available on our Grantee Resources page.

Exhibition Catalog Support

In conjunction with our exhibition support, we are pleased to support development, research, and publication costs associated with museum catalogs relating to artists in our collection.

• As of January 2022, our previous Publication Grant program is currently on hold while we reevaluate our strategic priorities. 

Before submitting your application, please read our Criteria for Collections-Related Nonprofit Grants and FAQ page.

Who We Are

The Creag Foundation is a private grant making foundation established in 2009 in Woodinville, Washington.

The founders of the Creag Foundation believe that meaningful change can only be achieved through hard work, creativity and passion. They also understand the practical mechanisms that allow charitable organizations to succeed and grow. As a group, Creag Foundation principals are dedicated to helping today’s most innovative programs improve the human condition in a wide variety of ways.

Our Focus

The broad purpose of the Foundation is to support the efforts of nonprofit organizations who are innovators in the field of human services. Our particular focus is on smaller organizations that are starting out or established organizations that are looking for funding to take their organization in a new direction.

What We Fund

/ What We Fund

The Creag Foundation is focused on innovation in the industry. We will consider proposals from 501(c)(3) organizations that are finding new ways to address societal issues facing the nonprofit community. Applicants must have held 501(c)(3) status for one year before submitting. If your organization has held 501(c)(3) status for over a year, and your believe that your organization has a new approach to an existing social problem or is addressing a previously unaddressed social issue, you are welcome to contact us and request that we consider your organization for a funding opportunity.

Background

Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation seeks to dramatically improve the lives of underserved communities across the globe by supporting scalable, innovative, and impact-first solutions that leverage existing systems and stakeholders. Our goal is to find social entrepreneurs with dynamic products or services that have a proven ability to positively impact the lives of underserved people, and nurture those organizations at the early stages by providing capacity, capital, and community.

Our application process is designed to be open and accessible, and we accept applications year round from across our priority geographies and sectors. Borrowing from our venture capital legacy, we find exceptional entrepreneurs and provide them with: 

Capacity

• The core of DRK’s model is deep and extensive operational and technical support for each portfolio organization, both through dedicated hands-on Board service and specialist capacity-building resources for fundraising, board and organizational development, leadership, financial support, and scaling strategy,

Capital

• DRK provides up to $300,000 USD in either unrestricted grant funding or investment capital over a three-year period, and

Community

• DRK convenes our portfolio and alumni annually, facilitating connections and community. 

What We Fund

DRK Foundation funds early-stage social impact organizations solving the world’s biggest social and environmental problems using bold, scalable approaches.

What stage of growth does DRK Foundation typically fund?

Early stage: Organizations who are early stage, which we define as post-pilot and pre-scale. This typically means: 

• Your program, product or service is already being used in the market or in the field, 
• You have early indication that your model is having its intended impact on the beneficiary populations,
• Your organization is relatively young (ideally between two and five years old, although we will consider both younger and older organizations).

Venture funding: In the case of for profits, we typically support Seed to Series A organizations, and never lead rounds; we also generally but not exclusively refrain from participating in financings exceeding a $15M USD post-money valuation.  

Community Grants

State Farm is committed to helping build safer, stronger and better-educated communities.

• ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​We are committed to auto and home safety programs and activities that help people manage the risks of everyday life.
• We invest in education, economic empowerment and community development projects, programs and services that help people realize their dreams.
• We help maintain the vibrancy of our communities by assisting nonprofits that support community revitalization.

Good Neighbor Citizenship company grants focus on safety, community development and education.

Focus Areas

Safety Grants

We strive to keep our customers and communities safe. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Auto safety — improving driver, passenger, vehicle or roadway safety
• Home safety — shielding homes from fires, crime or natural disasters
• Disaster preparedness and mitigation
• Disaster recovery

Community Development

We support nonprofits that invest and develop stronger neighborhoods. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Affordable housing — home construction and repair
• Commercial/small business development
• Job training
• Neighborhood revitalization
• Financial literacy
• Sustainable housing and transportation
• Food insecurity

Education

Our education funding is directed toward initiatives that support the following programs:

• Higher education
• K-12 academic performance
• K-12 STEM
• Pathways for college and career success

JFLA Mini Grant For Japanese Arts & Culture Program

This grant aims to support projects that will enhance further understanding of Japanese arts and culture. Successful candidates may be granted up to $5,000. The Japan Foundation Los Angeles handles Arts and Culture grants for the 13 states west of the Rocky Mountains. These include Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

Grant Coverage

• Publicity fees
• Printing costs of programs, flyers, and brochures
• Honoraria for artists and lecturers
• Travel Expenses for artists and lecturers, including per diem and accommodation expenses
• Shipping cost of films, exhibits and other materials related to the proposed event
• Facility fee

The grant will be paid in the form of reimbursement for the preceding expenses. The award money will be remitted upon receipt of the final report and proofs of payment. 

New Mexico Humanities Council

Mission

Since 1972, the New Mexico Humanities Council (NMHC) has sought to engage New Mexicans with history, culture, and diverse humanities topics through Council-conducted public programs and grant funding for special projects.

The humanities explore human interaction and reflect on the experiences and meanings of life through the study of languages, literature, history, archaeology, anthropology, philosophy, comparative religion, and interpret the arts and jurisprudence. By applying thought, reason and inquiry, we are able to understand and give meaning to our history and culture, connecting our past, present and future.

Subaward Grants - Quick

It is our desire at the New Mexico Humanities Council (NMHC) to strengthen communities throughout the state by supporting the meaningful work being done by organizations like yours. Our subaward grant program provides financial resources to humanities-focused nonprofit organizations, tribal governments and governmental institutions. Subaward grants are pass-through awards managed by NMHC, therefore other pass-through agencies may not apply. These federal funds come from the National Endowment for the Humanities and therefore reporting must adhere to federal guidelines. However, our team is here to support you every step of the way.

The subaward program is designed to support publicly accessible humanities projects throughout the state that foster dialogue, encourage inquiry and foster connection. The projects we fund take many different forms, but all funded programs have the following characteristics in common. Projects are rooted in the humanities. We seek to partner with organizations with programming that help us reflect on the human condition, our lived experiences, and the ties that unite us through culture, language, ethics, the environment and tradition. The programs within projects are shaped through the participation of scholars, community elders, tradition bearers and local historians. These individuals are an integral part of programs from the conception through the final execution of the program.

The quick grant line was developed in order to be more responsive to the needs of communities and to increase humanities programming throughout the state. The quick grant line seeks to shorten the time frame between when an application is submitted and when the initial payment is issued.

Funding

Quick grants are limited to $2,000.

Philanthropy is our commitment to communities in which we operate and broader society. We focus our resources on a limited number of key projects that can deliver valuable benefits from our contributions and those of our partners. We give priority to innovative, high-quality projects that meet the following criteria:

• promote sustainable development
• offer an opportunity for Roche to use its expertise and logistics capabilities
• involve Roche actively at an early stage with local authorities and established partners
• engage Roche employees in cultural (focus on contemporary arts), educational and social activities
• managed by an accredited charity

Our four focus areas

Humanitarian and Social

We direct the majority of our philanthropic donations to humanitarian and social development projects.

Science and education

We are dedicated to programmes that promote scientific interest and provide educational opportunities for young people around the world.

Community and Environment

We are committed to building stronger communities and responding to natural disasters sustainably.

Arts and Culture

We support groundbreaking contemporary art, cultural projects and activities that explore the parallels between innovation in art and in science. 

The Sidney Stern Memorial Trust is devoted solely to the funding of charitable, scientific, medical and educational organizations.

The Board endeavors to support soundly-managed charitable organizations that give service with a broad scope, have a substantial effect on their target populations, and contribute materially to the general welfare. The Board does not discriminate on the basis of ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation or religion.

Inspired to make contributions with a wide-ranging yet personal impact, Carl and Marilynn Thoma founded the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation in 2014 to distinguish their initiatives in and support of the visual arts. In 2021, the Foundation was renamed the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation to more broadly reflect its expanded philanthropic efforts and initiatives, including the Thoma Scholars Program, which aims to strengthen community, leadership, and education initiatives in under-resourced and rural areas.

The Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation recognizes that the arts and education enhance lives and communities. We make art collection-related grants, as well as lending and exhibiting our own collection. We focus our education funding on the rural Southwest, primarily offering scholarships to students in the greater Texas panhandle. Through these giving programs, we strive to foster leadership, innovation, and equal opportunity.

Nonprofit Organizations

The Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations whose innovative projects and original ideas will advance scholarship in our collection areas. We accept Letters of Inquiry on a rolling basis for bold proposals that provide promising insights into the fields of art which we collect:

• Art of the Spanish Americas

The Foundation’s Art of the Spanish Americas collection numbers more than 200 works from the 17th to 19th centuries—principally paintings from South America. The collection includes works on religious themes and portraits from the Viceroyalty of Peru (and the smaller entities such as the Kingdom of Nueva Granada into which it was divided in the eighteenth century), as well as a small selection of portraits from the Spanish Caribbean.

•  Digital & Media Art

The Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation began supporting the field of Digital Art in 2009. Our collection has grown to include over 400 artworks by more than 138 artists, representing a global history of the medium from 1959 to the present. The Thoma Foundation’s core collection of Digital Art highlights the specific achievements of modern computers—their processing speed, infinite data capacity, imaging precision, and virtual networking—to aid artists. Media Art signifies our support of art created with both pioneering and emerging time-based technologies, especially in relation to electronic mass media—the news and photojournalism, film and television, video games, social media, and other cultural experiences produced by communications technology.

• Japanese Bamboo

The Japanese Bamboo collection includes contemporary Japanese Bamboo baskets representing both independent artists and bamboo artists from the two professional associations devoted to the field, Nitten (Japan Fine Arts Exhibition) and the Nihon Kogeikai (Japan Craft Arts Association).

• Post-War Painting & Sculpture

The Foundation’s collection of mid-century global abstract art is centered around the years 1950–79 and the major movements of that period including Color Field, Hard Edge, Op, Washington Color School, Light & Space, and shaped canvas.

We also welcome requests pertaining to the arts and culture of the American Southwest. The projects we support through our Collections-Related Grants for Nonprofits fall within one or more of the following categories:

• Exhibitions

We welcome the opportunity to become an early funder of landmark exhibitions that relate to our collections, and which significantly raise the public profile of those genres while also advancing art historical scholarship. Historically, we have cultivated strong relationships with medium-size museums across the country that reach a diverse regional audience and value innovative curation. Exhibition funding can include development, scholarship, construction, outreach, traveling costs, admissions subsidies, and more. The Thoma Foundation also loans pieces from its collections in support of exhibitions.

• Convenings

To encourage scholarly debate and dialogue, we fund academic conferences and workshops that will significantly advance the fields of art scholarship related to our collections. We urge applicants to familiarize themselves with industry standards for honoraria and per diems in advance of creating a convening budget.

• Academic 

Research, travel, manuscript development, hiring research assistants, equipment, etc. to support original scholarship related to our collection areas. Academic projects should culminate in a clear final deliverable such as a book manuscript or peer-reviewed article.

Individual Fellowships and Awards

In addition to our nonprofit grants, the Foundation runs several fellowship programs for individuals related to our Art of the Spanish Americas collections. This includes two annual fellowship programs geared towards postdoctoral scholars and Ph.D. candidates: the Marilynn Thoma Fellowship in Art of the Spanish Americas and the Thoma Foundation Research and Travel Awards in Art of the Spanish Americas. Biannually, we offer the Exploratory Travel Award to early career Ph.D. students. 

Thoma Foundation Special Project Funding

The Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation offers a Special Project Funding Grant as part of its broader grant programs described above. Through the above programs, we seek to heighten public interest and awareness, fuel innovative scholarship, and promote dynamic partnerships in the fields of art and art history. For the Special Project Funding, the Foundation takes a proactive and personal approach to giving. Rather than making grants based on a call for applications, we work collaboratively to make challenging projects happen. We support people and their bright futures instead of endowments or capital improvements. Our interests here include:

• Significant art exhibitions and programs supporting artists and the areas of our collection.
• Innovative high school projects and college scholarships that build leaders and communities in the greater Texas Panhandle.

If you have a project you would like to partner with us on, we are interested. We value long-term relationships with grantees and encourage you to connect with us at any stage of the application process. 

Our Mission

The Tony Robbins Foundation is a nonprofit organization created to empower individuals and organizations to make a significant difference in the quality of life of people often forgotten.

We’re dedicated to creating positive changes in the lives of youth, seniors, the hungry, homeless and the imprisoned population, all who need a boost envisioning a happier and deeply satisfying way of life. Our passionate staff, generous donors and caring group of international volunteers provide the vision, inspiration, and resources needed to empower these important members of our society.

Grants

Dedicated to meeting challenges within the global community, creating solutions and taking action, The Tony Robbins Foundation provides monetary donations to various organizations around the world. Funding requests are evaluated on an ongoing basis. We look for organizations that align with our mission to empower individuals and organizations to make a significant difference in the quality of life of those often forgotten.

Background

Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Asphalt Art Initiative responds to the growing number of cities around the world embracing art as an effective and relatively low-cost strategy to activate their streets.

While cities incorporate art into public spaces in a variety of ways, the focus of this initiative is what we’re calling asphalt art: visual interventions on roadways (intersections and crosswalks), pedestrian spaces (plazas and sidewalks), and vertical infrastructure (utility boxes, traffic barriers, and underpasses).

Goals

The Asphalt Art Initiative grant program is designed to fund visual art on roadways, pedestrian spaces, and public infrastructure in cities with the following primary goals:

• Improving street and pedestrian safety
• Revitalizing and activating underutilized public space
• Promoting collaboration and civic engagement in local communities

Eligible Projects

Reflecting the larger grant size in this latest round, proposed projects should be ambitious arts driven street designs with the goal of catalytic improvements to a key location in the city. Improving road safety, especially for pedestrians and cyclists, must be a component of all proposals. Applicants may demonstrate the intended impact through a variety of approaches:

• Critical Intersections:
  • Enhancing safety, mobility, and access in crossings with concentrated pedestrian, bicycle, and/or vehicular traffic
• Major Corridors:
  • Transforming one or more important streets to enhance the walking or cycling network, including significant reallocation of space for non-motorized transportation
• Signature Destinations:
  • Improving access to culturally, historically, or otherwise significant locations at the neighborhood or civic scale
• Large New Public Spaces:
  • Creating or activating plazas or other pedestrian space with amenities such as seating, greenery or space for cultural programming
• Catalysts for Future Projects:
  • Launching or expanding ongoing programs or policies (g., Vision Zero safety program, plaza program, etc.) in the city or the region

Selection Criteria

Competitive proposals must clearly demonstrate:

• Impact
  • The chosen site is significant to the city (e.g., central location, concentrated pedestrian and vehicular traffic, cultural or regional significant).
  • The proposed project addresses a relevant and meaningful challenge faced by the identified site, the surrounding neighborhood, or the city (e.g., traffic safety, underutilized or insufficient public space, etc.), with a particular emphasis on road safety for pedestrians and/or cyclists.
  • The proposed project clearly benefits the local community and engages residents stakeholders in its planning, development, execution, and post-installation activation.
  • The proposed intervention would produce sufficient, appropriate metrics to determine success.
• Viability
  • The characteristics of the proposed site (e.g. physical layout, traffic or pedestrian volume, neighborhood context) are such that the proposed intervention has a high likelihood of success.
  • The project team and partners have the necessary authority and expertise to oversee a project of this nature.
  • The project has demonstrated support from city and community stakeholders, through existing partnerships or a thoughtful outreach/engagement plan.
  • The proposed budget and timeline are realistic and demonstrate notable in-kind city support.
• Quality & Visual Interest
  • The process for artist selection and design development is well-defined and appropriate for the proposed project, and will be overseen by someone with appropriate expertise.
  • If the artist has already been selected, the chosen artist has demonstrated creative skill and the potential to develop a visually compelling design.
  • The surface being painted is in good repair or there is a reasonable plan to repave or otherwise treat it to be receptive to the chosen materials.
  • The proposed maintenance plan is realistic and lays out clear responsibilities for keeping the mural maintained for at least two years.

Funding

The program will award 10 cities grants of up to $100,000 each, as well as on-call technical assistance from the tactical urbanism firm Street Plans and impact evaluation support from Sam Schwartz Consulting.

About

Since its founding in 1977, the El Paso Community Foundation has awarded more than $167,606,198 in grants to nonprofit organizations and individuals in the greater El Paso region. We constantly look for innovative approaches to solve community problems and to meet our community’s ever evolving needs.

The El Paso Community Foundation and its supporting organizations respond to the needs of nonprofit organizations by providing grants in the greater El Paso region.

El Paso Community Foundation Grants

Provides funding for a variety of philanthropic projects in the El Paso region, far west Texas, southern New Mexico, and northern Chihuahua, Mexico

Granting Areas of Interest:

• Arts and Humanities
• Education
• Environment/Animals
• Health and Disabilities
• Human Services (basic human needs)
• Economic Development

Granting Priorities

• Projects that will result in more effective ways of doing things — ideas that require risk-taking
• Projects that can create an impact with a moderate amount of grant money
• Projects that show collaboration with other organizations

Spring Cycle

During this cycle, we welcome proposals from organizations serving Santa Fe, Mora, Rio Arriba, and San Miguel counties that are engaged in direct service, policy advocacy, and/or collaborative efforts to improve outcomes in the following fields of interest:

Civic & Economic Opportunities

: Community members are aware of, engaged, and involved in issues that affect them.

We will support nonprofit organizations located in our funding region of Mora, Rio Arriba, San Miguel, and Santa Fe counties that work to improve the following:

• Workforce development/job creation
• Open government
• Community engagement
• Social and economic justice
• Support of hourly workers

Through direct service, policy advocacy and/or collaboration efforts, priority strategies will address:

• Improving access to employment opportunities and economic advancement by low-income and other disadvantaged community members
• Providing career counseling, job training, and other programs to low wage earners to advance their skills
• Financial literacy training
• Increasing community involvement in activities that will influence public policy to strengthen communities
• Support public policy, civic engagement, community organizing or public information to improve and strengthen local economy

Health & Human Services

All people are healthy and safe.

We will support nonprofit organizations located in our funding region of Mora, Rio Arriba, San Miguel, and Santa Fe counties that work to improve the following:

• Access to affordable housing
• Food security
• Safety
• Access to health care
• Healthy neighborhood living conditions

Through direct service, policy advocacy and/or collaboration efforts, priority strategies will address:

• Affordable housing and shelter for homeless and at-risk populations
• Access to affordable and high quality food, including food banks, pantries, and community centers that distribute food and promote healthy eating and work to address “food deserts”
• Efforts to address safety for vulnerable populations, including domestic violence and child abuse prevention, bullying prevention in schools, safety issues specific to immigrant populations, low wage workers and communities of color
• Access to health services, including programs providing un- and under-insured populations with culturally appropriate and equitable access to quality health and wellness services such behavioral health (including addiction services), senior services, and groups working on cultural and generational trauma. Priority will be given to efforts applying a social determinants of health lens to the work
• Building healthy communities including built environment and infrastructure, environmental quality (toxins and air/water quality),affordable and reliable transportation, parks and recreation
• Systems change, including public policy, civic engagement, community organizing or public information to improve health and wellbeing of local residents.

Empower Black Futures Community Fund

:  Black life, arts, and culture will be uplifted through grant making to nonprofits in the state of New Mexico.

We will support organizations that work on:

• Promoting community development through capacity building, strategic planning, professional development, and collaborative exploration.
• Fostering Black artistic expression and preserving cultural heritage through the presentation of diverse and emerging artists, the documentation and archiving of Black history, and the promoting of cultural exchange and community dialogue.
• Building financial literacy through the creation and distribution of financial resources, and providing real-world classes, counseling, and hands-on experiences to targeted businesses and families.

Grant Sizes

We offer $5,000, $10,000, $15,000, or $20,000 general operating support depending on your annual budget:

• Organizations with an annual budget up to $50,000 may apply for a $5,000 grant;
• Organizations with an annual budget between $50,001 - $150,000 may apply for a $10,000 grant;
• Organizations with an annual budget between $150,001 - $500,000 may apply for a $15,000 grant; and
• Organizations with an annual budget of $500,001 or more may apply for a $20,000 grant.

Annual Grant Cycle

Each year, Albuquerque Community Foundation awards grants through an annual grant cycle. Awards are granted to organizations providing services that support residents in the four-county Greater Albuquerque Metropolitan Area (Bernalillo, Sandoval, Torrance and Valencia). The Annual Grant Cycle is supported by over 90 endowment funds. 

Our Fields of Interest

Through the Annual Grant Cycle, we make grants in seven diverse priority areas. This allows us to meet a broad spectrum of needs while also following Albuquerque’s changing demands.

• Arts and Culture:
  • Grants in this field of interest support artistic and cultural expression of diverse communities and providing access to these experiences through the following:
    • Creative arts education including music, visual arts, and dance for youth (K-12) performing arts organizations
    • Enhancing cultural arts
    • Theater and/or Dance
• Education:
  • Grants encompass a wide range of educational supports to ensure historically marginalized communities receive opportunities that positively impact their lives and careers.
    • This may include:
      • Literacy education for K-12, early childhood education, and after school initiatives
      • Addressing adult literacy, vocational/career training and adult basic education, as well as programs to benefit seniors
      • Learning experiences for those with special needs and skills-based education programs
• Environmental & Historic Preservation:
  • Grants in this field-of-interest support preservation of environment, wildlife, and historic buildings with specific focus on:
    • Protecting natural land and resources, including the health and protection of wildlife
    • Preservation of archaeological sites and/or historical buildings, landmarks, attractions and venues
    • Climate justice efforts to improve environmental conditions (energy and water conservation, water recycling, renewable energy, etc.)
    • Educational programs and/or projects with strong community involvement related to any of the above
• Economic & Workforce Development:
  • Grants in this field-of-interest support intentional and inventive endeavors to ensure community wealth building for under-resourced populations, which can include:
    • Working towards ensuring a robust local economy
    • Contributing to social, economic, and environmental progress for entrepreneurs and the state's workforce
    • Providing innovative support systems for entrepreneurs
• Human Services:
  • Grants aid individuals as they transition to more self-sustainable lifestyles, with an emphasis on fostering self-sufficiency and nurturing families, specific to supporting traditionally underserved populations. This field-of-interest focuses on these specific areas:
    • Individuals experiencing displacement, homelessness, and/or individuals returning from incarceration
    • Assistance for sexual assault and domestic violence programs and/or support for survivors of crime
    • Support for vulnerable populations including children, families and seniors, youth aging out of foster care and individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
• Health:
  • Grants in this field-of-interest address essential needs for marginalized populations including the following programs:
    • Providing emergency care/services
    • Addressing food insecurity
    • Mental and behavioral health needs, including addressing substance abuse
    • General healthcare needs including home healthcare and hospice
    • Supporting dental health needs for individuals
• Animal Welfare:
  • This grant opportunity will support the diverse programs for animal needs including:
  • Welfare for animals (may include, but is not limited to):
    • Spay and neuter
    • Shelters
    • Basic animal health
  • Education/training
    • Resources on how best to care for animals
    • Veterinary career support, including veterinary techs
    • Education about wildlife and ecosystems
  • Programs involved in the training and certification of service animals

Funding

Awards range in size from $10,000 - $20,000.

As a short-term funder providing relatively small grants, award sizes will be determined based on organizational budget, rubric score and available funding.

Community Ties Giving Program

As part of the Community Ties Giving Program, Local Grants help us achieve our mission by providing small and medium-sized grants within our priority cause areas to local organizations spread widely across Union Pacific's footprint.

Funding Priorities & Objectives

Throughout its existence, the success of Union Pacific's business has been inextricably linked to the economic and community wellbeing of cities and towns across the nation. We take pride in the role we have played in helping communities thrive and believe the impact we can have on local communities is greatest when it is authentic to our history and reflective of the diverse company we are today.

As such, we have carefully aligned our Local Grants cause areas to our company's unique heritage, strengths, and assets. Specifically, we prioritize funding for direct services and efforts that build the capacity of organizations focused on the following causes within our local operating communities. Within each focus area, we aim to support programs and organizations working to advance the diversity, equity and inclusion of underrepresented populations within the local context and issue areas addressed. Find more information about our commitment to DEI in our FAQs.

Safety

In order for communities to thrive, all residents must feel safe. Just as the safety of our employees and community members is paramount to how we operate, Union Pacific is committed to helping communities prevent and prepare for incidents and emergencies, and helping residents get home safely at the end of each day. As such, we prioritize funding for projects and programs that seek to: 

• Encourage safe behaviors and prevent incidents through education and awareness, particularly projects which focus on rail, driver, bike, and pedestrian safety, and ensure outreach efforts reach underserved populations.
• Eliminate risks and improve safe and equitable access to community spaces through infrastructure improvements, such as signage, proper lighting, and public trail improvements.
• Prepare and equip residents and emergency responders* to effectively respond to incidents and emergencies if or when they occur.
  • *Union Pacific supports publicly funded emergency responders through a variety of corporate programs; only independent nonprofit, 501(c)(3) emergency response organizations, such as volunteer departments, are eligible for funding through this grant program
• Prevent crime and violent incidents and support survivors of domestic violence through efforts that address the root causes of these issues and seek to mitigate their occurrence.
• Build the capacity of safety-focused organizations to integrate practices that improve upon the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of the organization. This can take the form of internal capacity building or the creation/expansion of culturally relevant programming and services that seek to impact a broad and diverse audience. 

Workforce Development

For more than 160 years, Union Pacific has helped stimulate economic growth in cities and towns throughout the nation by training and providing employment to millions of workers. More than ever, we are committed to helping underrepresented residents in our communities achieve family-supporting careers like those offered by Union Pacific. As such, we prioritize funding for programs that seek to:

• Put youth on the right track by creating awareness of and pathways toward employment opportunities; building foundational skills, especially in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM); establishing necessary technical skills and life skills; and providing mentorship and positive role models for the future.
• Raise awareness of, educate and prepare young adults for middle skills jobs like those Union Pacific offers, for instance through community colleges, vocational and career training programs, workforce readiness initiatives, and programs that assist with job placement and/or on-the-job experience.
  • Programs that develop proficiency in areas relevant to Union Pacific operations such as welding, electrical work, machine operations, and civil and electrical engineering are given priority.
• "Up-skill" the existing workforce by providing training and resources that enable them to reach the next level of their career.
  • Programs that develop proficiency in areas of relevance to Union Pacific operations are given priority.
• Resolve barriers to employment such as transportation, childcare, acquiring necessary equipment for work, and second chance employment programs.
• Build the capacity of workforce development-focused organizations to integrate practices that improve upon the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of the organization. This can take the form of internal capacity building or the creation/expansion of culturally relevant programming and services that seek to impact a broad and diverse audience. 

Community Vitality

Union Pacific Railroad is committed to establishing vibrant, healthy and inclusive communities for employees, customers and residents to work, visit and call home. Just as the railroad opened avenues for economic development and opportunity more than 160 years ago, we maintain this tradition by cultivating unique cultural and recreational experiences and equipping community members with opportunities to live healthy, vital lives. As such, we prioritize funding for projects and programs that seek to:

• Create, sustain or expand artistic and cultural experiences offered to a broad and diverse audience (e.g., museums, theaters, zoos, cultural and local heritage, visual and performing arts, etc.)
• Provide recreational opportunities that foster wellbeing, enrichment and/or an appreciation for our natural environment (e.g., parks, libraries, senior centers, recreation centers, learning centers, etc.).
• Revive neighborhoods and main street areas, especially in historically underinvested neighborhoods, to improve livability, promote commerce and attract more residents, businesses and visitors to town.
• Ensure residents’ basic needs are met and barriers are overcome (e.g., safe shelter and homelessness prevention, hunger relief, mental health and community health needs, etc.).
• Offer youth development and educational opportunities to ensure young people can thrive into healthy and productive community members (e.g., mentoring, leadership development, tutoring, services for youth in foster care, etc.).
• Build the capacity of community vitality-focused organizations to integrate practices that improve upon the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of the organization. This can take the form of internal capacity building or the creation/expansion of culturally relevant programming and services that seek to impact a broad and diverse audience. 

Environmental Sustainability

The future of our business, communities and planet depends on bold, collective action to reduce and slow the impacts of climate change while building a more sustainable economy for the next generation. Union Pacific is taking deliberate steps to reduce our environmental impact and helping our partners improve their own. Extending this commitment to our community investments, we seek to support leading environmental nonprofits and community-based organizations to advance the health of our environment. As such, we prioritize funding for projects and programs that seek to:

• Preserve and restore nature, including programs focused on natural habitats, ecosystems, and biodiversity.
• Protect and enhance water, soil and air quality through innovative and proactive solutions such as water conservation, carbon sequestration and emission reduction programs.
• Reduce waste through initiatives focused on promoting recycling and circularity throughout the community, including recycling and composting programs and other efforts that reduce waste.
• Develop environmental stewards through youth programs focused on fostering environmental appreciation, responsibility, and leadership.
• Advance a sustainable economy by helping communities accelerate their transition to environmental jobs and renewable energy, as well as helping nonprofits and small businesses build their own capacity to operate more sustainably.
• Promote environmental justice through initiatives that ensure access to clean air, water, and land and protect underserved populations from disproportionate and adverse environmental effects.
• Build the capacity of sustainability-focused organizations to integrate practices that improve upon the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of the organization. This can take the form of internal capacity building or the creation/expansion of culturally relevant programming and services that seek to impact a broad and diverse audience.

About the Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico

For 35 years, your Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico (CFSNM) has served as a vehicle for people to make a lasting impact. We aim to serve, connect and support the present and future needs of our region. At your Community Foundation, we are committed to improving the quality of life in Southern New Mexico. This commitment is at the heart of all we do.

Our organization is supported by a broad base of individuals, families, corporations, and institutions connected by the desire to improve the community. We are the trusted source for Southern New Mexico, managing hundreds of philanthropic funds and endowments, including 48 nonprofit agency endowments. We stand together with our community partners, helping students reach their goals through scholarships, supporting nonprofits in sustaining their crucial missions, and elevating organizations and individuals in ways that create positive change.

Your Community Foundation serves twelve counties including: Catron, Chaves, Doña Ana, Eddy, Grant, Hidalgo, Lea, Lincoln, Luna, Otero, Sierra & Socorro. This allows us to serve as a center for charitable giving so we can come together to make a difference- from supporting the arts, creating access to education, improving health, and supporting countless other meaningful causes in Southern New Mexico. We believe in the power of community, in nurturing dreams, and in the potential of people across our region. Together, we can make an impact now and for generations to come.

Devasthali Family Foundation Fund

Drs. Ammu and Rama Devasthali created the Devasthali Family Foundation Fund in 2011 in support of the arts, education, and child hunger in southern New Mexico. This fund seeks to support both new and existing projects that positively impact those living throughout the twelve counties CFSNM serves. Non-profit organizations located in Catron, Chaves, Doña Ana, Eddy, Grant, Hidalgo, Lea, Lincoln, Luna, Otero, Sierra & Socorro Counties of New Mexico are encouraged to apply for funding.

Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Grant

The Foundation will consider requests to support museums, cultural and performing arts programs; schools and hospitals; educational, skills-training and other programs for youth, seniors, and persons with disabilities; environmental and wildlife protection activities; and other community-based organizations and programs.

The Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico

For 35 years, your Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico (CFSNM) has served as a vehicle for people to make a lasting impact. We aim to serve, connect and support the present and future needs of our region. At your Community Foundation, we are committed to improving the quality of life in Southern New Mexico. This commitment is at the heart of all we do.

Our organization is supported by a broad base of individuals, families, corporations, and institutions connected by the desire to improve the community. We are the trusted source for Southern New Mexico, managing hundreds of philanthropic funds and endowments, including 48 nonprofit agency endowments. We stand together with our community partners, helping students reach their goals through scholarships, supporting nonprofits in sustaining their crucial missions, and elevating organizations and individuals in ways that create positive change.

Your Community Foundation serves twelve counties including: Catron, Chaves, Doña Ana, Eddy, Grant, Hidalgo, Lea, Lincoln, Luna, Otero, Sierra & Socorro. This allows us to serve as a center for charitable giving so we can come together to make a difference- from supporting the arts, creating access to education, improving health, and supporting countless other meaningful causes in Southern New Mexico. We believe in the power of community, in nurturing dreams, and in the potential of people across our region. Together, we can make an impact now and for generations to come.

Dr. Robert Palmer Grant Fund

The Dr. Robert Palmer Grant Fund is offering an opportunity for grants to assist non-profit organizations in improving outcomes in Luna County, NM. Your Community Foundation seeks to support both new and existing projects that demonstrate improvement in the well-being of Luna County residents; to support healthy environments where Luna County residents live, work, and play.

The purpose of this funding is to provide non-profit support and demonstrate improved outcomes for Luna County residents as broadly defined by including one or more of the following causes:

• Animal Services
• Arts & Humanities
• Capital projects – Seed funding
• Collaboration & Coalitions – May have a fiscal sponsor if needed
• Direct non-profit services
• Education
• Health & Wellness
• Programs that support Luna County residents

The Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico

For 35 years, your Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico (CFSNM) has served as a vehicle for people to make a lasting impact. We aim to serve, connect and support the present and future needs of our region. At your Community Foundation, we are committed to improving the quality of life in Southern New Mexico. This commitment is at the heart of all we do.

Our organization is supported by a broad base of individuals, families, corporations, and institutions connected by the desire to improve the community. We are the trusted source for Southern New Mexico, managing hundreds of philanthropic funds and endowments, including 48 nonprofit agency endowments. We stand together with our community partners, helping students reach their goals through scholarships, supporting nonprofits in sustaining their crucial missions, and elevating organizations and individuals in ways that create positive change.

Your Community Foundation serves twelve counties including: Catron, Chaves, Doña Ana, Eddy, Grant, Hidalgo, Lea, Lincoln, Luna, Otero, Sierra & Socorro. This allows us to serve as a center for charitable giving so we can come together to make a difference- from supporting the arts, creating access to education, improving health, and supporting countless other meaningful causes in Southern New Mexico. We believe in the power of community, in nurturing dreams, and in the potential of people across our region. Together, we can make an impact now and for generations to come.

The Wellness Fund Grant

The Wellness Fund Grant supports non-profit organizations in their efforts to improve maternal/child health and wellness outcomes in southern New Mexico. Non-profit organizations located in Doña Ana, Hidalgo, Grant, Lincoln, Luna, Otero and Sierra counties of New Mexico are encouraged to apply for funding. Maternal/child well-being is defined broadly and may include one or more of the following area focuses:

• Education (cognitive, language, or social-emotional learning)
• Direct services
• Prevention/wellness (emotional, mental, or physical heath)
• Programmatic support (includes positive relationship groups that pertain to parents/caregivers and children)
• Social determinants of health (defined as the conditions that influence the places where we live, work, and play–such as our environment, housing, food, education, jobs, etc.) 

Grants typically range from $3,000 to $10,000 annually. Multi-year grant opportunities open in 2024 range from $20,000-$30,000.

The Rainbow Fund serves as a vehicle for people to make a lasting impact on the quality LGBTQIA+ life in our region. Supported by a base of individuals, families, businesses, and organizations with the desire to improve Southern New Mexico, through CFSNM, awards will be granted annually to organizations that serve the LGBTQIA+ community. Supported grant making will look to improving quality of life through the arts and humanities, improving mental and physical health, encouraging self-awareness, recreation and addressing youth and elderly needs in the twelve counties we serve, Catron, Chaves, Dona Ana, Eddy, Grant, Hidalgo, Lea, Lincoln, Luna, Otero, Sierra, and Socorro.

The Rainbow Fund will grant dollars to LGBTQIA+ nonprofit organizations in Southern New Mexico with a primary focus on supporting, lifting up and providing needed services to our queer communities. The Rainbow Committee strives to continue raising funds, awareness, and collaboration within LGBTQIA+ groups.

Grant funds can support direct programming while also helping individuals and families that may be in need within our queer communities.

Radical Imagination

Grant awards of $50,000 for one year are provided to individual artists, artist cooperatives, or small nonprofits who are deeply engaged with their communities to inspire and develop radical, alternative visions for the future and who are emphasizing solution building for Indigenous/Racial Justice.

This includes Artists, Creatives, Culture-bearers, Storytellers of any genre who are at any stage of their work life, but must have momentum, be visionary, and on a journey within a movement; have demonstrated experience in producing or co-designing community art projects; experience in managing funds, including any tax obligations; and a willingness to participate in broader community dialogue or participatory research.

Reimagining a better world through radical artistic visions.

The Radical Imagination Artists Grant offers power-building resources to visual and performance-based artists, writers, filmmakers, storytellers, and other creatives who are deeply engaged with their communities to develop alternative visions that inspire the Indigenous movement towards a new future and just world for all people and Mother Earth.

Radical Imagination Artists Grant Intent

The grant provides direct support to 10 individual Indigenous artists, artist collectives, or small non-profits for the development and amplification of their work. We believe in the ability of Indigenous creatives to radically imagine and develop alternative visions that inspire the Indigenous movement towards a new future and just world for all people and Mother Earth.

Radical Imagination Artists Grant supports efforts to:

Defend

Propose solutions to dismantle structural racism while defending the air, land, waters, and Indigenous rights.

Develop

Imagine and practice justice within their communities while working to build a just world for all people and Mother Earth.

Decolonize

Reclaim Indigenous lifeways while amplifying community voices to dismantle inequitable systems.

Our Mission

The Kerr Foundation, Inc. is a nonprofit charitable and educational Oklahoma corporation, established to identify and support 501(c)3 organizations, programs and institutions that provide new or enhanced opportunities for those within the granting areas, particularly the young.

Program Categories

Education - Institutions of elementary, junior high, pre-collegiate, along with institutions of higher learning to include health science centers and medical research done by educational institutions

Arts and Culture - Organizations in the visual arts and performing arts areas, museums and libraries

Health - Institutions providing health care, doing medical research, or outreach organizations employing primarily professionals from the allied health area

Human Services - Organizations providing services in diverse areas to the public, and specifically to the disadvantaged, people with special needs and the elderly

Project Categories

Capital - Bricks and mortar projects, including equipment

Program - Programs having an objective and specified time span

Operating - Funds to be used to cover basic ongoing administrative and personnel expenses

Mission

Since 1972, the New Mexico Humanities Council (NMHC) has sought to engage New Mexicans with history, culture, and diverse humanities topics through Council-conducted public programs and grant funding for special projects.

The humanities explore human interaction and reflect on the experiences and meanings of life through the study of languages, literature, history, archaeology, anthropology, philosophy, comparative religion, and interpret the arts and jurisprudence. By applying thought, reason and inquiry, we are able to understand and give meaning to our history and culture, connecting our past, present and future.

NMHC Subaward Grants

It is our desire at the New Mexico Humanities Council (NMHC) to strengthen communities throughout the state by supporting the meaningful work being done by organizations like yours. Our subaward grant program provides financial resources to humanities-focused nonprofit organizations, tribal governments and governmental institutions. Subaward grants are pass-through awards managed by NMHC, therefore other pass-through agencies may not apply. These federal funds come from the National Endowment for the Humanities and therefore reporting must adhere to federal guidelines. However, our team is here to support you every step of the way.The subaward program is designed to support publicly accessible humanities projects throughout the state that foster dialogue, encourage inquiry and foster connection. The projects we fund take many different forms, but all funded programs have the following characteristics in common. Projects are rooted in the humanities. We seek to partner with organizations with programming that help us reflect on the human condition, our lived experiences, and the ties that unite us through culture, language, ethics, the environment and tradition. The programs within projects are shaped through the participation of scholars, community elders, tradition bearers and local historians. These individuals are an integral part of programs from the conception through the final execution of the program.

While we are unable to fund performance art or the creation of other art forms, we are able to support educational talks and materials which help facilitate dialogue linked to such art forms. A few examples of the format of programs we fund include: oral history projects, interpretive site tours, panel discussions, film discussions, language preservation projects, interpretive exhibits paired with a lecture series, reading discussions and more. We work with organizations of all sizes to support humanities-based programming. Grant awards do not typically exceed $15,000.

Funding for community nonprofits

The Santa Fe Community Foundation provides several opportunities for eligible nonprofits—both statewide and in our funding region (Santa Fe, Mora, Rio Arriba, and San Miguel counties)—to apply for competitive grants.

Focus Areas-Fall Cycle

During this cycle, we welcome proposals from organizations serving Mora, Rio Arriba, San Miguel, and Santa Fe counties that are engaged in direct service, policy advocacy, and/or collaborative efforts to improve outcomes in the following fields of:

• Arts and Culture
• Animal Welfare
• Education
• Envision Fund ( LGBTQ+)
• Environment
•  Native American Advised Fund
• Santa Fe Baby Fund 

Grant Sizes

We offer $5,000, $10,000, $15,000, or $20,000 general operating support depending on your annual budget:

• Organizations with an annual budget up to $50,000 may apply for a $5,000 grant;
• Organizations with an annual budget between $50,001 - $150,000 may apply for a $10,000 grant;
• Organizations with an annual budget between $150,001 - $500,000 may apply for a $15,000 grant; and
• Organizations with an annual budget of $500,001 or more may apply for a $20,000 grant.

Who We Are

The Nusenda Foundation is a nonprofit organization that was established in 2015 to support and expand the credit union’s philanthropic efforts and community outreach. The foundation aims to enhance the education, health, social and economic conditions of the communities our members live in. Through holistic and comprehensive partnerships with organizations across the state, we work together to champion programs that are carefully cultivated to authentically serve our unique and diverse population and the challenges they face.

Community Rewards Giving

Our primary giving program, Community Rewards®, represents our values, supports our objectives, and strengthens the well-being of communities across New Mexico. Nusenda is committed to making a positive impact and supporting organizations and community initiatives that members care about. When members opt-in to Community Rewards, every signature-based transaction with their Nusenda Visa® debit cards helps the Nusenda Foundation contribute a cash reward to key initiatives and community focus areas. 

To be considered, your organization must provide services in one of our five focus areas:

• Education
• Healthcare
• Environment & Wildlife
• The Arts
• Community Services & Support

Applicants are evaluated based on:

• Alignment to Nusenda Credit Union and the Nusenda Foundation’s values and focus areas
• Organization history and financials
• Successful program implementation
• Overall organizational impact and performance

Amount

Community Rewards grant sizes vary from organization to organization based on need. Typically, grants are no smaller than $2,500 and do not exceed $15,000 for any given program. Nusenda Foundation is often unable to fund grant requests in full; if awarded, applicants should expect to receive no less than 30% of their total ask. Nusenda Foundation receives more requests for funds than we can fulfill. Applicants are encouraged to be mindful of these constraints when requesting resources.

Please see FAQs for additional guidelines.

Background

The McCune Charitable Foundation supports community-based work in the State of New Mexico that aligns with our nine Foundation Priorities and their corresponding Leverage Points. The best fit for our funding are organizations that work collaboratively across our priority areas to support community well-being and create long term impact, and whose leadership and expertise come from those who are closest to and most affected by the organization's work.

Priority Areas

Capacity Building in the Non-Profit Sector 

The McCune Foundation supports initiatives that build operational capacities for non-profits, making expertise in communications, finance, leadership development, organizational development and other areas more broadly available in service of a more structurally equitable and resilient sector

Economic Development & Family Asset Building

A Foundation priority is to create and expand the economic base in New Mexico and to view its grant making through an economic development lens whenever possible, in particular supporting programs and organizations that seek to foster entrepreneurship across sectors. The Foundation also supports programs and initiatives that support and help drive growth in family assets across the diverse communities of the state, enabling a broader base of economic stability for our families.

Education Transformation

The McCune Charitable Foundation holds equity as a core value, and sees equitable access to engaging and culturally relevant education as a key component of thriving, prosperous communities. New Mexico is blessed to be home to diverse cultures, languages, and traditions that make learning and growing up here in the 21st century an experience that is uniquely rooted in place and community. This is an asset that was unfortunately ignored by 20th century models of education, but is beginning to be recognized now.

Leveraging Opportunities in Health Care

After many generations in relationship with the land, vegetation and elements in New Mexico, communities have developed ways to sustain physical and mental health and wellness that often involve uses of medicinal plants, traditional practices and community support. Many of these traditions have endured and been adapted to contemporary contexts as alternatives and complements to modern approaches. Introduction of newer, less healthy diets and practices have taken a toll, however, with many New Mexicans facing challenges that traditional modalities sometimes cannot address.

Local Food Industry Development

Far too often, existing food systems (referring to all the processes, infrastructure and activities related to feeding a community) in the state of New Mexico contribute to poor nutritional outcomes for individuals and families, especially those considered low income. Not only does New Mexico have among the highest obesity and diabetes rates in the nation as a result of these significant shortcomings, the systems in question also contribute little to the state economy, with as much as 80 percent of all money spent on food and nutrition leaving the state, according to the New Mexico State University Extension Service.

Building Links Between Arts and Community Engagement

The arts play a significant role in the culture and history of New Mexico and contribute substantially to the state’s economic and civic livelihoods. The McCune Foundation supports efforts that seek to leverage arts, creative expression, and culturally relevant, transformative experiences for the purpose of inspiring and driving higher levels of community and civic engagement.

Stewardship in Community

As we face growing disruption due to climate change, it is our frontline communities–those who experience the "first and worst" of the consequences of climate change–that will be the primary focus of the Foundation's support. Frontline communities include tribal and rural communities, and in urban areas, lower and middle income families and communities of color living in areas that have been negatively impacted by poor infrastructure and industrial practices.

Influencing Planning of Built Environments

Well-conceived built environments provide a key platform for many functions of family and civic life and are fundamentally connected to many factors that contribute to community health. These functions include economic development and higher levels of community and civic engagement, among others. The Foundation supports the development of built environments across the state that seek to take advantage of the role these environments can play to move New Mexican families toward a more prosperous and healthy future.

Strategies for Rural Development

New Mexico is the fifth largest state in the nation in terms of land area and, somewhat conversely, it is the 36th most populous state. This means that New Mexico is largely rural, with 26 out of 33 counties considered “frontier counties” (six or fewer people per square mile). While a majority of the population in the state lives in four urban areas (Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Rio Rancho and Santa Fe), New Mexico maintains a significant population base that honors its rural roots. Among many New Mexico communities, a rural way of life supports a fundamental cultural connection with the landscape of the state and to the values that many families honor and maintain.

Please refer to FAQ for additional guidelines.

WESTAF’s TourWest Grant provides flexible funding for presenters/presenting organizations within the WESTAF region to support their regional touring program. WESTAF also encourages the inclusion of community/educational outreach as part of an organization’s presentation of touring artists. 

TourWest is a competitive grant program funded by the National Endowment for the Arts to provide subsidies to arts and community organizations in the 13-state WESTAF region and jurisdictions, including Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa for the presentation of touring performers and literary artists. 

Through TourWest, WESTAF and the National Endowment for the Arts aim to encourage the presentation of performing arts programming to culturally diverse audiences and those that do not typically enjoy ready access to the performing arts. In order to understand local needs and interests, WESTAF advocates working directly with individuals and groups from the communities that your organization seeks to serve. Community engagement and participation are key components of a successful TourWest grant application. 

WESTAF defines regional touring as programming that presents out-of-state touring artists and/or in-state touring artists traveling at least 50 miles to your venue. Presenters/presenting organizations are defined as organizations that present or host guest artists for engagements in their communities. Presenters can include but are not limited to community cultural organizations, community centers, churches, schools/colleges/universities, libraries, museums, film festivals/series, and performing arts centers. Typically, producing organizations or performing arts groups are not considered presenters, and are encouraged to contact WESTAF to discuss eligibility.

TourWest seeks to support the engagement of new audiences as well as collaboration between the presenters, artists, agents, and communities. In addition to working collaboratively with the artist(s) and/or community partners in planning the project, WESTAF encourages presenters to take advantage of opportunities such as block booking, presenter networks, and booking conferences to reduce costs and make artistic opportunities available to a broader audience. Partnerships and collaborative efforts between presenters are considered in the panel’s evaluation of an application and project.

Program Overview

Creative West’s TourWest grant program, supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, provides funding to presenters and presenting organizations to bring touring performers and literary artists to communities throughout the Western region.

Regional touring is defined as:

Programming that brings out-of-state touring artists to your venue, or In-state artists traveling at least 50 miles from their home base TourWest focuses on expanding access to the performing arts, especially in underserved communities.

To support this goal:

• Creative West encourages working closely with local individuals and groups to understand and meet community needs.
• Applicants are urged to include community engagement or educational outreach activities in their projects.
• Collaboration with artists, agents, and community partners is highly encouraged, along with strategies like block booking and using presenter networks to reduce costs and maximize impact.