The Arts Alive grant category is one of ArtsWestchester’s most effective means of supporting arts activities for the region’s geographically, economically, and ethnically diverse population.
Donor Name: ArtsWestchester
State: New York
County: Rockland County (NY), Westchester County (NY)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 03/03/2026
Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
This funding opportunity helps to ensure that residents throughout the region have access to the arts in their communities, particularly in areas where access is limited.
- Programmatic/Artistic Excellence
- Impact and Benefits to the Community
- Managerial/Fiscal Oversight and Viability
- Diversity and Inclusiveness
Are there funding priorities?
An essential priority of the 2026 Arts Alive funding cycle is to engage new, first-time applicants. With limited funds available, ArtsWestchester identified the following additional priorities:
- Emerging cultural organizations
- Projects that reach under-resourced Westchester or Rockland communities (those that may be marginalized due to geography, race, economic status, gender, sexual preference, age, religion or disability)
- Projects that reflect cultural traditions or contemporary expressions of a particular heritage/nationality/ethnicity
Funding Categories
- There are TWO distinct Arts Alive funding opportunities available to both Counties: Community Impact and Individual Artist. Matching funds are not required in either of the following categories:
- Community Impact (formerly Project) constitutes the largest component of the Arts Alive funding category. These grants support accessible, open to the public, community-based arts and cultural projects developed by cultural groups and organizations, individual artists, and collectives; and other types of nonprofit organizations that offer arts activities as part of their on-going operations may also apply. Awards Range: $1,000-$7,500.
- Education will not be offered as its own category for the 2026 grant cycle. Inschool, education-based proposals will be considered within the Community Impact category.
- Individual Artists – Creation of New Work grants primarily support the creation and subsequent presentation of new/original work by professional artists. The project should also reflect and engage a segment of the community. Activities such as an exhibition or performance of the new work that is open to the public, and/or the inclusion of community involvement in the development and creative process are engagement examples. While public engagement is an important component of this category, the primary emphasis is on the artists creation of new work. Awards Range: $1,000-$5,000.
Project Period
Projects must take place between June 1, 2026 and May 31, 2027.
Eligibility Criteria
For Organizations
Organizations may apply for Community Impact grants. Eligible organizations must:
- Be designated as a New York State not-for-profit, based in Westchester or Rockland and whose primary area of service is within Westchester or Rockland.
- Be governed by an active board of trustees that meets regularly or be able to demonstrate that it is working toward establishing such a board
- Conduct all activities in a way that does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, disability, gender, or sexual orientation.
For Individual Artist
Applicants/artists must be at least 18 years of age at the time of application. Individual Artist applicants must be current New York State residents and must reside in Westchester or Rockland counties at the time of the application and for the duration of the project. Proof of residency is required. All documents must contain the individual’s name and address and documentation must be dated no earlier than 2022. For the Individual Artist category, you must reside in the county in which your project will take place.
For more information, visit ArtsWestchester.
