The City of Oakland is accepting applications for its 2025 Neighborhood Voices for Festivals Grant Program.
Donor Name: City of Oakland
State: California
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 08/22/2024
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
This grant opportunity amplifies the cultural expressions, stories, and heritage found within Oakland’s neighborhoods and their community members who historically have not received equitable investments of resources or recognition.
Festivals supported by this grant opportunity must be in-person Oakland arts and cultural activities that are free and open to the public. This grant is festivals that are one- or multi-day events, that generally occur one time per year, and is not intended to fund ongoing programming. If you are conducting a single standing event, such as a performance or concert, this would not qualify as a festival.
Applications from the following are encouraged:
- Festivals that lift-up the cultural identity of a people or the historical significance of a neighborhood;
- Racial/ethnic-specific communities or other types of communities that are under-recognized or lack visibility in Oakland;
- Festivals in neighborhoods with few formal cultural resources (such as, cultural centers, performance venues, art galleries, cultural education programs, etc.); and
- Partners who are deeply grounded and engaged in the neighborhood where the festival is based.
Funding Information
Applicants may request up to 50% of the projected expenses for the festival, not to exceed $14,000.
The following changes are being implemented for 2025:
- Applicants may request up to 50% of the projected expenses for the festival, not to exceed $14,000 (max amount may increase depending on City budget outcomes)
- Festivals must take place within the calendar year of 2025, between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025
Eligibility Criteria
- Proof of Residency: Applicant organizations must be based in Oakland at the time of the application and maintain Oakland residency throughout the grant period. Applicants must submit proof of organization’s residency by submitting a recent copy of one of the following: utility bill (landline phone, PG&E, water, or cable bill), rental lease, or mortgage documentation. P.O. Box is not acceptable.
- Registered Non-Profit & Good Standing with State Agencies:
- CA Secretary of State Business Search: Applicant or their Fiscal Sponsor must be a registered nonprofit IRS 501c3 status with a street address in Oakland. In addition, the legal name of the organization must match the name provided in the California Secretary of State website and be listed as “Active.”
- Attorney General Registry of Charitable Trust: Applicant or their Fiscal Sponsor must be in “Current” standing with the Office of the Attorney General’s Registry of Charitable Trusts.
- Federal Regulation Compliance: Applicants must comply with all federal regulations pertaining to federal grant recipients by meeting the provisions of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1963; Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; Americans with Disabilities Act and Age Discrimination Act of 1975.
- Evidence of Insurance: Once the grant is awarded, organizations must show evidence of:
- General Commercial Liability insurance, $2M per occurrence ($1M reduction request available);
- Workers Compensation insurance, $1M per occurrence (if organization has employees);
- Auto insurance, $1M per occurrence (if applicable); and
- Abuse and Sexual Molestation Insurance, $1M per occurrence (if working with vulnerable populations, which include but are not limited to: youth under the age of 18, the unhoused community, people with developmental disabilities, Alzheimer’s, Dementia)
- Arts & Culture Focus: Organizations that are not primarily arts and/or cultural providers are eligible only if this will be an arts and cultural festival. Sporting events, Conferences, Symposiums and Summits are not eligible for this grant opportunity.
For more information, visit City of Oakland.
