The ArtsFairfax Project Support Grants serve arts organizations with funding to support projects that engage Fairfax County residents.
Donor Name: ArtsFairfax
State: Virginia
County: Fairfax County (VA)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 07/05/2026
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
As ArtsFairfax embraces the county’s One Fairfax racial and social equity policy, arts organizations receiving ArtsFairfax grants must intentionally examine their operations, programs, and services to ensure that equity, diversity, access, and inclusion are taken into consideration with decision-making, development, and implementation. Project Support Grants are awarded in four grant subcategories, including Arts in Education, Opportunity, Partnerships, and Arts Access.
Objectives
The ArtsFairfax Project Support Grant seeks to:
- Provide financial and other means of support to both established and emerging arts organizations.
- Promote opportunities for arts organizations of all disciplines to create, present, and celebrate their artistic endeavors.
- Be a catalyst for increased private sector support for arts organizations through leveraged public funding.
- Encourage wide participation in the arts through diverse cultural programming available to all residents of Fairfax County.
- Support activities that would not normally be part of your organization’s usual activities.
Categories
- Arts in Education:
- Arts in Education projects provide high-impact art experiences. Projects may take place in schools, after-school programs, or nonprofit agencies such as art centers, social service agencies, and parks and recreation facilities that provide services to youth and/or adults. Project Support Grants can support artist’s fees and travel, space rental, transportation, advertising, publicity, scripts, costumes, sets, props, music, art supplies, and equipment rental or purchase.
- Opportunity:
- Opportunity projects provide the resources for an organization to take advantage of an atypical or out-of-the-ordinary opportunity that otherwise would be out of reach. Opportunity projects should further the growth and development of the applicant organization or engage audiences in new arts experiences. Project Support Grants can
support performances by guest artists, activities, or infrastructure enhancements, including programs, exhibitions, and performances for diverse populations (including, but not limited to age, race, cultural background, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, marital status, disability, socio-economic status, or neighborhood of residence) and/or in underserved areas of the Fairfax County.
- Opportunity projects provide the resources for an organization to take advantage of an atypical or out-of-the-ordinary opportunity that otherwise would be out of reach. Opportunity projects should further the growth and development of the applicant organization or engage audiences in new arts experiences. Project Support Grants can
- Partnerships with Individual Artists, Artist Teams/Cooperatives, and/or non-501(c)(3) Arts Groups:
- Partnerships enable a nonprofit arts organization to collaborate with an artist, artist teams/cooperatives, and/or non-501(c)(3) arts groups. The nonprofit arts organization must serve as the applicant. Project Support Grants can support the production of public art, performances, exhibitions, workshops, commissions, arts in education projects, and culturally unique projects that directly benefit artistic development and recognition.
- Arts Access:
- Arts Access projects strengthen arts engagement by allocating resources to underserve and economically disadvantaged communities and districts. These projects provide arts programming and reduce the costs of or distance to high-quality arts experiences (theater productions, concerts, presentations, exhibitions, learning, workshops, etc.) in communities where limited arts access has been documented. Arts and cultural organizations located in these communities as well as organizations from throughout Fairfax County and the Cities of Fairfax and Falls Church may apply.
Funding Information
Project Support Grants range from $1,000 to $25,000.
Grant Period
July 1, 2026-June 30, 2027.
Uses of Funds
The Grantee will use the funds solely for the purposes approved by ArtsFairfax as described in the Project Support Grant Guidelines. Grant funds may not be used for fundraising activities, such as capital campaigns or endowment campaigns, construction or renovation projects, political advocacy costs, activities not open to the general public, debt retirement, pre-grant costs, re-granting, faith-based activities, proselytizing, promoting any one faith over another, or events that would be inappropriate for a diverse, multicultural or multigenerational audience. All revenues generated with project funds during the grant period must be reported as program income and all listed expenses must be incurred during the grant period.
Eligibility Criteria
- An organization is eligible to apply if:
- It has as a core mission the creation, exhibition, presentation, production, or performance of and/or education in an arts discipline and is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization with current or pending status. A specifically defined arts division or arts program within a larger 501(c)3 organization is also eligible to apply.
- It has regular activity in a minimum of four different months or 120 days in the year.
- It presents at least 51% of public arts activities within the geographical boundaries of Fairfax County, the City of Fairfax, or the City of Falls Church.
- It has an address of record within the geographical boundaries of Fairfax County, the City of Fairfax, or the City of Falls Church and satisfies ONE of the following three criteria for at least one year:
- Meet, rehearse, exhibit, and operate within the geographical boundary o Fairfax County, the City of Fairfax, or the City of Falls Church.
- 51% of its board members work or reside in Fairfax County, the City of Fairfax, or the City of Falls Church.
- 51% of attendees at performances, exhibits, events, and activities reside Fairfax County, the City of Fairfax, or the City of Falls Church evidenced through acceptable statistical data. including but not limited to ticket analysis, subscription data, box office surveys, and audience surveys.
- Additional eligibility requirements:
- An organization must be in compliance with all local, state, and federal laws.
- If an organization does not hold 501(c)(3) status in its own right, they may have a fiscal sponsor that holds 501(c)(3) status. The fiscal sponsor must manage all grant funds and ensure compliance with the terms of the grant if an award is made.
- An organization must have independently prepared financial statements, such as an audit or a treasurer’s report (audit only required for organizations with two consecutive years of income of $1,000,000 and above).
- The applicant must have submitted all required final reports for any grants received from ArtsFairfax during the previous fiscal year.
- The applicant must maintain an ArtsFairfax Directory profile and list activities on the Events Calendar on the ArtsFairfax website.
For more information, visit ArtsFairfax.
