The Essex County Division of Cultural and Historic Affairs receives generous support from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State and the New Jersey Historical Commission which they regrant to support local arts and history organizations.
Donor Name: Essex County Division of Cultural and Historic Affairs
State: New Jersey
County: Essex County (NJ)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 08/15/2026
Size of the Grant: Not Available
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
Non-profit organizations within Essex County that offer cultural and/or historical programming are encouraged to learn more about this grant opportunity. Applications for both the arts and history grant programs are made available each year on June 1st. Funding periods run from January to December of a given year. Grants are available for Special Projects or General Operating Support.
The goal of this program is to support local organizations so that they can bring their programs, exhibits, performances, and other public engagement opportunities to as many possible. The program includes this grant funding program, quarterly networking and informational meetings, and professional development opportunities throughout the year
Types of Grants
- General Operating Support (GOS) Grants are available to support the overall operations of non-profit organizations whose missions are exclusively devoted to either history or arts. Requests for funding may not exceed 30% of the applicant’s annual expense budget. These grants are non-restricted, nonproject funds. The first $5,000 of GOS grants must be matched one dollar for every dollar awarded (1:1).
- Special Project Support (SPS) Grants are available to support the cost of a history-related or art-related special project of the applicant. For the history grant, the special project must be wholly dedicated to local or New Jersey history, and for the arts grant it must be wholly dedicated to arts locally or in New Jersey. All projects or programs must be open to the general public. Requests can be made for up to 50% of the special project’s expenses. The first $5,000 of SPS grants must be matched one dollar for every dollar awarded (1:1).
Funding Information
Awards are between $500 and $10,000.
Grant Period
Funding applied for in 2026 must be used between January and December, 2027.
Eligibility Criteria
All applicants must:
- Be located in Essex County and primarily serve the constituency of Essex County.
- Be incorporated in New Jersey as a non-profit corporation or a unit of government.
- Be tax exempt by the Internal Revenue Service as an IRC 501(c)3 or (c)4 entity.
- If History: May not be receiving funding from the New Jersey Historical Commission or from another county historical affairs agency.
- If Arts:
- May not be receiving funding from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts or from another county arts agency.
- If a previous grantee: Must be in good standing through the completion of payments, as well as interim and final reports for past projects by the deadline.
- Be in compliance with all pertinent State and Federal regulations including, but not limited to:
- Civil Rights Act of 1964 which bars discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex and disability.
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) which requires all providers of public programs and services to ensure that those programs and services can be enjoyed by all citizens, including those with disabilities.
For more information, visit DPRCA.
