The New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Mercer County and the Board of County Commissioners make funds available for support of the arts through a State/County Block Grant/Partnership for County Arts Agencies from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.
Donor Name: New Jersey State Council on the Arts
State: New Jersey
County: Mercer County (NJ)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 08/29/2025
Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
This three-year block grant provides essential support for the State arts community, particularly for local arts groups.
Priorities for Funding
In addition to the evaluation criteria, importance is placed on:
- Innovation in programming or projects
- Collaborations or partnerships, especially between culturally diverse organizations and artists
- Demonstration of benefits to culturally diverse or underserved populations
- Inclusion of and service to artists who are disabled
- Demonstrated efforts to expand outreach efforts and programming to attract new audiences.
Funding Categories
Applicants may apply for either a General Operating Support (GOS) or Special Project Support (SP) grant each grant cycle. See both grant category specifications to determine eligibility:
- General Operating Support (GOS): General Operating Support grants are available only to non-profit organizations whose missions are exclusively devoted to the public presentation of, and/or education in, the arts. GOS funds provide support for the overall operations of these organizations for the calendar year. Although there are specific uses for GOS funds that are considered ineligible, GOS funds may be used for most activities that support the organization’s arts mission.
- Special Project Support (SP): This category is open to any organization that meets the basic eligibility requirements of the LAP grant. A special project is a public arts activity or event that occurs during the grant year with specific start and completion dates. The project may contain multiple events or activities, but these must be clearly related by discipline or theme.
Art Disciplines
Arts programs and projects must fall under at-least one of the following disciplines:
- Dance
- Instrumental or Vocal Music
- Theatre or Musical Theatre
- Visual and Media Arts
- Folk Arts and Crafts (if they reflect authentic traditions practiced by master artists)
- Literary Arts
- Composition
- Multi-Disciplinary
- Multi-Media Projects.
Funding Request Caps
- For General Operating Support (GOS) the maximum amount of grant funds an organization may request is 30% of the average of last year and the current year total operating income, not to exceed $7,000.
- For Special Project (SP) support, the maximum allowable request would be 50% or less of the total estimated expense budget for that specific project. Project costs would be separate from the estimated expense budget for the applicant organization. Total amount requested may not exceed $7,000.
Grant Period
January 1 – December 31, 2026.
Eligibility Criteria
- Nonprofit organizations, libraries, and/or institutions of higher education based in Mercer County are eligible to apply for the Mercer County Local Arts Program (LAP) grant if they have been offering or presenting arts programming for at least the past two years.
- For the Fiscal Year 2026 to 2028 (FY26–28) grant cycles, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts (NJSCA) has reinstated eligibility for units of local government, K–12 schools, and school districts, allowing them to apply directly for LAP grants. While these applicants can choose to partner with a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization on a project, it is no longer a requirement to do so.
- At the time of application, an organization must be incorporated as a nonprofit in the State of New Jersey and designated tax-exempt by determination of the Internal Revenue Service (in accordance with Sections 501(c) 3 or (c) 4). Organizations whose filings with the IRS for tax exempt status are in-process and on schedule to be determined may be considered for a LAP grant if they identify a current 501(c)(3 or 4) New Jersey nonprofit to serve as a fiscal agent. In such a case, a letter of agreement from that fiscal agent must be included with this application, along with a copy of the agency’s IRS determination letter.
For more information, visit New Jersey State Council on the Arts.
