The Community Arts Grants is aims to support the creation and presentation of arts in the communities.
Donor Name: Oshkosh Area Community Foundation
State: Wisconsin
County: Green Lake County (WI), Waushara County (WI), Winnebago County (WI)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 05/01/2026
Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
Participation in arts and cultural activities enriches the lives of individuals, promotes interaction among residents, provides opportunities to deepen learning, and builds community across groups with diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds.
In order to support local arts programming, the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation applies annually for a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board, the state agency that nurtures creativity, cultivates expression, promotes the arts, supports the arts in education, and stimulates community and economic development. All funds received are matched with local community donations to the Fund for the Arts, and then re-granted to arts organizations or nonprofit groups with innovative arts programming.
Priorities
Community Arts Grants support the creation and presentation of arts in the community. Proposed projects can be any artistic discipline or combination of artistic media.
- Priority will be given to proposals that align with one or more of the following criteria:
- Demonstrates innovation and originality, such as introducing a new theme, focus, or concept.
- Exhibits artistic excellence and quality in the proposed project or program.
- Shows significant artistic impact, including considerations of diversity, audience engagement, and educational value.
- Engages audiences who do not typically have access to or interact with the arts on a regular basis.
- Facilitates collaboration among arts organizations, individual artists, venues, community groups, and local residents to enrich the cultural landscape of our community.
Funding Information
Grant awards are typically less than $5,000.
Eligibility Criteria
- Enhance local arts programming and educational offerings within Winnebago County, Waushara County, Green Lake County, or the City of Ripon.
- Involve an activity that is open to the public such as an exhibition, a performance, a workshop, a residency, a lecture/demonstration, or a publication. A fee for admission or publication may be charged.
- Not request grant funding exceeding 50% of the total project costs.
- Ensure that all grant-supported activities are held in spaces that are accessible to everyone. Applicants are encouraged to review the Arts & Culture Accessibility Self-Assessment created by Open Door Arts, which provides a free personalized report to help you assess current practices and identify areas for growth.
What Is Not Funded
- Grants to individual artists.
- Events or performances that serve primarily as fundraisers for an organization.
- Travel costs for projects or performances that occur outside of the greater Oshkosh area.
- Hospitality expenses, i.e. entertainment, refreshments or food at receptions, parties or gallery openings. (These may appear in your project budget but cannot be funded by Community Arts grant dollars.)
- Payments for expenses incurred before grant approval.
- Activities that have a religious purpose.
- Activities held by organizations that discriminate on the grounds of race, color or national origin, or on the basis of age or sex.
For more information, visit OACF.
