The StartUp Program develops and strengthens the management capacity of arts organizations while providing modest support for operating expenses.
Donor Name: Delaware Division of the Arts
State: Delaware
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Program
Deadline: 03/02/2026
Size of the Grant: Not Available
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
The StartUp Program serves as the gateway foremerging arts organizations to enter Delaware Division of the Arts’ (DDOA) General Operating Support (GOS) grant program.
Funding Information
StartUp Program funding consists of operating support up to $2,500 and a program of training classes and consulting with Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement (DANA).
Grant Period
September 1, 2026, and August 31, 2027.
Eligible Expenses
Funding from StartUp Program grants may be used to support most aspects of an arts organization’s annual operating expenses, such as:
- Artists’ fees
- Administrative costs
- Contractual services
- Facilities operations (utilities, routine maintenance.)
- Marketing or publicity of events/activities
- Personnel (salaries, benefits…)
- Supplies and materials
- Professional development (workshops, seminars, conferences, excluding creditearning post-secondary coursework)
- Technical costs
- Travel (domestic) and other operational expenses necessary to deliver arts programs and services.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for StartUp, applicants must:
- Have the promotion, presentation, production, and/or teaching of the arts as their primary purpose as outlined in their charter, incorporation papers, bylaws, and IRS nonprofit determination letter.
- Have a stable, functioning board of directors that meets at least quarterly.
- Be based and chartered in Delaware as a nonprofit organization; exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) or 509(a) of the Internal Revenue Code; and eligible to receive donations allowable as charitable contributions under Section 170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954.
- Have provided continuous public arts programming for at least two years at time of application.
- Have total operating income of more than $16,000 for the last completed fiscal year.
- Submit a Letter of Intent Form through smARTDE no later than January 15, 2026, and receive approval to apply. It is strongly advised that new applicants contact DDOA prior to submitting a Letter of Intent Form.
For more information, visit Delaware Division of the Arts.
