Creative Sonoma Announces Two Arts Grants Supporting Nonprofit Arts Producers and Public School Districts

Creative Sonoma is announcing a third round of funding for public school districts to encourage and support delivery of arts education to TK-12 students across the county, as well as a second round of funding for nonprofit arts and cultural organizations to support both special projects and regular programming.

“Through Creative Sonoma, the County is investing in the social cohesion of our communities countywide, in our neighborhoods, and in our schools,” said Supervisor James Gore, Chair of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors.

Arts Impact Grants for Organizations
Grants are available to support cultural arts activities across Sonoma County that will occur between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2023. Nonprofit arts and culture organizations, including museums, as well as culturally specific organizations that produce arts and culture programs, services, and events are eligible to apply. Applicants may request up to $10,000; most grants will be in the $5,000-$7,500 range.

Arts Impact Grants are designed to help sustain Sonoma County’s creative and cultural nonprofits and to advance their impact in our community. Grantees will expand arts and culture opportunities for County residents and visitors. Given the urgency of Sonoma County’s climate change challenges, applications for projects that also advance the community’s awareness and understanding of environmental sustainability are encouraged. Successful applicants will demonstrate a commitment to providing equitable access to and participation from communities of color and other traditionally marginalized communities.

Arts Education Framework Grants
The arts education grant will be awarded to Sonoma County school districts to support customization of an arts education strategic plan for their district. The program will provide for individualized consulting in the planning process as well as grant funds for implementation.

Applicants may request up to $7,500; most grant awards will be in the $5,000 range. Grantee Leadership Teams, including administrators, teachers, parents, and arts providers will work together as a cohort over the grant period for peer learning and professional development.
The program prioritizes plans that reach students who have limited access to arts education and/or live and attend school in geographically or economically underserved areas of the county. Rural districts, and those located in improvement areas as defined by the 2021 Update to Portrait of Sonoma are especially encouraged to apply.

According to Supervisor Gore, “The benefits of arts education have been proven many times over -- especially for students from low-income backgrounds. If these students receive an ‘arts-rich’ education in school, they are five times less likely to drop out of school and three times more likely to get a bachelor’s degree. Building strategies to ensure that all our students have access to quality arts instruction is an investment strategy with long-lasting impact for our whole county.”

These two grant programs are part of Creative Sonoma’s menu of programs to serve the county’s arts and cultural organizations, teaching artists, arts education providers, and education communities. Details about both programs can be found at: www.CreativeSonoma.org/grants. For more information, please contact Samantha Kimpel, Samantha.kimpel@sonoma-county.org.

Grant Workshop Schedule:
Arts Impact for Organizations:
August 24, 2022: 1:00 pm (via Zoom) – General information and application workshop
Deadline to Apply: September 14, 2022

Arts Education Framework Grants
August 25, 2022: 5:00 pm (via zoom) – General information and application workshop
Deadline to Apply: October 12, 2022