COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
Arts organization continuity grants
For information on COVID-19 resources for Berkeley arts organizations, artists, cultural workers, and event producers, see: COVID-19 support for businesses and the arts community.
The City of Berkeley has launched the Berkeley Arts Organization Continuity Grants, an emergency relief fund with an allocation of $1 million to help mitigate COVID-19 related financial losses that Berkeley’s arts organizations have suffered.
Through this program the City of Berkeley is making grants of up to $25,000 available to Berkeley-based nonprofit arts organizations as early gap funding to help stabilize these organizations as they grapple with the initial financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Deadline
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis beginning on Monday, March 30, 2020 at 9 AM (PDT). The application window for the first round of Arts Organization Relief Funding closes on Monday, April 20, 2020 at 5 PM (PDT).
Eligibility
- Organization must be located in the City of Berkeley.
- Organization must have been in operation in Berkeley for no less than one year.
- Organization must have a majority (51% or more) of its arts activities in Berkeley for no less than one year.
- Organization must be one of the following:
A nonprofit tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization with a mission statement clearly focused on the development, production, and/or presentation of arts and culture.
An ongoing program of a non‐arts or service‐based nonprofit organization that is focused on the development, production, and/or presentation of arts and culture.
Fiscally sponsored organization with mission statement clearly focused on the development, production, and/or presentation of arts and culture. (Applicants WITHOUT tax‐exempt 501(c)(3) status must have a tax‐exempt 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor.)
To apply
Complete the on-line application form. Applications will only be accepted through Submittable. See instructions on how to create a Submittable account.
The application was designed to take no more than one hour to complete. Civic Arts staff is available to provide technical assistance with the use of the Submittable platform.
Application Workshop
Get help applying at an online workshop Wednesday, April 8 at 10am.
We'll review the grant guidelines and how to use the online application form. There will be time for questions.
To sign up, email civicarts@cityofberkeley.info or call (510) 981-7539.
Funding determination
The intention of this Berkeley Relief Fund for Arts Organizations is to provide emergency gap funding to replace some portion of lost earned revenue due to impacts of COVID-19 and to do so using an Cultural Equity lens. Therefore, all eligible organizations will receive some funding and some organizations will receive a supplemental amount based upon the Cultural Equity criteria.
Relief grant award amounts are capped at no more than $25,000 awarded to any one organization as part of this first round of funding.
Review process & turn-around
Funding decisions will be made on a rolling basis, based on meeting eligibility and review criteria, and award notice will be delivered via email within 10 business days after the City's receipt of an application.
Checks will be mailed, so grantees must account for processing and mail delivery times.
Reporting
Grantees will be required to submit a very brief final report approximately six months after receipt of the award. The final report will ask how the grant was used and what occurred as a result of receiving funding.
Questions
If you have additional questions about the relief fund or the application process, contact Civic Arts staff at civicarts@cityofberkeley.info or call (510) 981-7539.
Other City of Berkeley Relief Funds
Information on the other two City of Berkeley emergency relief grant programs may be found at:
Last updated August 17, 2020