Before applying, please review the full program guidelines for detailed information on program requirements and eligibility.

• Application Deadline: April 30, 2026, 11:59 PM
• Grant Request Amount: Up to $50,000
• Grant Activity Period: October 1, 2026 — September 30, 2027
• Estimated Arrival of Funds: January — March 2027

Background & Purpose

The State-Local Partner Mentorship (SLP-M) program is intended to support the establishment of a county-designated local arts agency in each of the two counties in which no such agency has currently been identified (Glenn and Kings). Grant funds will go to two existing State-Local Partners (SLP) to foster the development of new SLPs in these counties.

A local arts agency is defined as the official county-designated organization that supports arts and cultural activity in service to individuals and communities throughout an entire county. Local arts agencies provide financial support, services, and/or other programming to a variety of arts organizations, individual artists, and the community as a whole. A local arts agency can be an agency of local government, a nonprofit organization, or a hybrid of the two.

The CAC expects that an active SLP will be established in the identified county within 2-3 years, either as a unit of County government or an independent 501(c)(3), and that the SLP-M will mentor them through their first two years of arts programming and services, after which the mentee organization could qualify for an SLP grant independently. SLP-M grantees may reapply for 2nd and 3rd year funding through this program in order to fully implement this work.

Eligibility

Applicants must be current grantees in the CAC State-Local Partners Program. 

Organizations eligible to apply include: 

• Nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3), California organizations
• Units of municipal, county or Tribal governments
• Fiscally sponsored organizations 

Eligible Request Amount

Applicant organizations can request up to $50,000 for the one-year grant activity period.

Funding Restrictions  

Organizations that apply for the 2026 State-Local Partner Mentorship grant are not eligible to apply for the General Operating Support grant.

2025 Office Hours

Virtual office sessions are available to provide technical assistance for the State-Local Partner Mentorship and State-Local Partners grant programs. Join Arts Program Specialists Natalie Peeples and Charlie O’Malley as they answer general questions regarding this program.

Office hours are structured to be a ” drop – in” format. Audience members are welcome to join and exit as needed; advanced registration is required to participate. The schedule for office hours is listed below:

• Tuesday, March 24, 2026, 12 — 1pm – Register Here

Staff Assistance

CAC staff is available to offer guidance and clarification in preparing your proposal. We recommend that you contact staff well in advance of the deadline to ensure you can be accommodated. Please note: Staff assistance is not available after 5:00 p.m. on the day of a grant deadline. People who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf Blind, or have difficulty speaking may dial 711 to reach the California Relay Service (CRS). Large print is available upon request.

Staff Contacts:

Charles O’Malley and Natalie Peeples
(he/him/his) / (she/her/hers)
Arts Program Specialists
slpmentorgrant@arts.ca.gov