Background & Purpose

The Impact Projects purpose is to support collaborative projects that center artists and artistic practice in responding to issues experienced by historically and systemically under-resourced communities, including but not limited to, social, political, and economic inequalities. This program prioritizes California-based artists and forms of arts and cultural expression that are unique to, and/or historically rooted in, the specific communities to be served.  

Impact Projects supports arts organizations for collaborations between California-based artist(s) and community members to address a community-defined need. Projects must use artistic practices to impact social issues affecting their communities, including but not limited to systemic marginalization, incarceration/justice systems, arts learning, poverty/economic disparity, health disparities, accessibility for people with disabilities, housing insecurity, violence, food insecurity, cultural/social justice, intergenerational/multigenerational learning, veterans’ issues, immigrant/refugee/asylum seeker/migrant issues, LGBTQIA+ issues, environmental sustainability, and climate change/natural disasters/climate refugee issues.   

Previous applicants to Reentry Through the Arts and Veterans in the Arts are encouraged to apply through this program. Applicants focused on arts education for youth should apply for the Arts & Youth program. 

Funding Priorities

• Organizations serving historically and systemically underserved communities located in the lower two quartiles of the Healthy Places Index, including rural and inland areas, as well as regions with a history of low investment from the CAC;
• First-time grantees, who have not previously received direct CAC funding (except for organizations whose only previous CAC funding was a Cultural Pathways grant); and 
• Small organizations with total revenues of $250,000 or below.

Eligibility

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

Eligible Request Amounts

Applicant organizations can request up to $25,000 for the one-year grant activity period.

Matching Funds

Matching funds are not required for this grant.

Funding Restrictions

• For applicant organizations with total revenue above $250,000, the sum of requests during the same year of funding cannot exceed 50% of the total revenue from the most recently completed fiscal year
• Organizations with total revenues at or above $3 million are not eligible to apply. 
  • The CAC’s definition of Total Revenue is the total cash inflow from your organization’s most recently completed fiscal year. Cash inflow/income includes all earned income (ex: ticket sales) and contributed income (ex: grants, donations/contributions, one-time organizational funding, operational grants). Re-granting and pass-through funding are excluded from the organization’s total revenue calculation.
• Applicants cannot apply to this program and the Arts & Youth program; they must choose one.

2025 Office Hours

Virtual office sessions are available to provide technical assistance for the Impact Projects grant program. Join Arts Program Specialist Natalie Peeples as she discusses your organization-specific grant application questions.

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:

Monday, April 7 – 11 a.m.: Register here

Monday, May 5 – 11 a.m.: Register here

Tuesday, May 27 – 11 a.m.: Register here

Application Links:

Online Application Portal: calartscouncil.smartsimple.com

GuidelinesDownload

Grants Manual

Frequently Asked Questions

Grant Resources page

Grant Review Panel Process

2024-25 Grantee Information:

Guidelines

Guidelines (Spanish)

List of current grantees

Staff Assistance

Before contacting staff, check FAQs to see if application questions can be answered. If staff assistance is still required for guidance or clarification, email is the best way to contact Program Specialists. 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.