The 2025 Round 2 Community Arts Grant, administered by The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes, provides funding to support public-facing arts and cultural activities in Cattaraugus, Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben, and Tioga counties in New York. The program is funded by the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) through the Statewide Community Regrant (SCR) Program and seeks to enhance the accessibility and integration of the arts into community life.

Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations, units of local government, and Tribal organizations located in the five eligible counties. Individual artists or unincorporated groups may apply through a fiscal sponsor or community-based partner that meets the eligibility criteria. Public schools and NYS agencies are not eligible. Sponsored applicants must be 18 or older and not enrolled in a full-time degree program.

Eligible projects must focus on community arts and/or cultural activities that are open to the public, occur in the applicant’s county, and take place between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026. Projects must be distinct from those submitted in Round 1 of 2025 and cannot target private groups, commercial arts, fundraising, or primarily benefit the applicant financially. Projects must contain a strong artistic component.

Applicants may request between $500 and $5,000. A single applicant may submit up to three total requests across all SCR categories (Community Arts, Teaching Artist, and Individual Artist), not exceeding $5,000 in total. Tribal Nations are exempt from this limit, but Tribal organizations are not. Projects may not spend more than $1,000 on equipment. The total project cost must at least match the grant request.

Applications will be evaluated on:

Artistic/Cultural and Programmatic Merit

Community Benefit and Accessibility

Managerial and Fiscal Competence

Scoring will also prioritize:

Projects paying artist fees

Projects by or serving BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and Folk/Traditional communities

Applications are due May 16, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. via Submittable. Required materials include applicant, project, and budget information; artist bios; work samples; and a partnership letter if applicable. Draft narratives may be submitted by email at least one week prior to the deadline for feedback.

Funding decisions are made by independent community review panels. Applicants will be notified of funding decisions by early July 2025. A signed agreement is required before funds can be released.

For assistance, applicants are encouraged to contact Chris at chris@eARTS.org or 607-962-1332 x205.