General Support Program

The City of Phoenix General Support Program (GSP) is designed to enhance access to arts and cultural programming for residents by providing core operational support to arts and cultural organizations. The program seeks to sustain and strengthen organizations of all sizes that have a primary mission to create, produce, or present arts and cultural programming. The program supports organizations that foster broad-based community participation in the arts and encourage sustainable, responsible governance. Funding is awarded to organizations based on an evaluation process, rather than a specific funding request, and is dependent on available budget allocations.

The program is open to nonprofit arts and cultural organizations that have operated within Phoenix for at least three years and have a business address within the city. Organizations must have a prior-year income of at least $5,000 and conduct at least 51% of their programming within the city limits. Applicants must be in good standing with all City of Phoenix contract agreements and must submit a DataArts Cultural Data Profile with three years of financial data. Organizations that are not 501(c)(3) nonprofits may apply through a fiscal sponsor but must submit a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with their application.

Applications will be evaluated by a panel of arts and cultural professionals based on four criteria: community significance, artistic and cultural value, financial capacity, and leadership capacity. The application process begins with the publication of guidelines and the opening of the application on February 4, 2025. One-on-one consultations with staff are available between January 30 and March 13, and a grant writing workshop will be held on February 8 at Burton Barr Library. Additionally, a virtual information session will be held on February 20 in English and later that evening in Spanish. The application deadline has been extended to March 23, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. Applicants can schedule virtual consultations with staff until March 21.

Organizations that receive funding must register as a City of Phoenix vendor, attend a mandatory webinar, and sign a grant conditions form agreeing to certain requirements, including using the Arts and Culture Department’s logo in promotional materials. A final report detailing the use of grant funds must be submitted within 90 days after the end of the city’s fiscal year on June 30. Payments will be disbursed upon verification of vendor registration, receipt of any pending final reports, and completion of all necessary grant conditions.

The City of Phoenix’s budgetary constraints may impact the total funding available for the General Support Program. Due to state-level policy changes, the city anticipates a potential reduction in ongoing revenues, which may lead to a 5% budget cut for the Office of Arts and Culture. Final budget allocations will be determined when the Phoenix City Council adopts the fiscal year budget in June 2025.

The program does not fund individual artists, single-member LLCs without an advisory board, divisions of local, state, or federal government, schools, colleges, universities, organizations that host a single annual event, religious institutions primarily focused on religious socialization, or organizations located outside of Phoenix. Additional restrictions include prohibitions on debt reduction, lobbying expenses, fundraising projects, construction expenses, and food and beverage costs for receptions or hospitality events. The program aims to distribute funding equitably based on panel evaluations, ensuring that awarded organizations align with the city's commitment to artistic excellence, community engagement, and financial sustainability.

For more information, applicants can contact Sarah León, the Grants and Community Engagement Director, at 602-262-6164 or via email at sarah.leon@phoenix.gov. Virtual consultations can be scheduled at calendly.com/sarah-leon-moreno/grants.