Develop Grant – FY25 Cycle 2 (June 2025 Awards)

The Develop Grant is a funding opportunity offered by the Arts Council Santa Cruz County to support professional development for artists and arts organizations. Unlike other project-based grants, the Develop Grant is specifically designed to improve artistic skills or expand business and professional capacity. Recipients are not required to present or exhibit their work publicly. The grant is intended to help individual artists and arts organizations strengthen their artistic and professional development through training, mentorship, skill-building workshops, equipment purchases, and other career-enhancing activities.

The funding available for the Develop Grant varies depending on the applicant’s experience with the Arts Council’s grant programs. First-time applicants are eligible for a maximum of $1,000, while returning applicants can apply for up to $1,500. This is a competitive grant, with approximately 25-30% of applications receiving funding. Partial funding may be awarded at the discretion of the review committee.

To be eligible, individual applicants must reside in Santa Cruz County, and nonprofit organizations must be primarily based in the county. Each applicant may only apply for either the Create Grant or the Develop Grant within a single cycle but not both. However, unlike the Create Grant, current Support grantees are now eligible to apply for the Develop Grant. Returning applicants are eligible for up to two consecutive Develop Grants before they are required to skip a year before reapplying. Additionally, applicants must complete any outstanding final reports from previous Arts Council grants before they can receive new funding.

The grant does not fund activities that took place before the grants are awarded, tuition for college or university classes, culinary or healing arts professional development, capital improvements, research (unless related to professional development), government programs, or fundraising activities. The application process includes a rigorous review conducted by the Grants Program Manager and the Grants Committee, which is composed of a diverse group of community volunteers. The evaluation criteria include artistic commitment, impact on the artist or organization, and management and planning. The selection process also prioritizes applicants from neighborhoods impacted by inequities, as indicated by the California Healthy Places Index (HPI).

Applicants must submit a complete application that includes written responses, a budget proposal, work samples, and supporting documents. Work samples should demonstrate artistic development, while supporting documents such as letters of support, reviews, or flyers provide additional context. A maximum of three work samples or supporting documents may be submitted. If including video or audio, publicly accessible links must be provided, and clips should be limited to three minutes.

Grant recipients are required to use the awarded funds within the designated grant period, which runs from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. Funds must be used as outlined in the application, and any significant changes must be reported to the Grants Program Manager. Unused funds or funds not used in accordance with the grant agreement must be returned. Additionally, grantees must recognize the Arts Council in promotional materials and submit a final report, including financial records, within 30 days of completing their funded activities.

Applications for this cycle are due by Wednesday, March 19, 2025, at 5 PM. Applicants are encouraged to submit their applications well before the deadline to avoid technical difficulties. For questions, applicants may contact Tamara Liu, Grants Program Manager, at grantsprogram@artscouncilsc.org. Additional resources, including application question lists and workshop registration, can be found on the Arts Council Santa Cruz County website.