Cultural Funding

Cultural Funding Programs

Thrive, Elevate, and Nexus cultural funding programs were developed in consultation with Austin’s creative community over the past 3 years. Funding will prioritize equity through a combination of seed funding, broad sector support, and targeted investment. Read the Cultural Funding Report (PDF, 1.8 MB), El camino hacia la equidad cultural (PDF, 2.2 MB).

The Thrive Grant closed in December 2022 and awarded funding to 36 local art nonprofit organizations deeply rooted in and reflective of Austin’s diverse cultures. Learn more about the Thrive Grant awardees.

Apply to be a Panelist

The Economic Development Department invites community members and arts professionals to apply as panelists to review, score, and determine which applicants receive funding through various programs. Submitting this form does not guarantee participation. Elevate panelist application closes April 27. Individuals selected to participate on the Elevate panel will be notified by May 16.

Ineligible Applicants: 

• Full time and permanent City of Austin employees 
• Individuals younger than 18 years old 

Apply to be a Panelist

Solicitud  |  Postulez  |  आवेदन करें  |  신청  |  申请  | 申請  |  Nộp đơn xin 

Elevate Panelist Responsibilities

A program focused on helping sustain and grow arts organizations that are deeply rooted in and reflective of Austin’s diverse cultures. Panelists should expect a time commitment of approximately 30 hours from June 30 to August 31. Compensation will be provided up to $1,500. 

Training: 

• Approximately a 5-hour time commitment. 
• Complete the virtual 3-module self-paced Panel Training . 
• Attend a 3-hour live, virtual facilitated conversation.  
• Training Modules will include: 
  • Equity and Unconscious Bias  
  • Panel Expectations, Program Guidelines, and Rubric 
  • Technical Training for using the Portal system 

 

Review Applications:  

• Approximately a 12-hour time commitment. 
• Independently review and pre-score all applications from June 30 to August 17.   
• Panelists will have 2‐4 weeks to review, score, and enter tentative scores and comments on all applications.  

 

Panel Discussion Meetings: 

• Approximately a 12-hour time commitment. 

 

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Diversity of ethnicity, race, age, gender, and ability. 
• A mix of local and out-of-town panelists. 
• A mix of arts administrators and practicing arts professionals. 
• A mix of artistic discipline expertise. 
• At least one panelist with equity expertise. 
• At least one panelist with community‐based artistic practice expertise. 
• At least one panelist with non‐profit expertise. 

For questions, contact Jesus Pantel at Jesus.Pantel@austintexas.gov or 512-974-9315. You can also attend the Cultural Arts Virtual Open Office Hours on the second or fourth Tuesday of the month from 10 a.m. to noon.   

Upcoming Grant Opportunities

The Additional Program Details document has relevant guidelines information for all cultural funding programs. Updated draft as of June 8, 2022.

 

Elevate Grant: Supporting the Journey

• Open to cultural organizations, individual artists, and small arts businesses 
• Grants for the creative and administrative expenses of cultural producers that amplify equity and prioritize inclusive programming 
• Encourages applicants to continue and expand operationalized equity 
• Review the draft guidelines for the Elevate program (PDF) - Updated draft as of November 10, 2022.
• This program will open in Spring 2023 

Nexus Grant: Creative Collaboration 

• Open to small organizations, individual artists, and small arts businesses  
• Nurture new and emerging applicants by funding creative public projects developed through community activation and/or collaboration 
• Eligible applicants must have an operating budget under $150,000 
• Review the draft guidelines for the Nexus program (PDF) - Updated draft as of June 8, 2022.
• This program will open in 2023 

Application Preparation

There are currently no open grant applications. Below is helpful information to prepare for upcoming opportunities.   

Vendor Registration 

Learn how to become a registered vendor with the City of Austin. All funded individuals and organizations must be registered vendors. Registered vendors may also receive solicitation notifications for other contract opportunities. Registrations can be update or submitted online.

 

How to Create a City Account 

Watch a video on How to Create a City Account.  | Cómo crear una cuenta con la Ciudad.

 

Create An Account - For First-Time Users

• Step 1: Visit the Economic Development Department Application home page to apply.  
• Step 2: Click the “Create Account” icon.  
• Step 3: Enter the required information and click the “Submit” button.  
• Step 4: After completing account creation, you will be prompted to fill out your profile information.  
• Step 5: After updating your profile information, you will be redirected to the home screen to begin the application process. 

 

How to Redeem Your Access Code 

If you have previously applied for a City of Austin Economic Development Department grant or program, you may need to redeem an access code to confirm and access your account. If you received a ‘Your email is connected to our system’ message, follow the steps below to confirm and access your account.  

• Step 1: Visit the Economic Development Department Application home page to apply. 
• Step 2: Click the “Create Account” icon.  
• Step 3: Enter the required information and click the “Submit” button.    
• Step 4: If your information is in our database, your access code will be displayed. 
• Step 5: Copy the one-time access code and enter into the Access Code tab.  
• Step 6: After you confirm your account, you will be directed to complete your account creation using the “Create Account” tab.

Helpful Information

• Arts Commission - Find information on the Arts Commission members, upcoming meetings, and more.  
• ATXN Video Archive - Access recordings of City Council meetings, including Budget Work Sessions. To filter for Arts Commission events, click on the “Boards and Commissions” tab, and then select “Arts Commission” from the “Filter by Subcategory” dropdown menu. 
• Community Navigators – The Economic Development Department’s Community Navigator Program offers one-on-one coaching, virtual classes, and help applying for government and philanthropic support.