Hey Artists, Nonprofits: $100K Available Through New City Program to Drive Equity

The city of San Diego began a new program this week to fund artists and nonprofit organizations, officials announced Tuesday.

The program, called “Impact,” is intended to “address systemic challenges in arts and cultural ecosystems and forge new paths to transform communities through the arts,” according to a statement from the city.

The pilot program will offer phased funding of up to $100,000 over 18 months from Jan. 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025, to 10 collaborations of artists and organizations.

Guidelines are available at https://sandiego.gov/arts-culture/funding.

The deadline to apply is 8 a.m. on Nov. 13.

“In a time of increasing challenges in the arts and cultural ecosystems, the need for new ideas could not be more apparent. Accelerating costs of creating and producing work, growing threats to cultural heritage, and persistent injustices all underscore the need for shifts in approach,” said Jonathon Glus, the city’s executive director of arts and culture.

“Transforming the creative future of our city will require new voices and models for change-making, and this Impact pilot is a way to uplift this work in areas of the city prioritized for investment,” he added.

Impact is funded by the Transient Occupancy Tax, a tax collected from visitors who stay overnight in hotels, motels and similar accommodations.

Each funded collaboration “will produce a project to inspire others locally, regionally, nationally and bi-nationally,” the city statement reads.

“We know that artists and organizations are hard at work in the gaps between and often outside traditional systems,” said Christine Jones, the city’s chief of civic art strategies. “This is an opportunity for visionary artists and organizations doing unique work in the community to make a potentially significant, lasting impact on society’s most pressing challenges in the arts, cultural and creative sectors.”

The pilot program does not require applicants to provide a funding match, and applications will be accepted through a shortened application process in an effort to streamline things, according to the city. Applicants will complete an eligibility survey before completing a full application for consideration.