Statewide, DE - The Delaware Division of the Arts is investing nearly $4.5 million in more than 100 arts and community organizations that will serve Delawareans statewide with arts programming and services, arts education, and arts marketing and promotion. This first round of funding for FY2025 includes General Operating Support, Project Support, Arts Stabilization, StartUp, and Education Resource grants.

“We are thrilled to announce the Delaware Division of the Arts’ commitment to supporting Delaware’s non-profit creative sector,” stated Jessica Ball, Director of the Delaware Division of the Arts. “These funds will play a crucial role in fostering a vibrant cultural environment and ensuring that the arts remain accessible to all Delawareans throughout the state. We extend our gratitude to Governor Carney, Secretary of State Jeff Bullock, the Delaware General Assembly, and the National Endowment for the Arts for their continued support in making this investment possible.”

Grant review panels made up of Delaware artists, arts educators, arts and nonprofit organization administrators, corporate and fundraising managers, and interested community members provided an impartial peer review of these grant applications based on established evaluation criteria, reflecting the importance of having diverse public and expert participation in the grant-making process.

The awards include:

- General Operating Support for sixty-three (63) arts organizations.

- Project Support for twenty-six (26) community-based organizations that provide arts programming for children and adults with physical or intellectual disabilities; students whose schools are under-resourced and face multiple barriers, individuals and family members dealing with cancer; and young children and community members from across Delaware.

- Eight (8) Arts Stabilization projects that support capital improvements and repairs to facilities owned or under long-term lease by arts organizations.

- StartUp Support for four arts organizations, Delaware Academy of Vocal Arts (aka Elevate Vocal Arts), SODELO, The Brandywiners, and Theatre N, providing them with a combination of technical assistance, Board development training, and financial support necessary to become eligible for General Operating Support grants.

- Fourteen (14) education-based partnerships between Delaware’s schools, arts organizations and artists that provide teacher training and standards-based arts learning experiences for Pre- K-12 students statewide, in alignment with the Delaware Standards for Learning in the Visual and Performing Arts.

Funding for the Delaware Division of the Arts comes from the Delaware General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, an independent federal agency. In addition, the funds for capital improvements grants—provided by the Arts Stabilization Fund—are drawn from the Arts Consortium of Delaware, Inc. (ArtCo) endowment.

A complete list of grants for the first round of FY2025 can be found here.

The Division also awards grants on an ongoing basis throughout the year, including Arts Access grants, Artist Residencies, Individual Artist Fellowships (August 1 annual deadline), Creative Aging Programs, and Individual Artist Opportunity grants.

Full grant descriptions are available on the Division’s website and at the end of the release.

Interested members of the public, artists, arts organizations, and community leaders are encouraged to visit the Division’s website to learn more about these programs. Notification of grant deadlines, guidelines, and applications, as well as technical assistance opportunities, are published in the monthly e-newsletter, Arts E-News. Please visit our website at arts.delaware.gov for more details.

GRANT BREAKDOWN BY TYPE

GRANT PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS

Arts Organizations: Non-profit Delaware organizations whose primary mission is the promotion, production, presentation, or teaching of the arts.

General Operating Support - support of annual operating expenses to ensure that year-round participation in the arts is available to the people of Delaware. This grant category utilizes a three-year application cycle. Full applications are due every three years, with Interim applications due in the “off” years. Annual March 1 deadline.

Arts Stabilization - supports improvements to facilities owned (or under long-term lease) and operated by the organization. Arts Stabilization grants are funded through the Division’s participation in the Arts Consortium of Delaware, Inc. (ArtCo) endowment. Annual March 1 deadline.

StartUp - a comprehensive program of financial support, training, and consultation to develop and strengthen the management capacity of emerging arts organizations so that they can operate sustainably. Completion of the StartUp program is a prerequisite for organizations seeking General Operating Support for the first time. Annual March 1 deadline.

Arts Access - supports small-budget projects that include the presentation of performing, visual, literary, media, or folk arts in communities throughout the state. Applications must be submitted at least six weeks prior to the project start date, and are reviewed as they are received, beginning on July 1 of each year. Organizations that receive General Operating or Project Support from the Division are not eligible to apply. Rolling deadline.

Community-Based Organizations: Non-profit Delaware organizations, colleges, universities, and government entities that do not have the arts as their primary mission.

Project Support - supports arts programs provided by CBOs that assist in the growth of a vibrant cultural environment by encouraging the continued development of arts activities in communities throughout the state. College and university projects must be non-credit and serve the general community. Annual March 1 deadline.

Arts Access - supports small-budget projects that include the presentation of performing, visual, literary, media, or folk arts in communities throughout the state. Applications must be submitted at least six weeks prior to the project start date, and are reviewed as they are received, beginning on July 1 of each year. Organizations that receive General Operating or Project Support from the Division are not eligible to apply. Rolling deadline.

Schools: Delaware Pre-K through 12 public, charter, private, and parochial schools.

Artist Residency - grants for residencies with visual, literary, performing, or media artists working with students in the classroom or in professional development workshops with teachers. Rolling deadline.

TranspARTation - grants that support transportation costs for schools to travel to Delaware arts and cultural institutions and venues for students to attend arts performances, events, and exhibits.

Arts Organizations and Schools:

Education Resource - grants to strengthen standards-based arts education projects, programs, and activities that utilize the arts education resources of the Delaware arts community or strengthen arts organizations’ capacity to serve as professional development resources for teaching artists and educators.  Annual March 1 deadline.

Individual Artists: Delaware residents, 18 years of age or older, not enrolled in a degree-granting program.

Artist Fellowships - supports individual artists in their work as visual, performing, media, folk, and/or literary artists. Applications are received and processed by Mid Atlantic Arts. FY2024 Masters categories are Dance, Jazz, and Music. Annual August 1 deadline.

Artist Opportunity Grants - provides up to $1,000 to support individual artists with unique professional and artistic development or presentation opportunities. Quarterly deadlines: January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1.