Recovery Fund for the Arts

Recognizing the centrality of the arts to our collective recovery from the economic, cultural, and social impact of the pandemic.

Funding Purpose

The San Antonio Area Foundation recognizes the centrality of the arts to our collective recovery from the economic, cultural and social impact of the pandemic. The Recovery Fund for the Arts was established to support arts and culture organizations who, through continued engagement with our communities, are shaping the post-COVID future for the cultural sector.

Our region is shaped by dynamic cultural legacies, and arts remain the heart of our city — preserving our history, inspiring lifelong learning and creativity, and driving our economy. Art and cultural organizations continue to face challenges resulting from the pandemic and related shift in programming and revenue models, and the Recovery Fund for the Arts invests in sustainable recovery strategies through general operating grants.

The Recovery Fund for the Arts prioritizes organizations who have a strong vision for moving forward into recovery and are:

  • Centered in and for communities most heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and related economic impact.
  • And/or whose revenue has been severely impacted due to public health protocols.

Click to review the Media Guideline to assist you in publicizing and referring to your grant.

Click here to create an account to access the online application.

Contribute online or mail a check. Click the button below to learn more.

The Recovery Fund for the Arts is Made Possible by:

  • Brown Foundation
  • Howard and Betty Halff Fund, a Fund of the San Antonio Area Foundation
  • Lady Ray Romano Charitable Fund, a Fund of the San Antonio Area Foundation
  • Lila R. Brehm Advised Fund, a Fund of the San Antonio Area Foundatio
  • Mary Quandt
  • Michael and Mary Pat Bolner Foundation, a Fund of the San Antonio Area Foundation
  • Semmes Foundation Fund, a Fund of the San Antonio Area Foundation
Mural by Lead Artist Alex Rubio
Mural by Lead Artist Alex Rubio, with youth artists from the MOSAIC Studio at Blue Star Contemporary, through a collaboration by San Anto Cultural Arts and Blue Star Contemporary

Application Information

Organizations eligible for funding meet the following criteria:

  • Primary mission to create, present or preserve art and culture with publicly accessible programming and engagement opportunities.
  • Nonprofit work takes place in one of the following counties: Bexar, Atascosa, Bandera, Comal, Guadalupe, Kendall, Medina or Wilson.
  • Exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, schools, churches or governmental bodies for a a minimum of one year as of July 13, 2021.
  • FY20 operating budget greater than $75,000, determined by actual expenses for FY20. For organizations with Operating Budgets under $75,000, please apply here.
  • Application Opens: Tuesday, July 13, 2021
  • Application Deadline: Thursday, August 12, 2021 (11:59pm)
  • Grant Notification: October 2021

 

Technical assistance will be available until 4:00pm on Thursday, August 12. Please contact Catherine Garcia at cgarcia@saafdn.org for any questions regarding the grant application portal.

Please contact Stephanie LaFroscia (slafroscia@saafdn.org) for questions regarding the grant and application. She will be unavailable August 2 – August 6.

  • All grant seekers must have an account in our online Grants Center. Please click here to create an account in our Grants Center if you do not already have an account. You will receive an email confirming you have created an account.
  • Applications must be submitted via our online Grants Center.
  • Completed applications must be submitted by the deadline. Any application that is received after the deadline will not be eligible for funding.
  • For grantees, please download and review the Media Guidelines to assist you in publicizing and referring to your grant.

Grant Awards

The Area Foundation currently has $175,000 available for grants under this grant cycle, subject to change as fundraising for the Recovery Fund for the Arts is ongoing.

One-year, general operating grants will be issued with grant awards ranging from $1,500 to $20,000 based on the organization’s FY20 operating budget determined by actual expenses for FY20.

For organizations with FY20 operating budgets under $75,000, please apply here.

Have Questions?

Read our frequently asked questions.

Stephanie LaFroscia
Stephanie LaFroscia
Director of Grants and Community Engagement
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