General Operating Support Grant Program

The General Operating Support grant, administered by the California Arts Council, is a competitive funding opportunity designed to sustain arts and cultural organizations across California. As a state agency, the California Arts Council is committed to cultivating arts, culture, and creative expression to foster a better California for all. Guided by a strategic framework that prioritizes racial equity and geographic diversity, this grant supports organizations through direct operational funding, ensuring they can continue to serve their communities, particularly during periods of economic uncertainty. This funding opportunity is tailored for arts and cultural organizations whose primary mission involves providing creative programming or cultural services. The grant is intended to support general operational costs such as staff salaries, rent, utilities, and other day-to-day expenses, rather than funding specific projects. The program is meant to help grantee organizations carry out their mission more effectively and maintain their infrastructure and workforce. Entities eligible for this opportunity include California-based nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status, fiscally sponsored organizations, and units of municipal, county, or tribal governments. Arts service/network organizations and arts producing or presenting organizations may apply if their total revenue does not exceed $5 million and $1.5 million respectively. State and federal agencies, for-profit entities, school districts, and individuals are ineligible to apply. Applicants may request up to $30,000 for a one-year grant activity period spanning from October 1, 2026, to September 30, 2027. Organizations with total revenue exceeding $250,000 must provide a one-to-one match for awarded funds. Match sources must comply with requirements outlined in the Grants Manual. Notably, applicants to the 2026 State-Local Partners grant are not eligible for this program. The program places emphasis on funding organizations that serve historically underserved communities, including those located in the lower two quartiles of the Healthy Places Index (HPI), first-time applicants, and small organizations with annual revenues of $250,000 or less. The application opened on March 17, 2026, and will close on May 12, 2026, at 11:59 PM Pacific Time. Following the submission deadline, panel review will occur from June to July 2026, with funding decisions and notifications expected in August 2026. Funds are anticipated to arrive between January and March 2027. Applications must be submitted through the online grant portal. Eligible applicants are encouraged to prepare using the detailed guidance provided in the 2026 Guidelines and Grants Manual. Components include a project summary, a two-year budget snapshot, documentation of leadership and governance, and a description of arts programming and community engagement strategies. Evaluation criteria are centered on equity and accessibility, leadership and management, and arts and cultural engagement. Although there is no formal pre-application requirement such as a Letter of Intent, prospective applicants can attend virtual office hour sessions for support. Staff assistance is available via email, and accommodations are provided for those requiring accessibility support. Final reports will be due by November 1, 2027, and grantees must cooperate with reporting requirements to remain eligible for future funding. The opportunity is not structured as a rolling or recurring grant, and thus, each cycle is independently administered.