Our history
Established through a combination of City and State legislation, GFTA has evolved into an international model of arts funding with annual revenue derived from the hotel tax.
Since its start in 1961, GFTA has distributed $400 million to hundreds of nonprofit arts and culture organizations in San Francisco.
This investment helps to make our City a great place to live, work, and visit.
Our commitment
In 2025, GFTA released our Strategic Framework —our renewed commitment and guiding approach to grantmaking.
Our Strategic Framework focuses on what we heard matters most to our community: promoting San Francisco as a diverse cultural hub by supporting the arts through sustained general operating support.
Our mission
At Grants for the Arts (GFTA), our mission is to promote the diverse and unique communities of San Francisco by supporting the arts through equitable grantmaking.
We strive to be a stable, dependable resource for nonprofit arts and culture organizations who meet funding criteria.
We support the full spectrum of art and culture in San Francisco by:
- Supporting the presentation and enhancement of existing art forms
- Cultivating artistic experimentation that expands San Francisco’s dynamic artistic and cultural diversity
Our team
Staff
Kristen Jacobson
Director
Amy Chou
Senior Program Officer
Sarah Simon
Program Officer
Lorraine Cawili-Thy
Program and Operations Officer
Raysean Jones, Jr.
SF Willie Brown Fellow