For FY25 & FY26, Grants for the Arts is offering 3 types of General Operating Support (GOS) grants to San Francisco arts and culture nonprofits.
UPDATE (05/06/24): Please see amended grant documents in each grant overview page.
Choose this grant type if you plan to fund a season or series of
Choose this grant type if you plan to fund programs or services providing capacity building for other San Francisco-based arts and culture organizations and/or artists.
This is formerly known as Capacity Building & Regranting.
Choose this grant type if you plan to fund art and cultural experiences in the form of parades and/or festivals in San Francisco public spaces that have free admission and are open the public. Focus areas can include celebrating:
Organizations that are awarded funding will have a grant term of two years (24 months) for the period July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2026. GFTA at its sole, absolute discretion shall have the option to extend the term for up to three (3) additional years for a total of five (5) years.
Please note: GFTA will issue its next GOS grant for the City's 2027 Fiscal Year (FY27) - July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. GFTA will not release an RFP for the City's 2026 Fiscal Year (FY26).
Grant amounts range between $10,000 to $450,000 for each year of a two-year grant. We base the amount on the applicant's:
Grants awarded to organizations receiving GFTA funding for the first time will not exceed $10,000 per year.
Grants awarded to organizations who have received grants from GFTA previously, but whose application did not score high enough to receive an award for the last application will also not exceed $10,000 per year.
If you are awarded a two-year grant,
GFTA may in its sole discretion increase or decrease an organization’s FY26 grant amount.
When deciding the amount to request, consider:
You may consider other points, as well.
Many factors can impact the size of GFTA's annual budget.
While we do our best to award the amount you request, it is not always possible. Be aware that you may not get the amount you request in your application.
Grant amounts may be increased or decreased if the City experiences increases or deficits in funding availability for FY25 and/or FY26.
Applicants may only apply to one General Operating Support (GOS) grant type, unless they are a fiscal sponsor applying on behalf of other organizations.
Application Deadline: Friday, June 7 at 12 NOON PST
Each grant type has its own overview covering eligibility criteria, scoring criteria, and other important grant details. Applicants are highly encouraged to review the Grant Overview documents first and then the Application Instructions pdf located in their Grant Type Overview page.
Applications must be submitted online ONLY through Fillout. Online applications can be accessed through each Grant Type Overview page.
Special accommodations
If you need special accommodations, contact the GFTA Program Team at gfta-program@sfgov.org at least 2 weeks before the application deadline in order for us to appropriately accommodate your needs.
Attend at least one of the three virtual Application Workshops to receive support and guidance. The last 20 minutes of each workshop will be reserved for Q&A with the GFTA team*. Recordings of each workshop will be available on our website.
In addition, GFTA will host weekly Technical Assistance Sessions to provide 1:1 and small group technical support and consultation. Find sessions and register here.
*Dates are subject to change. Visit GFTA website for latest information.
Grant notifications are emailed to the contact email address listed on the application and include instructions about the contracting process and orientation dates. FY25 and FY26 grant awards will also be announced on GFTA’s website. Please see the section "Important Dates and Events" for more information about the FY25 & FY26 GOS timeline.
To avoid conflicts of interest, the Grant Review Committee is comprised of qualified city staff trained by the GFTA Program Team. Grant review committee members reflect the diversity of San Francisco and have broad knowledge and/or experience about San Francisco’s arts and cultural landscape, nonprofit operations and finance, and/or grant review.
Organizations that are awarded funding will have a grant term of two years (24 months) for the period July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2026.
Any City employees on the staff, board, or panel of applicant organizations must recuse or withdraw themselves from any activity or decision related to this application and any subsequent grant, if made, because of a potential conflict of interest or lack of impartiality.
We acknowledge that Grants for the Arts sits on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone who are the original peoples of the San Francisco Peninsula. As the indigenous stewards of this land and in accordance with their traditions, the Ramaytush Ohlone have never ceded, lost nor forgotten their responsibilities as the caretakers of this place, as well as for all peoples who reside in their traditional territory. As guests, we recognize that we benefit from living and working on their traditional homeland, and we affirm their sovereign rights as first peoples.
At GFTA, our mission is to promote the diverse and unique communities of San Francisco by supporting the arts through equitable grantmaking. This is accomplished through General Operating Support (GOS) grants that fund the general operating expenses of San Francisco’s arts and culture organizations.
GFTA only provides GOS grants to 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), or 501(c)(6) nonprofit organizations or to organizations fiscally sponsored by 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), or 501(c)(6) nonprofits.
GFTA strives to be a stable, dependable resource for organizations who successfully meet its funding criteria and align with GFTA’s goals of promoting vibrancy, transparency, accountability, and equity in the City and County of San Francisco (City); and is committed to supporting the full spectrum of arts organizations in the City.