The City of Phoenix Planning and Development Department’s Historic Preservation Office is pleased to announce the return of Historic Preservation Exterior Rehabilitation grants for historically designated residences. From 1989-2006, $42 million in bond funds were used for Historic Preservation efforts, to enhance, preserve and protect dozens of city-owned historic properties in Phoenix and to establish multiple grant programs for private property owners, including the Exterior Rehabilitation Grant Program. In 2023, Phoenix City Council approved another $200,000 for Exterior Rehabilitation grants for the 2023-24 fiscal year!
Applications for the 2023-24 fiscal year are now being accepted. For additional information, visit www.phoenix.gov/newsroom/planning-and-development/2824 or email historic@phoenix.gov .
The Phoenix Flash Grants category is a new, pilot short-cycle grants program that provides funds of up to $3,500 for specific projects within under-invested areas of Phoenix. The program supports artist fees/expenses, production fees, and marketing expenses for arts and culture projects that engage Phoenix residents, including but not limited to, arts workshops, and pop-up performances.
For the pilot cycle, projects within Phoenix Council Districts 1, 3, and 5 will only be considered for funding.
Round Two Application submissions for the August 15, 2023 deadline should only include arts and cultural activities taking place between October 15, 2023, and January 30 2024.
Register and submit application through MARGO Grant Portal
View Grant Webinar here: https://www.phoenix.gov/arts/grants-program/orientation-workshops
Overview of Grant: https://www.phoenix.gov/arts/grants/flash
THIS PILOT PROGRAM WILL CONTINUE IN 2024, stay tuned.
ARPA Tree and Shade Grant Programs
Goal is to open Grants: projected for Summer 2023:
1) Canopy for kids: Around $2 million to provide funding and supplies for tree planting projects to public schools districts, non-profit schools, and non-profits with 501(c)(3) status in Qualified Census Tracts.
2) Community Canopy: Around $2 million to provide funding, supplies, services, and education for tree planting projects, community members, neighborhood associations, and non-profits in Qualified Census Tracts.
To View Qualified Census Tracts: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sadda/sadda_qct.html
Shade Your Community
Does your neighborhood or school need more trees and shade? The City of Phoenix Office of Heat Response and Mitigation is offering two tree-planting grant programs and one built shade grant program to provide more shade in Phoenix. Phoenix schools and nonprofit schools can apply for the Canopy for Kids and Shade for Students grant, and Phoenix residents and neighborhoods can apply for the Community Canopy grant program. Applicants must be in a Qualified Census Tract in the City of Phoenix. All projects must be completed by Dec. 31, 2024. Apply today: Phoenix.gov/Heat .
This Grant is intended to provide financial assistance to nonprofit, charitable, small business, and faith-based organizations within the City’s Heat Relief Network that have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 public health emergency or its negative economic impacts. Round 2 application due 07/13/2023
An Artist opportunity grant: June 22, 2023 deadline.
The Arizona Commission on the Arts is now accepting applications for Artist Opportunity Grants to support Arizona artists as they take advantage of specific, unique opportunities that have the potential to significantly impact their professional growth.
Public Funding for the Arts Update: May 2023
STATE
Arizona Citizens for the Arts commends the Arizona Legislature and Governor Hobbs for renewing $5 million in funding for the Arizona Commission on the Arts in the FY24 state budget. While the arts community appreciates this investment, it acknowledges that the needs of Arizona's creative economy surpass this amount. This year’s appropriation is another one-time investment and faces challenges with long-term planning and reliable commitments due to the lack of ongoing funding. However, the Arizona Commission on the Arts will strategically use the FY24 funds to support the artists, community festivals, and arts organizations that significantly contribute to the state's well-being, education, and economy.
FEDERAL
The President has requested a budget increase for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, setting both agencies to $211 million each for FY24. Americans for the Arts Action Fund is asking arts supporters to contact Congress to at least match the President’s request by appropriating this increased funding for both cultural agencies.
LOCAL
The City of Phoenix wrapped up eleven in-person budget hearings, plus one virtual hearing to gather feedback on the FY24 trial budget. Arts advocates came out in numbers, especially to the special "arts" budget hearing. There is an increase to the Office of Arts and Culture's grants program in the proposed trial budget. City Council will tentatively adopt the budget on May 31 and do a final adoption on June 14.
Grants for Arts Projects is the NEA's largest grants program for organizations, providing comprehensive and expansive funding opportunities for communities. Grants range from $10,000 to $100,000. All grants require a cost share or match of at least one-to-one.
Upcoming application deadline July6, 2023.
Arizona Citizens for the Arts congratulates the Arizona Legislature and Governor Hobbs for renewing the historic $5 million funding for the Arizona Commission on the Arts in its FY2024 state budget.
Last year, the arts and culture community celebrated the $5 million commitment as an indicator that the State was finally willing to re-invest in the arts, after two years in a row of leaving the Commission entirely out of the state budget.
While we appreciate a $5 million investment, the needs of Arizona’s creative economy are much greater than that. We know that many of our allies in the Legislature recognize this and will work with us to address those needs in the future.
Rising costs and inflation are whittling the value of last year’s $5 million appropriation, meaning that the same amount in FY2024 cannot provide the same level of support.
In addition, the Arizona arts community is growing rapidly, reflected by a 20 percent increase in general operating and other grant applications to the Commission in 2023. Therefore, the funding is being asked to serve larger numbers of artists and organizations. That reduces the value of this $5 million even further.
All of this occurs as arts organizations continue facing challenges in the post-pandemic environment, where audiences and patrons are not all back and other resources from the community are uncertain.
And, looking at the bigger picture, the State’s investment has fallen far below its past commitments for many years. Adjusting for population, inflation and growth of the field, the $20 million appropriation recommended in Governor Hobbs’ proposed budget in January is much closer to the level of investment the State should be making in Arizona’s creative economy.
Meanwhile, this year’s appropriation is another one-time investment, meaning that the Arizona Commission on the Arts remains the only state agency that was once funded with ongoing dollars in the General Fund, which still has not returned to ongoing funding. The last year for ongoing funding for the arts was 2011. This makes it hard for the Commission to carry out long-term strategic planning and attract ongoing commitments from private donors since the State hasn’t shown an ongoing commitment to the agency itself.
We look forward to working with the Governor’s Office and allies in the State Legislature to address all of these issues in the 2024 legislative session.
Meanwhile, we know that the Arizona Commission on the Arts will make the most strategic use of these funds in the next year to support the work of so many artists, community festivals and arts organizations who inspire us, heal us, educate us as they enhance the quality of our lives and produce an impressive return on investment in our economy.
Join our grassroots team to get involved in our legislative outreach efforts at the Arizona Legislature.