Funding Process

BAC Community Arts Grants

BAC Grants' mission is to support the work of local artists and serve as an impetus to small arts organizations that are enhancing the cultural climate in their own communities. BAC Grants supports arts organizations and community organizations in the development of local cultural resources responsive to community needs. By funding the work of emerging Brooklyn artists who work in their communities, we are supporting these artists’ commitment to their communities; by extension, this helps to spur neighborhood stability and economic revitalization. Each group or artist receiving a BAC grant will then be better able to provide professional cultural programs for many years to come. The current prosperity of many small, vital arts organizations in Brooklyn today can be traced back to an early BAC grant. 

Overview

BAC Community Arts Grants annually distributes nearly $300,000 to help fund hundreds of projects across the borough. BAC's grants are supported by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) and the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA). All funding is project-based (i.e. no fellowships, general operating support or unrestricted funding) and must support projects that engage a Brooklyn audience and take place in Brooklyn. 

History of support

For nearly 35 years, BAC has supported arts organizations and community organizations in the development of local cultural resources responsive to community needs. 

Since 1980, BAC has been the agency responsible for administering the Decentralization Program in Kings County, serving the home of the nation’s highest concentration of artists. BAC Grants’ Local Arts Support Grant is supported by this program. In 1983/84, the Greater New York Arts Development Fund (GNYADF) was created to distribute funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and Brooklyn Borough President Howard Golden. Through this fund both organizations and individual artists can apply to the Community Arts Fund program for projects that demonstrate service to Brooklyn through cultural activities of recognized quality, in all disciplines. 

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OUTREACH

Brooklyn Arts Council is committed to funding artists, organizations and projects that reflect the cultural diversity of the constituencies and neighborhoods we serve. Learn more about our outreach efforts and how you can help us get the word out about our program. 

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APPLICATION

BAC offers informational how-to-apply seminars, one-on-one feedback on projects, application draft reviews and panel feedback to all applicants, creating a supportive professional development opportunity out of the application process.

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Selection

All funding decisions are made by panels selected by BAC. Applicants are eligible to apply for up to $5,000 depending on the program, and are determined based on criteria such as: artistic merit, clarity and feasibility of proposal, and community benefit. 

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Funded projects

Once funded, grantees complete their projects throughout the following year. Partially funded applicants are able to revise their originally proposed project plans depending on the amount of funding awarded. All grantees are expected to adhere to BAC reporting guidelines and inform BAC of the progress of their project. Upcoming funded projects can be found on the BAC Calendar. 

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For further questions, please see our FAQ page.