As you develop your company, grants can support a variety of expenses, including: funding new work, paying for a theater rental, and developing arts education programming.

Even if you are not ready to start applying at this moment – or even this year – spending an hour doing some research and reading can provide important, basic details for the future. Four key details to consider include:

• How often can you apply (many have only one application deadline per year)
• How long do you need to be a resident in that city or county (some require a 2-3 year residency before applying)
• What specifically does this grant fund
• Do you need to be a 501(c)3 organization, or can you be a fiscally sponsored company

For example, living here in the East Bay in Berkeley, I could apply for a city of Berkeley grant, Alameda County grant, or California Arts Council grant.

As you research the basic grant details, also read the list of current and past grantees for further context.

Last, mark your calendar to remind you when the next grant deadline will be approaching. Also consider adding the program director of each grant to your email list and mailing list to put your work on his/her radar.

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