OUT OF SCHOOL GRANT

About

The Out of School Grant supports quality arts education activities for underserved PK-12 students occurring outside of the normal school day. Activities (for example, theater productions or art classes) can be held at school or at a location beyond the campus.

Who May Apply

Nonprofit organizations as well as PK-12 Schools are eligible to apply for Out of School Grants.

What and How Much We Fund

We offer two grant tracks: Express Grants and Annual Grants. The maximum Express Grant award is $4,000. The maximum Annual Grant award is $40,000. Grant funds may be used to pay professional teaching artist fees and to purchase project-related materials and supplies. Funds cannot pay for equipment, food, beverages, awards, scholarships, or event tickets.

Annual Out of School Grants must be matched dollar for dollar and must serve an underserved population. Express Grants do not require matching funds.

When It Happens

For FY27, all project funds must be spent between July 1, 2026 and June 30, 2027.

How We Make Funding Decisions

A panel evaluates and scores each application for artistic quality, arts learning, and management capabilities. Annual Grant awards reflect the score as a percentage of the request. Express Grant applications that meet panel approval will be fully funded at requested amount.

Application Information

Application Dates: Applications for Annual Out of School Grants take place once a year. The application deadline for FY27 was February 23, 2026. Applications for Express Out of School Grants are on rolling deadlines. Apply by the first Monday of each month, two months in advance of the month in which the project incurs expenses. For example, for a project that incurs expenses in May, the application must be received no later than the first Monday in March. If the first Monday is a holiday, the deadline is on Tuesday. We encourage organizations and schools to submit applications early.

You will submit an application through  Smart Simple, our online grant application program. You will give information in the following areas:

1. Applicant Information Name, ID numbers, organization/school details, grant program
2. Project Information Basic information about project; accessibility information
3. Participant Information Who are the students involved and why are they your focus?
4. Artistic Quality Elements of the project; teaching artists
5. Arts Learning Goals Supported by learning standards; evaluation and assessment tools
6. Administrative Ability Marketing, management, and finances
7. Out of School Requirement How do the students qualify as underserved or under-resourced?
8. Budget Detail Program income and expenses
9. Attachments Teaching artist resume and letter of intent; support materials as needed; tax documents and board information
10. Compliance Statement (Authorizing official) This individual is the sole person who can sign the grant contract. The executive director and key board members are automatically designated, but additional authorizing officials may be appointed.