$9.5M in arts grants approved in Fresno after score threshold lowered

The Fresno Arts Council this week announced notice to award $9.5 million in Expanded Access to Arts and Culture grants in the city.

The grants have been awarded to a total of 112 organizations and projects and is part of the first disbursement of Expanded Access to Arts and Culture grants funded by Measure P, the sales tax initiative approved by Fresno voters in 2018.

Measure P sets aside 12% of collected funds to support cultural arts in the City of Fresno for 30 years.

The Fresno Arts Council received 137 applications, with a total request for funding of nearly $16 million.

In July, the Parks, Recreation, and Arts Commission (PRAC) recommended that 98 applicants be awarded $8.6 in grant funding.

On Aug. 19, PRAC approved a motion to lower the applicant score threshold from 3.5 to 3.0 across all four grant categories, voting to recommend 112 applicants for the nearly $9.6 million in funding.

“In our first year, we learned a lot about Fresno’s arts ecosystem. We are enthusiastically looking forward to observing and participating in the many amazing projects that were funded through this process,” said Fresno Arts Council Executive Director Lilia Gonzáles Chávez.

The deadline for online applications was March. There were two type of EAAC grants accepted — Arts and Culture Organization General Operating Support Grants and Project-Specific Support Grants.

Each of the grant categories set aside approximately 10% of available funds to award to emerging organizations or projects. The applications submitted responded to priorities included in Fresno’s Cultural Plan.

The grant period is retroactive to July 1 through June 30, 2025.

The arts council will release Requests for Proposals for 2025-26 grants in fall 2024.

The following organizations to receive Measure P money are part of the new threshold as broken down in four categories:

Emerging organizations, project specific support

Choummaly Keodara

The Dream Again Project

Reading and Beyond

Established organizations, general operating support

Another Level Training Academy

Arts Enrichment for All

BreakBox Thought Collective

Saint Rest Community Economic Development Corporation

Care Fresno Inc.

Established organizations, project specific support:

Mighty Community Advocacy

Dulce Upfront (Samuel Contreras)

Art of Life Cancer Foundation

Emerging Organizations, general support

Hella Fresno

Iranian Culture and Art Club of Fresno

Might Community Advocacy