VENTURA, Calif. – Over $700,000 went to supporting arts and culture in Ventura County thanks to grants given back to the community.
The County of Ventura, Ventura County Community Foundation (VCCF), and the Ventura County Arts Council (VCAC) are excited to announce the Arts and Culture Investment Fund grant recipients, investing $700,000 in funding to support the arts and culture community in the county.
The grants support 36 Ventura County-based nonprofit arts and culture organizations and 62 independent artists who were selected through a highly competitive grant application process. Nearly 300 applications across the two groups were received during the application window. Grant awards range from $5,000 to $150,000 for the nonprofit organizations, and $1,000 - $4,000 for artists.
The Arts and Culture Investment Fund grant program was approved by the Ventura County Board of Supervisors to provide services and resources for the arts and culture community as it continues to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The nonprofit grant process is administered by VCCF, while the artist grant process is managed by VCAC, both in partnership with the County.
“The County of Ventura is proud to support this diverse group of nonprofit arts and culture organizations and artists from across Ventura County," said David Yoshitomi, the County of Ventura’s Arts and Culture Manager. "This initiative provides essential resources to help the arts and culture sector recover from the pandemic and continue their work. I'm grateful to the Board of Supervisors for recognizing the importance of supporting both organizations and artists through providing the funding for this monumental grant program.”
Along with the funding, grant recipients will participate in a series of technical assistance workshops, led by the Economic Development Collaborative, that will cover best practices in areas such as capital management, fundraising, marketing, and audience development. The combination of funding and training is intended to support the resilience and sustainability of the grant recipients, strengthening the cultural and creative sectors in the county. The full impact of the grant program will be shared in a final report due next year.
The Arts and Culture Investment Fund is the County’s first dedicated arts and culture grant program and the largest such funding opportunity ever offered by local government in Ventura County. The funding allocation was approved as part of the County’s 2023 Recovery Plan to support ongoing recovery from the pandemic. A total of $800,000 in grant funding is available through the program, with $700,000 distributed through this grant application process, and $100,000 through a separate matching grant contingency fund.
For more information on the grant programs and a full list of the grant recipients, please visit ventura.org/arts .
County of Ventura
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