City of Providence Cultural Facilities Improvement Grants
Managed by the Department of Art, Culture and Tourism
Funded through an allocation of CIP (Capital Improvement Project) Funds
Through an allocation from the Department of Art, Culture and Tourism’s 2020 and 2025 CIP bonds, we will distribute $700k in grant funding over the next two years to eligible non-profit organizations with public venues in Providence dedicated to showcasing or teaching performance, visual art, writing, music, and dance. By investing in the spaces where artists and audiences meet, we aim to strengthen not only our arts organizations, but the facilities where art is made and experienced.
Total CIP Allocation:
- Year One (FY27): $350k ($300k 2020 bond; $50k 2025 bond)
- Year Two (FY28): $350k ($350k 2025 bond)
Grant Amounts:
We anticipate most awards being between $25k-$100k, but invite applicants to request what they need, whether it’s more than $100k or less than $25k. This funding does not require a match.
FY27 TIMELINE:
- Application Opens: Oct 16
- InfoSession: Friday Oct 30
- Application Closes: Nov 16
- Panel Meets: Wk of Dec 14
- Grants must be spent by June 30, 2028 (and by June 30, 2029 for FY28)
ELIGIBILITY:
- Must be a 501c3 non-profit organization (no individuals, LLC’s, for-profit or fiscally-sponsored collectives)
- Must be seeking funds specifically related to a cultural facilities improvement project – either enhancing or repairing.
- The facilities must be a public venue that regularly hosts events in which arts and culture are the core function, ie performances, visual art, writing, music, dance. This funding cannot be applied to administrative office space that is not available to artists, students or audiences.
- The applicant may own the facility or have a long-term lease (20-years or 5-years with a 20-year option)
- The project must be achievable by June 30, 2028 (FY27) or June 30, 2029 (FY28) based on the funding already obtained and the scale of the improvement project.
- The improvement project must be an investment that will last at least 5 years, regardless of the organization’s longevity.
- Facilities must have an address in Providence, RI.
- Organizations that have received in total $100k in total in the past two fiscal years (FY25 + FY26) from the City of Providence in the form of grants, subsidies or contracts are not eligible.