For any questions about the San Francisco Artist Grant please contact Senior Program Officer Anne Trickey at anne.trickey@sfgov.org or 415-806-5884.

Translation

A translation of this grant application is available upon request; however, only applications in English will be accepted.

Para obtener información en español, comuníquese al 311.

此拨款申请书的翻译版本将应请求而提供；然而，只有英文版本的申请书才会被接纳。联系电话：311

Ang pagsasalin sa Tagalog ng aplikasyon para sa pagkalooban na ito ay makukuha kung hihingilin. Ngunit ang aplikasyon sa Ingles lamang ang aming tatanggapin. Para sa tulong, maaring i-contact si Sandra Panopio, 415-252-2255 o sandra.panopio@sfgov.org.

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FY24 SFA GUIDELINES (PDF)

FY24 SFA APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS (PDF)


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Important Dates
Information about San Francisco Artist Grant
Who Can Apply
Panel Evaluation & Scoring Criteria

Information About San Francisco Artists (SFA)

Important Dates*

San Francisco Artist (SFA) Grantseeker Information Session	(Virtual)  Monday September 25, 2023 at 12 p.m.
One-on-One Consultations	(Virtual) Monday September 25, 2023 through Tuesday November 14, 2023
Application Deadline	Thursday November 16, 2023 at 12 p.m.
Grant Panel Review	(Virtual) March - April 2024
Funding Recommendations	(Hybrid) April 2024
Commission Approval	(Hybrid) May 2024
Notification of Funding	May 2024
Grant Period	July 1, 2024 – December 31, 2025

*Dates are subject to change.

About the San Francisco Artist (SFA) Grant

The San Francisco Artist Grant (SFA) category funds artists and works of art in all genres made by artists living in San Francisco. This grant is not intended to support organizations, artistic companies or collectives. Organizations are not eligible.

Land Acknowledgement

The San Francisco Arts Commission acknowledges that we are on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone. We affirm the sovereign rights of their community as First Peoples and are committed to supporting the traditional and contemporary evolution of the American Indian community and uplifting contemporary indigenous voices and culture. https://www.sfartscommission.org/content/land-acknowledgement

Racial Equity Statement

The San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) is committed to creating a city where all artists and cultural workers have the freedom, resources and platform to share their stories, art and culture, and where race does not predetermine one’s success in life. We also acknowledge that we occupy traditional and unceded Ohlone land. Fueled by these beliefs, we commit to addressing the systemic inequities within our agency, the City and County of San Francisco and the broader arts and culture sector. This work requires that we focus on race as we confront inequities of the past, reveal inequities of the present and develop effective strategies to move all of us towards an equitable future.

Priority funding goes to artists that are deeply rooted in and reflective of communities listed in the Arts Commission’s 1993 Cultural Equity Endowment Legislation and informed by current best practices in racial equity. These communities include: African and African American; Latinx; Asian and Asian American; Arab; Native American; Pacific Islander; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Queer; Transgender and Gender Variant People; People with Disabilities; and Women. (SF ADMIN. CODE CHAPTER 68: CULTURAL EQUITY ENDOWMENT FUND. Sec. 68.6. PROJECT GRANTS.)

If you are a part of a community not listed that you feel should be included, we encourage applicants to articulate and provide supporting evidence regarding the historical and current inequities experienced by your community.

ELIGIBILE grant Request Amount

The anticipated grant request amount for a San Francisco Artist grant is $30,000 over 18 months

.The anticipated maximum amount for a San Francisco Artist grant is $30,000 based on current budget availability. Should additional City funding become available, award amounts could increase.

Grant Term

A grant funded pursuant to these Guidelines will have a grant term of eighteen months. The City at its sole, absolute discretion shall have the option to extend the term for additional years or as determined by the Arts Commission.

This application is issued pursuant to San Francisco Administrative Code Chapter 21G: Grants. The San Francisco Arts Commission reserves the right to: reissue these Guidelines and request for applications; reject any or all applications; prior to application deadline, modify all or any portion of the selection procedures, including deadlines for accepting responses, the specifications or requirements for any services to be provided under this Solicitation or the requirements for content or format of the applications.

Project Requirements

• Fiscal Sponsor organizations that exceed the $2,000,000 due to re-granting and/or non-arts related emergency COVID response funds must verify their operational budget without pass-through funds at the time of application. Applicants must upload audited financials from the most recently completed fiscal year demonstrating the dollar amount of pass-through funds.
   
• New Work: The project proposal must include work made by the artist during the grant cycle. Only activities scheduled during the grant cycle are eligible for funding. 
   
• Public Benefit: Projects funded in this category must have a demonstrated public benefit, something that is open and accessible to the general San Francisco-based public. This can be through a virtual or in person public event, or through other means as imagined and realized by the artist, which benefit the City of San Francisco, its neighborhoods and communities.

How to Apply

APPLICATIONS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT: https://sfartscommission.us-1.smartsimple.com/

Applications must be submitted online in the SFAC grants management portal. Emailed or faxed applications are not accepted. In fairness to others, we cannot accept late or incomplete applications. If the applicant does not provide the complete set of information in the appropriate format by the deadline, the application may be deemed incomplete and ineligible. No deadline extensions will be granted.

If you need special accommodations, you must contact Program Officer Anne Trickey  at anne.trickey@sfgov.org or 415-806-5664 at least two weeks before the application deadline in order for us to appropriately accommodate. 

Purpose and Funding Categories

San Francisco Artist grant provides San Francisco based artists up to $30,000 over 18 months. Projects and activities must take place in San Francisco and provide a public benefit to the City of San Francisco and its communities.

• Creation of work and any related public benefit must take place between July 1, 2024 and December 31, 2025. 
   
• Artists may use the requested funds to cover an entire project or part of a larger project and to support San Francisco residency expenses such as rent. 
   
• Projects may include collaborations, but the individual who applies for the grant and is approved for funding will receive the grant award. The application should be written from the perspective of the specific artist applying and highlight their personal experience, work, and role in the project.

Who Can Apply

Eligibility

• The applicant must be a continuous resident of San Francisco since November 2021. Documentation demonstrating San Francisco residency must be submitted with the application. For a complete list of acceptable forms of proof of residency, please see the San Francisco Artist Grant application instructions.
  • Verifiable proof of San Francisco corporate address: This may be in the form of a utilities bill (water/sewage, power gas/electricity or internet), telephone/cell phone bill, bank or credit card statement, signed lease agreement or mortgage statement.
     
  • Documents should be no more than three (3) months old and must include the applicant’s name
     
• New: If approved for funding applicants must live in San Francisco during their entire grant term, July 1, 2024 through December 31, 2025.
   
• The applicant must be at least 18 years old.
   
• The applicant must have a practice that provided a public benefit and was publicly accessible virtually or in person, to the City of San Francisco, its neighborhoods and communities within the last two years. Please see the instructions document for further information on the San Francisco Art Activities requirement.
   
•  The applicant may be in any phase of their artistic career.
   
• The applicant cannot be enrolled as a full-time student at the time of the application or during the grant period.
   

• The applicant cannot be a City & County of San Francisco Employee, this includes teachers with the San Francisco Unified School District.

• Projects working with vulnerable populations: THE APPLICANT MUST APPLY WITH A FISCAL SPONSOR IF THE PROPOSED PROJECT INVOLVES WORKING WITH VULNERABLE POPULATIONS WHO ARE DEFINED AS: MINORS UNDER THE AGE OF 18, SENIORS OVER THE AGE OF 65 OR DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED POPULATIONS. If funded, the fiscal sponsor must provide sexual misconduct insurance.

• Applicants must not be in default on any grants or loans from: (1) SFAC; (2) other City departments (including, but not limited to, the Department of Children, Youth and Their Families, Office of Economic and Workforce Development, Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development, and Grants for the Arts); (3) Northern California Grantmakers Arts Loan Fund; (4) Community Vision Capital and Consulting; (5) Community Arts Stabilization Trust; and/or (6) the Center for Cultural Innovation. This default clause was expanded due to the fact that SFAC has fiduciary relationships with these particular organizations.
   
• The proposed project must take place in San Francisco between July 1, 2024 through December 31, 2025.
   
• It is anticipated that successful proposals will be for a term of 18 months beginning in fiscal year 2024-2025 with possible extensions based on extenuating circumstances as determined by the Arts Commission in consultation with the grantee. Any extension is subject to Arts Commission approval and funding appropriation. The Arts Commission reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to not exercise an extension option.
   
• The individual must be willing and able to meet the requirements associated with receiving funds from the City and County of San Francisco. In order to receive a grant payment from the San Francisco Arts Commission, the individual must become a registered, compliant supplier and meet the City of San Francisco's insurance requirements.
  
  For more information about supplier requirements, visit: https://sfcitypartner.sfgov.org/pages/become-a-supplier.aspx
  
  Please note: You will only be required to register as a City Supplier and provide insurance if you are approved for funding.

Fiscal Sponsors

• The Fiscal Sponsor organization must be a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and in good standing with the IRS under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3). To check or update your status visit: https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/
   
• The Fiscal Sponsor organization must be in good standing with the California Franchise Tax Board. To check or update your status visit: https://webapp.ftb.ca.gov/eletter/?Submit=Check+Status
   
• The Fiscal Sponsor organization must be in good standing with the California Attorney General’s Registry of Charitable Trusts. To check or update your status visit: https://rct.doj.ca.gov/Verification/Web/Search.aspx?facility=Y
  • ​To receive a grant under this Solicitation, any nonprofit applicant must be in good standing with the California Attorney General’s Registry of Charitable Trusts by the time of grant execution and must remain in good standing during the term of the agreement. 
  • Upon request, the applicant must provide documentation to the City demonstrating its good standing with applicable legal requirements. 
  • If applicant will use any nonprofit subcontractors/subgrantees/subrecipients to perform the agreement, proposer will be responsible for ensuring they are also in compliance with all requirements of the Attorney General’s Registry of Charitable Trusts at the time of grant execution and for the duration of the agreement.
     
• The Fiscal Sponsor organization must be in good standing with the California Secretary of State. To check or update your status visit: https://bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov/search/business
   
• The Fiscal Sponsor organization must be San Francisco-based.
  • The Fiscal Sponsor organization must demonstrate a San Francisco corporate address. Documentation demonstrating a San Francisco corporate address must be submitted with the application.
  • Verifiable proof of San Francisco corporate address: This may be in the form of a utilities bill (water/sewage, power gas/electricity or internet), telephone/cell phone bill, bank or credit card statement, signed lease agreement or mortgage statement.
  • Documents should be no more than three (3) months old and must include the applicant organization’s name.
  • If using a fiscal sponsor, the Applicant Organization’s address must be different from their fiscal sponsor.
     
• The fiscally sponsored organization/project cannot be any type of for-profit entity, including sole proprietorship, limited liability company (LLC), or corporation.
   
• If the applicant/organization plans to work with a fiscal sponsor, a contractual arrangement between the applicant and the fiscal sponsor must be confirmed prior to the San Francisco Arts Commission’s grant application process. SFAC requires either a fiscal sponsor form; or proof of the fiscal sponsor agreement at the time of application.
   

• Applicants/organizations cannot retroactively work with or change fiscal sponsorship after a grant application is approved for funding.

• NEW:  If the application is funded. A Fiscal Sponsorship Agreement or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the fiscal sponsor and the fiscally sponsored applicant must be provided and include the following:
  • 1) Description of the exact nature of the services to be provided by this fiscal sponsor;
  • 2) The manner in which funds will be disbursed from the grant to the fiscally sponsored project/entity;
  • 3) An outline of the reporting requirements for the fiscally sponsored project/entity; 
  • 4) The fiscal sponsorship fee;
  • 5) Identification of the fiscal sponsor’s staff person who will serve as the primary liaison with the fiscally-sponsored project/entity.
     
• Organizations may not act as a fiscal sponsor for employees or artists contracted by that organization; a third-party fiscal sponsor is required.
   
• If an applicant is approved for funding, the fiscal sponsor is the legal grantee and receives the funds on behalf of the applicant who is the subgrantee.
   
• The fiscal sponsor/grantee is required to work with the subgrantee to complete and submit financial documentation of the disbursement of funds with the grant’s final report.
   
• ALL FUNDS MUST BE PAID TO THE SUBGRANTEE IN ADVANCE OF THE FINAL DISBURSEMENT OF THE GRANT. 
   
• Copyright: If the applicant receives funding, the fiscal sponsor and the applicant must decide who will hold the copyright to any materials or work created during the grant period. This should be discussed in advance of signing the grant agreement, as it includes language regarding copyright.
   
• The Fiscal Sponsor must be willing and able to meet the requirements associated with receiving funds from the City and County of San Francisco. In order to receive a grant payment from the San Francisco Arts Commission, the organization must become a registered, compliant supplier and meet the City of San Francisco's insurance and business tax requirements.
  
  For more information about supplier requirements.
  https://sfcitypartner.sfgov.org/pages/become-a-supplier.aspx
  
  Please note: you will only be required to register as a City Supplier if you are approved for funding.

Restrictions

• Programs of another City agency or department are not eligible to apply, which includes the City-owned Cultural Centers.  
   
• Only one application may be submitted to this grant category.
   
• Partners and collaborators cannot apply separately for the same project.
   
• Grant funding does not imply that the San Francisco Arts Commission or any other city agency will produce, exhibit, promote, or present the art created. It is the responsibility of the artist to secure a venue, insurance and any permits for public presentations.

Ineligible Expenses

Grant funds may not pay for:

1. Activities outside of San Francisco;
2. Deficit reduction;
3. Start-up money for new organizations;
4. Planning and development of space.

Insurance Requirements

Please Note: Insurance is NOT required to submit an application; you will only be required to provide insurance if you are approved for funding.

General Liability or Special Event Insurance: Coverage with limits not less than $1,000,000 each occurence and $2,000,000 general aggregate.

Commercial Automobile Liability Insurance: Coverage with limits not less than one million dollars $1,000,000 each occurrence for Combined Single Limit for Bodily Injury and Property Damage, including Owned, Non-Owned and Hired auto coverage, as applicable.

Sexual Misconduct Insurance: Working with vulnerable populations (minors under 18 years old, elderly over 65 years old, developmentally disabled populations) requires that sexual misconduct insurance be added to the general liability policy in amounts not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence, $2,000,000 general aggregate.

Worker’s Compensation Insurance: Coverage is required for all organizations that have salaried employees; in statutory amounts, with Employers’ Liability limits not less than $1,000,000 each accident, injury, or illness.

• Worker’s Compensation Insurance is a California State law.

A Waiver of Subrogation must be added to the worker’s compensation insurance, if any work that the grant is funding happens on City-owned or managed property.

City Permits and Permissions

If the proposal includes components that require City permits or approval such as publicly installed art, murals, street closures or sound amplification in public space, the organization will be solely responsible for securing the necessary permits, permissions and approvals. This planning should be reflected in the project timeline.

Please note that any art installed with these grant funds on property owned by the City and County of San Francisco or on private property, must be reviewed and approved by the San Francisco Arts Commission starting with the Visual Arts Committee. This applies to murals, public sculpture and similar projects. It will be the responsibility of the grantee to build this process into their grant plan, budget narrative and timeline. Please contact Craig Corpora at craig.corpora@sfgov.org for questions about murals, sculpture or any other type of public art.

Panel Evaluation & Scoring Criteria

Panelists are instructed to use the following scoring criteria which correspond to the application questions below. Close review of this grid may help you prepare your application responses. Please thoroughly review the application instructions for the complete overview of grant application questions, required uploads and guidance.

CATEGORY	POINTS	APPLICATION QUESTIONS	SCORING CRITERIA
Racial Equity   (20 points)	20	1. The Arts Commission uses a racial equity lens to review applications in this grant category. You can read our racial equity statement here. Please explain how your professional experience, life experience, and understanding of racial equity helps you express the experiences of historically underserved communities, including those listed in the Cultural Equity ordinance (see Administrative Code Section 68.5). 250 word limit	Applicant uses their professional experience, life experience, and understanding of racial equity to express the experiences of one or more of the Cultural Equity communities.
Artistic Relevance (10 points)	10	2. Tell us about your experience relevant to your proposed project. 150 word limit Resume or Curriculum Vitae 2-page maximum   Biography 150 word limit	Applicant successfully describes their experience relevant to the proposed project. Applicant’s Resume/CV and Biography reflect their experience relevant to the proposed project.
Artist Project   (50 points)	20	3. Describe the ideas and processes involved in making your project and your role in the creative process. It is important to give the panelists a clear picture of what you are doing and how you are doing it. 300 word limit   If you are working with other partners or collaborators, please outline their role in the project.  150 word limit	Applicant clearly describes the ideas and processes involved in making the project and their role in the creative process. If applicable: Roles of any partners or collaborators are outlined.
	10	4. Grants in this category must provide a public benefit to San Francisco, its neighborhoods and/or communities. What is your public benefit (an event, a publication, etc.), what specific San Francisco neighborhood or community will benefit, how many people will benefit and how will you reach them? Include specific goals for your public benefit and how you will know you achieved them (how you will measure your goals). 250 word limit	Applicant describes the public benefit. Applicant identifies a specific neighborhood and/or community, number of people who will benefit and how they will be reached. Applicant sets goals for a successful public benefit.
	15	5. Why is this project important to you and to the future of your artistic practice?  250 word limit	Applicant articulates why the project is important to them and to the future of their artistic practice.
	5	6. Completed grant plan with distinct activities, outputs and date completed by.	Applicant translates their project description and plan into distinct activities during the grant window.
Work Samples	20	7. Work Samples: Upload samples of your past work. The samples should show your ability to complete your proposed project, as well as demonstrate knowledge of and experience in your creative practice. Any combination of the following: 5 images, 5 pages, 5 minutes of audio/video	Work samples show an ability to complete the proposed project, as well as demonstrate knowledge of and experience in the applicant’s creative practice.

Grant review Panelists

SFAC grant applications are evaluated in an open review process by a panel of peers. Grant review panelists reflect the diversity of San Francisco, have broad knowledge about racial equity, and have experience that aligns with the purpose of the grant. 

Application Review

Panelists will review and score applications based on the stated scoring criteria. Additionally, Additionally, panelists may reference the Aesthetic Perspectives Framework and list of Aesthetic Attributes identified by Americans for the Arts. These concepts help panelists recognize and discuss qualities of art-making outside of an academic or institutional lens.

Panel Review Attendance and influence

Grant review panels are publicly accessible. A schedule of the panel review will be posted on the SFAC website calendar and applicants will be notified in advance via email. Please be sure the email address in your application is current and regularly checked. Take steps to ensure that emails from the San Francisco Arts Commission’s sfac.grants@sfgov.org email address are not lost in your spam filter. Many applicants find it informative to listen to the discussion of applications and are welcome to observe the panel review. Applicants may not engage in discussion with any panelists or San Francisco Arts Commission staff during the panel.

If an applicant is found to have attempted to influence a panelist or Mayoral-appointed Commissioner in any way, including contacting them before or after the panel to discuss their application, their grant application will be automatically disqualified.

Panel Reviews and Panelist Scores​

Virtual panels will be recorded.

Links to the panel review recording and preliminary scores are emailed to applicants within 10 business days of the review.

Funding Recommendations

Based on an evaluation of the applications, panelist scores create a ranking for funding recommendations. Grant amounts are either the full amount of the grant request or a substantial portion of the request.

Funding Approval

Panel recommendations are subject to the approval of the Arts Commission. Typically, recommendations are first reviewed by the Community Investments Committee and then must be approved by the full Commission.

Arts Commission meetings are open to the public. Agendas are available at https://sfgov.org/arts/ 72 hours in advance of a meeting.

Grant notifications

Grant notifications are emailed to the address listed on the application and include instructions about the contracting process and orientation dates.