Capacity Building and Community Engagement Grant Program
Information
Folk and traditional art forms are rooted in and reflective of the cultural life of a community, whose members may share common ethnic heritage, cultural mores, language, religion, occupation, or geographic regions. These art forms are preserved and revitalized through efforts to pass down skills and knowledge across generations. By providing opportunities for hands-on learning, collaboration, and practice within families and communities, these traditions remain vibrant and continue to evolve, ensuring the lasting strength of cultural legacies.
The Folk and Traditional Arts (FTA) grant program supports the culture bearers practicing these arts across California.
FTA will redirect resources at the local level by funding one or more Administering Organizations (AO) with demonstrated capacity for statewide and regional reach that will regrant funds, provide technical assistance, and/or build capacity with artists and arts organizations in support of folk and traditional arts expressions.
The AO will work directly with artists or cultural organizations who practice traditional art forms. The forms of traditional expression can include but are not limited to: crafts, music, dance, ritual, and technical skills.
This program centralizes local artists and their artistic processes as vehicles for community vitality. This funding opportunity recognizes that artists are integral to healthy communities, and that the arts are a societal cornerstone that brings people together, builds community, and fosters social progress.
The Administering Organization grant is available as follows:
- Minimum 70% of the CAC grant will fund grants out to the field. 30% of funds can be used for program design and implementation, including:
- Up to 10% to support administrative costs, and
- Up to 20% for staff salaries for artists and culture bearers to implement required program activities (see “Project Requirements” section below).
- The CAC is proposing to fund one AO for this program. However, if it is determined that multiple applicants will meet the requirement of implementing statewide and engagement strategies to priority communities and trusted culture bearers, the CAC will consider distributing awards to multiple AOs.
- Applicant organizations can request up to $1,000,000 annually for two years. Funding is subject to the availability of funds and the approval of the state budget for both the 2025-26 and 2026-27 fiscal years. Payments will be made in two installments each year, contingent on the passage of the state budget for that year.