Richmond Thrives Grant Program
Arts & Culture Fund
CultureWorks has been named as the intermediary grant-maker for the City of Richmond’s Arts & Culture priority area.
The application portal for the Richmond Thrives Grants Program: Arts and Culture Fund is LIVE! For more information, eligibility requirements, guidelines, and FAQs, scroll down.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
This FAQ supplements — and does not replace — the full 2027 Grant Guidelines, available right here. Click a question to see its answer. Don't see a question you have? Send it to info@richmondcultureworks.org and we'll send you an answer as soon as we can.
Eligibility
Award Amounts & Use of Funds
Applying
Review, Scoring & After You Apply
Virtual Grant Application Walkthrough
Grant Guidelines & Application Information
Guidelines for the 2027 Richmond Thrives Grants Program: Arts and Culture Fund are available to download by clicking the button below.
A PDF of the entire application is also available below. NOTE: This document is a preview of the full application for planning purposes only and cannot be used to apply for the grant. Your application must be completed using the online application portal, which opened on August 17 and is available here. While we do not anticipate changes to the application at this stage, some of the questions may have slightly different wording in the online form, and are therefore subject to change.
You can also learn more about the Richmond Thrives Grants Program and the City of Richmond’s other priority areas by clicking here.
Program at a Glance
Grant type
Unrestricted operating support
Grant period
January 1 – December 31, 2027
Administrator
CultureWorks, on behalf of the City of Richmond
Awards Levels
Up to $50,000 / up to $25,000 / up to $10,000*
Award Cap
*No more than 25% of the applicant’s annual operating budget
Application Window
Targeting August 17 – September 15, 2026, via online portal available at RichmondCultureWorks.org/grants (where you are now)
Awardees Alerted
Targeting the week of November 21, 2026; targeting fund disbursement by December 31, 2026
Who Can Apply?
To be eligible, organizations must meet all of the following at the time of application:
Legal status. Tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and in good standing with the IRS and the Virginia State Corporation Commission.
Primary mission. Arts, culture, or humanities are the organization’s primary mission, or a clear focus of its mission or strategic plan.
Operating history. Two completed fiscal years of arts and cultural programming prior to the application deadline, with a minimum of 2 years of tax-exempt non-profit status (evidenced by two filings of IRS form 990) for the past 2 years.
Budget minimum. Total budget operating expense of at least $25,000 for the current fiscal year.
Location and benefit to residents. The organization is located in the greater Richmond region* and its work directly benefits City of Richmond residents.
Standing on prior grants. In good standing, and current on all reporting for prior City of Richmond and/or CultureWorks-administered grants, and proactive in communicating changes to funded work.
Fiscal Sponsorship. A fiscal sponsor is an eligible organization that collaborates on an application with another organization (the "sponsored organization") and, if awarded, receives and administers grant funds for work carried out in whole or in part by the sponsored organization. To serve as a fiscal sponsor, an organization must independently meet all eligibility requirements set forth in the application guidelines, and must assume full legal, financial, and programmatic responsibility for the grant, including compliance, reporting, and performance. Though the sponsored organization is the primary applicant for the grant, the fiscal sponsor must submit a separate portion of the application unique to fiscal sponsors. The Grantmaker will contract solely with the fiscal sponsor, which remains accountable for all obligations regardless of any division of labor with the sponsored organization.
Ineligible applicants: individual artists; for-profit entities; K-12 schools, colleges, and universities and their departments; units of government; religious congregations (auxiliary 501(c)(3) organizations may apply for secular arts programming); and organizations debarred or suspended from federal funding; organizations that have applied for funding in one of the other priority areas in the Richmond Thrives Grants Program for FY 27.
Frequently Asked Questions
Eligibility
Can individual artists apply?
No. This grant is for 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations only. Individual artists are invited to apply for the CultureWorks Arts & Culture Community Impact Grant, with the start of that grant cycle expected to begin in January, 2027.
Do we have to be located in the City of Richmond to apply?
Your organization must be located in the greater Richmond region, which is defined as the cities of Richmond, Colonial Heights, Hopewell, and Petersburg; the counties of Charles City, Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, New Kent, Powhatan, Prince George, and Sussex; and the town of Ashland. Second, your organization must directly benefit residents of the City of Richmond.
My organization’s headquarters is outside the greater Richmond region, but we have an office/staff based in Richmond — are we eligible?
Yes. An organization with a clearly provable presence in the Greater Richmond region is eligible if funds are used exclusively by the Richmond-based office and directly benefit Richmond residents. If you have doubts about your ability to prove this aspect of your organization’s eligibility, contact CultureWorks directly at info@richmondcultureworks.org or 804-340-5280 to verify.
Are religious organizations eligible?
Religious congregations themselves are not eligible. However, an auxiliary 501(c)(3) organization connected to a religious congregation may apply for secular arts programming provided the programming is not primarily religious in purpose.
We’re a brand-new nonprofit — can we apply?
Applicants need two completed fiscal years of arts and cultural programming before the application deadline, along with at least two years of 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, evidenced by two years of IRS Form 990 (or 990-EZ/990-N) filings.
We received funding from CultureWorks or the City before — can we apply again? Does past funding count against us?
Organizations that have received funding from the City of Richmond or CultureWorks in the past are eligible to apply for funding through the 2027 Richmond Thrives Grant. Past funding will have no bearing, positive or negative, on funding this cycle.
Can we apply to the Arts & Culture priority area and another Richmond Thrives priority area at the same time?
No. Organizations that have applied or are planning to apply for funding in one of the other priority areas of the Richmond Thrives Grants Program for FY27 are not eligible for the Arts & Culture Fund. You’ll need to choose one. Learn more about all four priority areas by clicking here.
What is fiscal sponsorship, and when would we need one?
Fiscal sponsorship lets an otherwise-ineligible “sponsored organization” carry out the funded work while an eligible nonprofit — the fiscal sponsor — applies, receives, and administers the funds. To serve as a fiscal sponsor for this grant, an organization must independently meet every eligibility requirement itself, submit a separate portion of the application specific to fiscal sponsors, and take on full legal, financial, and programmatic responsibility for the grant. CultureWorks contracts solely with the fiscal sponsor, which is accountable for all obligations no matter how labor is divided with the sponsored organization.
Award Amounts & Use of Funds
Is the grant a fixed amount, or does it vary?
Unlike some programs (including the CultureWorks Arts & Culture Community Impact Grant), applicants do not request a specific amount as part of the application. Instead, every application is scored and then ranked, with the highest-ranked applications receiving maximum funding (which equates to $50,000 or up to 25% of their organization’s annual operating budget, whichever is lower). Other awards will be distributed in smaller amounts based on available funding. A detailed breakout of funding tiers and estimated award amounts is available in the Grant Guidelines.
Can I use this grant to fund a specific project or event?
Not exactly — this is unrestricted general operating support, meaning it’s meant to support your organization’s overall operations rather than being tied to one project. You don’t need to propose a specific project, and funds aren’t restricted to one. Funds can be used for operating costs tied to a project (i,e, salary for project staff, other allowable project-related costs in line with your organization’s mission), but they must still be used within the 2027 grant period .
Can we apply for multiple years of funding at once?
No. Multi-year applications aren’t accepted, and awards can’t cover expenses incurred before the grant period begins. You’re welcome to reapply each year the program runs.
Applying
How do I apply?
All applications are submitted through CultureWorks’ online portal, SMApply, linked from richmondcultureworks.org/grants. There is no mail-in option. If special accommodations are needed, please email us at info@richmondcultureworks.org or call 804-340-5280
When does the application open and close?
The portal is open now and closes September 15, 2026 at 4:00 PM EST. Late applications will not be accepted.
Is there help available before I apply?
Yes! A recorded information session about the guidelines is available here. A video walkthrough of the entire application will be available soon. You can sign up for 1-on-1 support with a member of the CultureWorks team by clicking this link.
You can also email info@richmondcultureworks.org or call 804-340-5280 for assistance accessing the guidelines or the portal.
What documents do I need to have ready?
Required materials include:
IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter
Two most recent IRS Form 990 (or 990-EZ/990-N, as applicable)
Profit & loss statement (audited or unaudited depending on organization size) from the most recently completed fiscal year, plus a current balance sheet
Current fiscal year operating budget
Board roster identifying officers
Key staff list (paid or volunteer) and roles
Narrative responses to the six scoring criteria (mission, organizational history, programming overview, etc.)
Audience/participant data, including ZIP-code residency data (if available) and demographic information for communities served, board, and staff
Work samples or supporting documents — programs, media links, or letters of support
If awarded, you’ll also be asked to submit an IRS Form W-9 and a signed Certificate of Assurances.
Can I go back and edit my answers after marking a section complete?
In most sections, yes. Go to Your Tasks, select the section, and use the “...” menu in the top right to Download, Reset, or Edit your answers before marking it complete again. The one exception is Part A: Eligibility Screening — those answers can’t be reset or edited once you’re determined ineligible, so review that section carefully before submitting. NOTE: Once you Submit your application, you cannot edit it.
Review, Scoring & After You Apply
How are applications reviewed?
A community review panel — recruited to reflect the City’s culturally and economically diverse population, including artists, non-artists, nonprofit leaders, other funders, and possibly City staff — scores each application independently across six criteria, each worth up to 20 points (120 points total):
Telling Richmond’s Stories & Cultural Significance to Our Community
Benefit to Richmond Residents
Access & Equity
Community Engagement, Audience Development & Arts Education
Organizational Capacity & Stewardship
Overall Impact
Panelists complete conflict-of-interest disclosures in advance and are recused from scoring any application where they have a financial, governance, employment, or close personal relationship with the applicant. After independent scoring, CultureWorks facilitates a meeting of the panelists to discuss and reach consensus on final funding recommendations.
When will I find out if we’re awarded?
Award decisions are targeted for the week of November 21, 2026, with fund disbursement targeted by December 31, 2026, kicking off the January 1 – December 31, 2027 grant period.
What happens after we’re awarded?
Awardees submit a W-9 and signed Certificate of Assurances, then submit a mid-year progress report in May 2027 and a final report — narrative outcomes against the six criteria, financial accounting, and audience/participant data — within 30 days of the grant period’s end (by early 2028) through SMApply. Late or missing reports can affect future funding eligibility. You should also expect possible site visits from CultureWorks or City staff, must credit CultureWorks and the City of Richmond on funded program materials, and must keep financial records for at least five years for potential audit purposes.
Do we need to report any changes during the grant period?
Yes. Substantive changes to your mission, programs, leadership, or management during the grant period must be reported to CultureWorks in advance. Failing to do so may put your funds — or future eligibility — at risk.
Still Have Questions?
Email info@richmondcultureworks.org or call 804-340-5280. You can also sign up for 1-on-1 support with a member of the CultureWorks team by clicking this link.