IMPORTANT: The LA County COVID-19 Arts Relief Fund application window is now closed. Thank you to all you applied, but we can no longer accept any more applications.
(Above)Photo courtesy of the Japanese American National Museum (JANM).
Who is Eligible
The purpose of this funding is to provide economic relief to arts nonprofits suffering from business interruptions due to COVID-19-related closures from March 1 – December 30, 2020.
Nonprofit arts organizations that have been affected by COVID-19 due to business losses or business interruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic are eligible to apply if they meet the following eligibility requirements at the time of application.
Nonprofit arts organizations (501(c)(3) and/or fiscally sponsored organizations) must meet the following requirements listed below:
- They are a current FY 2019/20 or FY 2020/21 grantee of the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture Organizational Grant Program (OGP) and/or
- They are a current FY 2020/21 grantee of one of the seven municipal local arts agencies with grantmaking programs, limited to the City of Los Angeles, City of Pasadena, City of West Hollywood, City of Culver City, City of Santa Clarita, City of Santa Monica, and City of Long Beach through the Long Beach Arts Council. A list of all eligible current grantees has been provided to the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture by the seven municipal arts funders in Los Angeles County. Your organization must be on this list in order to be eligible to submit an application. Be sure to check by organization name and by FEIN. Note: colleges or universities, businesses or non-arts organizations that are grantees of a municipal local arts agency are not eligible.
In addition, all applicants must:
- Be located in and serving Los Angeles County.
- Have principal offices in Los Angeles County.
- Have a primary mission to provide arts programming, as demonstrated by more than 50% of the applicant organization’s budget devoted to arts programming.
- Have tax exempt status, as defined by the IRS.
- Have "ACTIVE" status and provide a Certificate of Good Standing from the California Secretary of State.
To focus funding on the small and mid-size organizations that are disproportionately impacted and often serve the County’s most vulnerable communities, priority will be given to organizations with budgets under $15 million, however current grantees with budgets over $15 million are eligible to apply. At time of application all eligible applicants must demonstrate eligibility, eligible losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and compliance with CARES Act funding requirements.
Who is Not Eligible
- Any organization not listed above in the "Eligible Organizations" PDF above.
- Organizations whose primary mission is to raise funds.
- Educational institutions that lead to a degree or diploma, including but not limited to private or public schools or scholarship programs, colleges, and universities. This includes departments and programs therein, except for arts organizations that possess independent 501(c)(3) status.
- Municipal or County government agencies and departments.
- Organizations whose primary mission is not arts related (e.g. social service, religious, education, or health organizations), as demonstrated that more than 50% of the applicant organization’s budget is not arts related.
- Past and current Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture Community Impact Arts Grant grantees are not eligible for this program.
- Individual artists.
- Past grantees of any of the municipal local arts agencies or previous grantees of the Organizational Grant Program that are not in the current pool of grantees or whose status. No exceptions will be made to this policy.
- Organizations that have "SUSPENDED" Status with the California Secretary of State.