Project Support Grants

To be eligible for Project Support as a community-based organization, you must

Be either a Delaware-based nonprofit organization whose primary mission is not the arts OR be an established unit of municipal, county, or state government within Delaware:

• This includes organizations such as libraries, civic groups, community/senior centers, and university/college non-credit programs intended to serve the community
• Organizations must have a stable, functioning board of directors that meets at least quarterly
• Organizations must be based and chartered in Delaware as a nonprofit organization; exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) or 509(a) of the Internal Revenue Code; and eligible to receive donations allowable as charitable contributions under Section 170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954.

AND be proposing an arts project with more than $5,000 in estimated eligible direct cash expenses.

Project Support funding is available for arts projects that accomplish one or more of the following requirements:

• Provide opportunities for expanding diversity, equity, and inclusion in arts programming and participation
• Provide experiences of artistic vitality and relevance for the public
• Involve collaborations between artists or arts organizations and community and civic groups, government entities, schools, or social service agencies
• Reach audiences and participants with limited access to the arts or to a particular art form
• Support arts programs in new or non-traditional venues
• Provide opportunities for artistic expression of a community’s unique history, culture, or circumstances
• Offer opportunities for the creation of new works of art
• Provide opportunities for conservation, documentation, and appreciation of the artistic traditions of diverse cultures and communities

Please note the following restrictions:

• No single applicant may apply for more than three projects. The combined total grant request of all three project applications submitted must be less than $75,000.
• The Division will not accept applications through fiscal agents.
• Applicants generally may not receive support from both Project Support and Arts Access within the same fiscal year.
• No individual may compile or submit an application on behalf of an organization if that individual is a member or relative of a member of the Delaware State Arts Council or Division staff.

Note: First-time applicants for Project Support should contact Briana Henry prior to beginning the application process to verify their eligibility and review the application process with staff. A copy of your State of Delaware Certificate of Incorporation and IRS Nonprofit Determination Letter must be submitted with your first application.

The Grants for Community Based Organizations Project Support program is open to the public, in alignment with the eligibility requirements listed above.

Any applicant with questions about preparing an application is encouraged to reach out to relevant DDOA staff, as listed below. All applications are submitted via the secure online grants management system SmartSimple. Log in or create a free account at https://smartde.smartsimple.com.

Project Support funding is available for arts projects that accomplish one or more of the following:

• Provide experiences of artistic merit and integrity for the public
• Involve collaborations between artists or arts organizations and community and civic groups, government entities, schools, or social service agencies
• Provide opportunities for expanding diversity, equity, and inclusion in arts programming and participation
• Reach audiences and participants with limited access to the arts or to a particular art form
• Offer opportunities for the creation of new works of art
• Support arts programs in new or non-traditional venues
• Provide opportunities for artistic expression of a community’s unique history, culture, or circumstances
• Provide opportunities for conservation, documentation, and appreciation of the artistic traditions of diverse cultures and communities

Funding awarded in the FY2026 grant cycle must be spent on activities that occur between September 1, 2025 and August 31, 2026.

Download the full Project Support Grant guidelines here.

Matching Funds and Grant Awards

Applicants may request grants of up to 30% of the direct cash expenses for the artistic portion of their project. Project Support grant awards typically range between $2,000 and $10,000, with more than half of the awards less than $5,000. In exceptional cases, grant awards have exceeded the top of that range. Proposals may be funded at less than the requested amount, or not at all. Prior funding does not guarantee future funding.

All Project Support grants are funded on a matching basis. Matching funds must be cash and may not come from the National Endowment for the Arts. Other federal grant sources may be used as match in accordance with authorizing legislation.

Multiple Projects

Organizations planning more than one distinct project must submit a separate application for each project. Applicants should consult with Division staff for guidance in determining when multiple applications are required. Note: No applicant may apply for more than three projects in one fiscal year. The combined total grant request of all three project applications submitted must be less than $75,000.

The Delaware Division of the Arts strives to keep our Project Support Grant applications concise, while gathering the essential information needed for a thorough and fair evaluation. We aim to balance simplicity with the comprehensive details necessary to ensure we can effectively assess each project’s potential impact and success.

The Project Support grant application requires:

• An organizational profile
• Narrative questions describing your organization and project and addressing the project’s artistic relevance and vitality, community impact and engagement, and management and success
• A board or council list with contact information, board-designated responsibilities/committees, occupation/expertise, and # years of service (or committee list for college programs or governmental entities)
• A staff contact list with names, titles, and email addresses
• Project Support Budget
• Support materials (up to five)

Note: All materials submitted to the Division of the Arts during the grant application process are subject to public inspection upon request, in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act. Please redact any confidential information contained in financial documents and audits prior to submission.

Expenses Eligible for Project Support

Only the expenses below related to the arts project or the arts portion of an event are eligible for Project Support funding:

Direct Expenses (should be included in the Direct Expenses column of the budget):

• • Artists’ fees
  • Marketing or publicity
  • Personnel
  • Administrative costs
  • Contractual services
  • Supplies and materials
  • Technical costs
  • Travel and other operational expenses necessary to deliver arts programs and services

Indirect Expenses, such as staff salaries and overhead may also be included in the Project Budget in the Indirect Expenses column, but Division funds may not be used toward these expenses, nor can they be used for match.

Expenses Not Eligible for Project Support

Division funds may not be used for these expenses – do not include them in the Project Budget:

• • Activities for which academic credit is given
  • Activities outside Delaware
  • Activities with fundraising as a primary purpose
  • Awards, cash prizes, or donations
  • Bad debt
  • Building, renovating, or remodeling of facilities
  • Capital expenditures and non-consumables valued over $3,000
  • Traditional circus and athletic activities
  • Expenses incurred outside the grant period
  • Investments of any type
  • Meals/refreshments
  • Private entertainment
  • Projects restricted to exclusive participation or enjoyment
  • Projects that have sectarian or religious purposes
  • Scholarships or research by individuals
  • Products and/or services not directly related to the artistic portion of an event
  • Contingency funds

The following criteria are utilized by citizen panels to evaluate each Project Support application. Panelists use detailed scoring rubrics in their review of each application.

Artistic Relevance & Vitality (30% of score)

• Project demonstrates a level of detail in planned activities and is relevant to the identified audience(s)
• Project leaders and/or artists have experience successfully engaging with identified audiences/community members

Community Impact & Engagement (40% of score)

• Meets one or more of the Project Support Requirements (as stated above)
• Demonstrates collaborative planning, partnerships and/or community involvement
• Includes marketing and strategies to engage new and diverse participants, including those historically underserved due to their geography, ethnicity, economics, disability, etc.
• Ensures accessibility for people with disabilities

Management & Success (30% of score)

• Project connects to the organization’s mission
• Qualifications of key personnel managing and implementing the project
• Project has a plan for success and includes an evaluation strategy
• Includes a realistic and detailed project budget with a variety of income sources

After all applications have gone through an internal grant review process for completeness, they will be reviewed, discussed, and evaluated by an external committee of Delawareans.  The committee’s feedback and scores are then tabulated and provided to the Delaware State Arts Council, who will make funding recommendations for Fiscal Year 2026 to the Division Director at the June 2025 Council meeting. The recommended grant awards will apply to Fiscal Year 2026 only. Applicants will be notified of final funding decisions after July 1, 2025, following the Council meeting and passage of the state budget.

For details on the grant review process and appeals procedures, visit the Division of the Arts’ Grant Review Process.

Applicants should not expect the funding to be exactly the same each year (for repeating applications). Grant awards are re-calculated annually taking into account the following: a satisfactory review of application materials and on-site evaluations, actual operating expenses/income as reported in the application and IRS materials, the number of organizations in the applicant pool, and available state and federal funds. Because of these variable factors, grant awards are likely to fluctuate from year to year. In addition, prior funding does not guarantee future funding.

The Division of the Arts retains the right to reduce or rescind a grant award during the grant period if the grantee is found not to be in compliance with state and/or federal grant requirements, or if funding (state or federal) is reduced during the fiscal year.

Notification:

Applicants will be notified of grant award decisions after July 1, 2025, following the Council meeting and passage of the state budget. Notification will be made through the smARTDE application portal.

As part of the grant award notification, there will be a number of documents that applicants are required to read and acknowledge before receipt of your first payment.

eSupplier:

To receive a grant payment, organizations must have an active State of Delaware eSupplier record.

We recommend that you choose to receive payments through Automated Clearing House, an electronic fund transfer, when completing or updating your eSupplier record. Electronic fund transfers are faster than mailing a check.

• First-time grantees: will receive instructions on how to register electronically as an individual (not a business) in the State of Delaware’s eSupplier Portal. *If you’re an individual, your Tax Identification Number is your Social Security Number
• Past grantees: will receive instructions for checking and updating their eSupplier record.

Questions about eSupplier? Please contact: Division of Accounting by email at FSF_Supplier_Maintenance@delaware.gov or by phone at (302) 526-5600.

Payment:

Grantees will be notified of awards via email, and payments will be issued according to the payment schedule issued with the award notice. Payments of StartUp Grants typically occur in two parts:

First Payment: On or around September 30

Final Payment: On or around October 30 of the following year (conditional on submission of a completed final report by the deadline)

Full payment will be issued following notification of their selection and after the grantee has completed or updated Delaware’s eSupplier Portal. Grantees may opt to receive payments through electronic fund transfer (recommended) when completing or updating Delaware’s eSupplier Portal. Note: Grantees who have previously received payments from the State of Delaware should not create a new vendor account on the eSupplier Portal, but may opt to update information through the “Change Profile” option.

The Statement of Assurances is the contract that all Division grantees must sign. Grant applicants must indicate that they have read and agreed to the obligations of grant recipients, should a grant be awarded. Receipt of state and federal grants carries with it certain obligations and responsibilities. By submitting a Division of the Arts grant application, applicants are affirming that they are familiar with the requirements of the Delaware Division of the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts, as presented in the Division of the Arts Statement of Assurances, including but not limited to:

• Crediting the Division appropriately on all materials
• Keeping public arts events current on DelawareScene.com
• Notifying the Division of any significant changes to the program or budget
• Providing complimentary tickets for use by on-site evaluators, if appropriate
• Compliance with Accessibility Requirements
• Submitting all required Final Reports

An annual final report describes how funds were spent over the most recently completed granting period. The final report collects narrative, fiscal, and demographic information in keeping with DDOA and National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) requirements.

Final Reports for Project Support grants must be submitted through smARTDE no later than September 30, 2026. Failure to submit a final report on time may result in forfeiture of the final payment of the grant award and may impact future funding.

You can use this interactive tool to search for Delaware Division of the Arts grants awarded to organizations and individuals from 1999 through today.