City of Ventura Community Grants Program, Category 1: Arts Organization Support offers competitive operating-support grants for established City of Ventura-based 501(c)(3) arts organizations. The official 2026-2027 city guidelines and Category 1 application govern eligibility, award decisions, and submissions. This is applicant financial assistance, not a vendor procurement.
Awards and funding
$5,000 to $20,000 per award, with $120,000 available across Category 1 under a $340,000 four-category annual program. The category pool is not an individual applicant award. Funding may cover eligible arts organization operations, ongoing programming, personnel, rent, utilities, insurance, technology, and other authorized costs. Awards are competitive, may be smaller than requested, and are not guaranteed.
Eligibility
Applicants must be City of Ventura-based tax-exempt 501(c)(3) arts organizations with a primary mission focused on arts and a minimum of three years of operating history, serving Ventura residents. Projects and activities funded under this program must occur within City of Ventura and benefit city residents. Each applicant may apply in only one grant category per funding cycle. Organizations with direct annual city subsidies outside city-administered grant programs, outstanding city debts, or unresolved prior grant reporting obligations are ineligible. Applicants must satisfy insurance, ADA, and nondiscrimination requirements.
Deadlines and application
October 26, 2026, before 1:00 p.m. is the mandatory deadline to request a secure upload-portal link (or approved alternative) by emailing Communitygrants@cityofventura.ca.gov. October 30, 2026, before 5:00 p.m. is the final complete-application deadline. The official October 6 guidelines label these times PST, although October local daylight-time terminology may differ; applicants should confirm the cutoff directly with city staff. No late or incomplete applications are accepted. Applications opened October 5, 2026.
Required materials and review
Download the official 18-page Community Grants Guidelines and 9-page Category 1 application. Submit the completed application, an itemized budget with requested amount and purpose, required organization information and tax/financial documents, a current Ventura business license or tax certificate, IRS determination letter, most recent Form 990, current operating budget, board/leadership roster, and three to five recent work samples. The application requires narratives on community impact, grant goals, access and inclusion, organizational readiness, and measurable results. Insurance proof is required before award funds or activities. The competitive panel uses a 25-point rubric and may recommend partial funding.
Restrictions and conditions
Grant funding cannot pay pre-agreement expenses, debt reduction, construction or capital improvements, political or religious advocacy, prohibited substances, applicant travel and lodging, or most hospitality. Costs must be reasonable, necessary, and directly tied to approved activities; the city requires supporting invoices and a final report. No mandatory cash matching percentage is published in the controlling guidelines. The agreement and payment schedule are governed by city award documents. Activities must conclude no later than December 31, 2027.
Official funding page: City of Ventura Community Grants Program. Controlling guidelines: PDF. Category 1 application: PDF.