Arts Foundation of Cape Cod 2027 Grants for Organizations
The Arts Foundation of Cape Cod is accepting 2027 competitive project-grant applications for $500–$10,000 from eligible arts and cultural nonprofits and other qualified public-benefit entities in Barnstable, Dukes, and Nantucket counties, Massachusetts. These project grants support local organizations expanding public access to arts and culture, creating inclusive and innovative programming, and connecting arts with community challenges and individual or community well-being.
Application deadline and grant period
Deadline: Friday, November 6, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. The current official foundation guidelines do not specify an exact time zone; applicants should submit early. Applications opened September 8, 2026. Grant decisions are expected in December 2026. Funded project activities must take place between January 1 and December 31, 2027. A final report is due 30 days after project completion and no later than January 31, 2028.
Eligible applicants and requirements
Eligible lead applicants include 501(c)(3) nonprofits, units of state or local government, institutions of higher education, and federally recognized tribal governments. Both the applicant entity and proposed program must be located in Barnstable, Dukes, or Nantucket County. Applicants must be in good standing, with no disbarment, suspension, or other federal funding disqualification, and must have fulfilled prior Arts Foundation reporting obligations. One eligible lead must be responsible for any collaborative project; duplicate awards to multiple partners for the same project are not allowed. The foundation prefers new or substantially innovative efforts over continued support for the identical program.
Allowable project costs and restrictions
Funding is available for specific arts and culture project costs rather than general operations. Projects may include community exhibitions, creative workshops, performances, arts access for underserved populations, interdisciplinary partnerships, and programming connecting creative participation with community health. The foundation explicitly states no cost share or matching funds are required.
The current guidelines exclude general overhead and indirect costs; year-round general operations; routine school curricula without wider community benefit; entertainment and social receptions; commercial resale projects; lobbying; land purchase, construction and major building renovations; subgranting; endowments or reserves; fundraising; gifts and prizes; vehicle purchases; and spending outside the 2027 project period. Direct grants to individuals and independent awards to individual K–12 schools are not part of this organizational track. Organizing one lead applicant for an eligible school/community project remains subject to the specific conditions in the guidelines.
Application documents and submission
Applicants prepare an online project narrative identifying the new or innovative elements, access and inclusion strategy, artist roles and compensation, public beneficiaries, and proposed use of funds. A balanced income and expense budget using the foundation’s required template must include the requested grant amount. Applicants can consult the foundation’s published review rubric, which evaluates access, innovation and impact, mission and organizational focus, financial sustainability, and artist involvement. Submit through the official Arts Foundation of Cape Cod Submittable portal, selecting 2027 Grants: Orgs, before the November 6 deadline.
Controlling funder instructions: Arts Foundation of Cape Cod — 2027 Grants for Organizations Guidelines. Confirmed against the live official guidelines and active Submittable category on November 1, 2026. Individual awards range from $500 to $10,000; total funding pool, standard payment timetable, and universal reimbursement method are not published.