Grant types
Choosing your grant type
When you apply, you will need to know which type of General Operating Support (GOS) grant you wish to apply for.
Arts Programming
Choose Arts Programming if you plan to fund a season or series of public performances or displays of art works in San Francisco.
We do not fund specific programming. However, you will need to show that you have plans to use grant funds to support upcoming programming plans.
Parades and Festivals
Choose Parades and Festivals if you plan to fund a parade or festival in San Francisco public spaces.
Capacity Building and Regranting
Choose Capacity Building and Regranting if you plan to use funds to support other San Francisco artists or arts organizations. This could be through capacity building support or by creating, managing, and financing smaller grants.
If you need support for your own capacity building but also produce arts programming, parades, or festivals, apply under the “Arts Programming” or “Parades & Festivals” grant types.
Applying for more than 1 grant type
An organization may apply for more than 1 grant type. You will submit a separate application for each grant type.
Grant amounts
Grant amounts range between $10,000 and $450,000. We base the amount on the applicant's:
- General operating budget size
- Application score (you must score 75 points or more)
- GFTA’s budget availability
Amount to request
When deciding the amount to request, consider:
- The award amount you received from GFTA in the previous years
- Your organization’s anticipated budgetary needs
You may consider other points, as well.
Amount to expect
Many factors can impact the size of GFTA's annual budget.
While we do our best to award the amount you request, it is not always possible. Be aware that you may not get the amount you request in your application.
Award amounts may also fluctuate year by year. Receiving a certain amount 1 year does not mean you will receiving the same amount or more the following year.
Describing your activities
Many of the application questions ask about individual activities. You may use the same activity to answer different questions in the application.
It’s up to you to decide whether to input a series as 1 activity, or to break it up into individual activities. You should share what will best represent your programming and impact on San Francisco.