Fiscal Year 2027 Grant Applications for Delaware Arts and Community-Based Organizations and Schools Now Open

Division of the Arts announces funding opportunities for programs taking place September 2026-August 2027

Statewide, Del. (December 5, 2025) - Every day across Delaware, the arts help people learn, connect, and imagine what's possible. From classrooms and community centers to theaters, festivals, galleries, and public spaces, the work of the state's creative sector strengthens neighborhoods and enriches quality of life. To continue this momentum, the Delaware Division of the Arts has opened its annual online application process for Fiscal Year 2027 grants supporting programming and projects taking place September 2026 through August 2027.

Applications must be submitted through the smARTDE online system and are due by 4:30 p.m. EST on Monday, March 2, 2026.

In FY25, the Division of the Arts awarded 326 grants - for a total of almost $5.1 million - to eligible Delaware-based organizations and individual artists. To see previously supported organizations and projects visit https://arts.delaware.gov/grants-awarded/.

"With more than 300 grants awarded last year supporting work in every county, it's clear that Delaware's creative sector is both active and essential," says Director Jessica Ball. "The Division's investment isn't just about funding programs; it's about strengthening the people and places that make creativity possible in every corner of our state. Whether you're a community-based nonprofit, an arts organization, or a school inspiring the next generation, we encourage you to apply. Your work fuels Delaware's cultural vitality, and we're here to help you move it forward."

The guidelines for all grant programs are available online at arts.delaware.gov/grant-overview. Past and new applicants should read the guidelines carefully as updates may have been made and contact Division staff with any questions. A list of the Division staff members who manage the grants process, including their responsibilities and contact information, is available at the end of this release.

Below are the Division's grants programs and their respective deadlines. Please visit arts.delaware.gov/grant-overview/ to access the full guidelines for each program and a description of the grant review process. Some organizational grants are available throughout the year on a rolling deadline basis. Please see the list below for more details.

Available Grant Programs

Grants for Delaware Arts Organizations: The Delaware Division of the Arts offers a variety of grants for nonprofit arts organizations chartered and based in Delaware. Below is a list of grants for organizations whose primary mission is the promotion, production, presentation, or teaching of the arts.

General Operating Support (GOS) - support of annual operating expenses to ensure that year-round participation in the arts is available to the people of Delaware. This grant category utilizes a three-year application cycle. Full applications are due every three years, with Interim Applications due in the "off" years. Application deadline: March 2, 2026 at 4:30pm.

Arts Stabilization Fund (ASF) - support for improvements to facilities owned (or under long-term lease) and operated by the organization. ASF grants are funded through the Division's participation in the Arts Consortium of Delaware, Inc. (ArtCo) endowment. Application deadline: March 2, 2026 at 4:30pm.

Education Resource (EDR) - grants to strengthen standards-based arts education projects, programs, and activities that utilize the arts education resources of the Delaware arts community or strengthen arts organizations' capacity to serve as professional development resources for teaching artists and educators. Application deadline: March 2, 2026 at 4:30pm.

StartUp - financial support, training, and consultation to develop and strengthen the management capacity of emerging arts organizations, or those new to the Division, so that they can operate in a sustainable manner. Completion of the StartUp program is a prerequisite for emerging organizations seeking General Operating Support. Letter of intent due January 15, 2026. If LOI accepted, March 2, 2026 deadline.

Arts Access - provide support for the presentation of eligible arts-related programs throughout the state, including performing, visual, literary, media, or folk arts in communities. Rolling deadline.

Grants for Delaware Community-Based Organizations (CBOs): The Delaware Division of the Arts offers two grant options for non-profit Delaware organizations, colleges, and universities, and government entities that present arts programming or activities but do not have the arts as their primary mission.

Project Support - support of arts programs provided by CBOs that assist in the growth of a vibrant cultural environment by encouraging the continued development of arts activities in communities throughout the state. Application deadline: March 2, 2026 at 4:30pm.

Arts Access - provide support for the presentation of eligible arts-related programs throughout the state, including performing, visual, literary, media, or folk arts in communities. Rolling deadline.

Grants for Delaware Schools and School Districts: The Delaware Division of the Arts offers a variety of grants for Delaware Pre-K through 12 public, charter, private, and parochial schools that offer arts activities and programming.

Artist Residency - grants for residencies with visual, literary, performing or media artists working with students in the classroom or in professional development workshops with teachers. Rolling deadline.

Education Resource (EDR) - grants to strengthen standards-based arts education projects, programs, and activities that utilize the arts education resources of the Delaware arts community or strengthen arts organizations' capacity to serve as professional development resources for teaching artists and educators. Application deadline: March 2, 2026 at 4:30pm.

TranspARTation - grants that support transportation costs up to $500 per field trip for schools to travel to Delaware arts and cultural institutions and venues for students to attend arts performances, events, and exhibits. Rolling deadline.

Grants for Delaware Individual Artists: The Delaware Division of the Arts offers two grant options for artists including individual artist fellowships and opportunity grants. Please find a list of grants for artists that are Delaware residents, 18 years of age or older, not enrolled in a degree-granting program.

Individual Artist Fellowship (IAF) - support of individual artists in their work as visual, performing, media, folk, and/or literary artists. Download the smARTDE Instructions to learn how to log in and navigate the system. Application opens Spring 2026 with an August 3, 2026 deadline.

Artist Opportunity Grant - grants up to $1,000 in support of individual artists with unique professional and artistic development or presentation opportunities. Quarterly deadlines.

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Contact: Andrew Truscott, Program Officer, Marketing and Communications

302-577-8280, [email protected]

About the Delaware Division of the Arts
The Delaware Division of the Arts is an agency of the State of Delaware. Together with its advisory body, the Delaware State Arts Council, the Division administers grants and programs that support arts programming, educate the public, increase awareness of the arts, and integrate the arts into all facets of Delaware life. Funding for Division programs is provided by annual appropriations from the Delaware General Assembly and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. For more information about the Delaware Division of the Arts, visit arts.delaware.gov or call 302-577-8278.