Houston Arts Alliance provides grants annually to over 200 arts and cultural organizations and artists through a competitive grant allocation process. Grants are awarded for the encouragement, promotion, improvement and application of the arts to promote tourism and the convention and hotel industry. Most of the funding is specific to nonprofit arts and cultural organizations, although small grants are available to other nonprofit's that present or produce arts programs or events in our service area consistent with the promotion and enhancement of Houston as a cultural destination. Applications for these grants are reviewed by external review panels, composed of inclusive groups of artists, arts administrators, finance professionals, business people, community volunteers and others, selected for their expertise and objectivity.

Annual Grants:

Once each year (normally March), Houston Arts Alliance accepts applications from Houston nonprofit arts and cultural organizations to support those programs that meet the City of Houston Hotel Occupancy Tax requirements.  We offer Arts Project and General Operating Support grants to eligible arts and cultural organizations.  Small project grants are also available to other nonprofit's that present or produce arts programs or events in our service area consistent with the promotions and enhancement of Houston as a cultural destination.  To determine eligibility for these grants, please read the appropriate Grants for Organizations Guidelines and note the application dates.  The Guidelines are listed in the downloadable documents below.

Other Grant Programs

To assist arts and cultural organizations throughout Harris County, Houston Arts Alliance offers support through its Touring/Neighborhood Arts Project grants. These grants (maximum of $3,000) assist organizations in providing arts programming primarily outside the City of Houston in Harris County.  Funded by Harris County and Texas Commission on the Arts, it seeks to support the presenting and touring of arts programs, with an emphasis on small and mid-size arts organizations.  Applications are accepted 2 times per year.  Guidelines and Application form for this grant category are as listed in the downloadable documents below.


Applying for a Grant
To review current grant opportunities available to nonprofit arts and cultural organizations, please download and review our Grants for Organizations guidelines.

Organizational Grant Guidelines

FY09 Grants for Organizations Guideline (pdf)

Guidelines for the upcoming FY10 Grants for Organizations will be available after January 2009.

FY09 Grant Application Panelists

Grants & Services appreciates the time that its thirty-eight panelists committed to the task of reviewing 89 grant applications for the five recent discipline panels in preparation for FY09 Organization Grants.  

For more information on each of the members of the arts community who served on these panels, click here.

City of Houston/Houston Arts Alliance Special Initiative Grants

Formally known as the City's Initiative Grant

The Special Initiative Program provides a one-time grant to nonprofit arts or cultural organizations for special opportunities that are not part of the applicant’s annual budget, regular programming or annual event.  An example could be the opportunity to present an artist or performance that was not included in an annual season; unanticipated invitation to perform or exhibit as part of conference or meeting being held in Houston; or the opportunity for one-time exposure in national or regional media campaign.  Awards are restricted to artistic and marketing costs, with a maximum available of $10,000.

Guidelines and Application form are available in the documents below:

FY09 Special Initiatives Guidelines (word)

FY09 Special Initiatives Application (word)


Intensive Services Program Guidelines and Application

FY07 Intensive Services Program Guidelines (word)
More details will be available after July 1, 2008

Touring and Neighborhood Arts Program Guidelines and Application

FY09 Guidelines for Touring and Neighborhood Arts

FY09 Application for Touring and Neighborhood Arts

After Receiving a Grant
Organizations approved for a grant will enter into an agreement with Houston Arts Alliance that outlines the arts activities that will be supported through the grant and the evaluation and accountability requirements. Please visit our Managing Your Grant page for program updates and downloadable report forms.

Panel Nominations

Panel Nomination Form (word)

Panel Nomination Form (pdf)

E-mail complete form to Joseph R. Wilson, Director of Grants and Services, at joe@haatx.com. Nominations should include nominee’s resume. Houston Arts Alliance cannot accept a nomination form without a resume attached.

Panelists are critical to the grants review process -- we need qualified individuals to provide this significant community service!

Arts professionals and organizations from every discipline are invited to submit nominations for peer review panelists for Houston Arts Alliance Programs. Peer review panels assist in evaluating applications for arts and cultural organizations and creative artists, which are funded by Houston Arts Alliance.

Selection

Selected panelists primary responsibility will be to read grant applications and participate in public review panel meetings once or twice annually. Panelists review and score each application based on pre-established criteria and their recommendations are then forwarded to Houston Arts Alliance's Board of Directors for formal approval.

Nominations for review panelists may be made by any arts and cultural organization or individual. Interested individuals may also nominate themselves. Panelists are selected according the following criteria established and approved by the Board. To qualify as review panelists, individuals should demonstrate the following qualifications:

  • Time – Panelists must be willing to spend the time required to make good decisions about grant applications.
  • Objectivity – Panelists must be able to put aside personal bias and be fair in their assessments and decisions. The nominee must be dedicated to the highest professional standards in his/her artistic discipline(s).
  • Knowledge -- The individual should be a recognized expert in a given arts discipline(s) or field. The nominee should demonstrate a history of involvement in the arts either as an arts practitioner, manager or educator. If the applicant is not an artist, the applicant should demonstrate knowledge through experience as an arts scholar, board member or other position in arts administration. The applicant should also demonstrate an appreciation for the cultural, ethnic, aesthetic and artistic plurality in Houston.
  • No Conflict of Interest – Panelists may not review applications from organizations and/or individuals with which they are associated and must disclose all conflicts with the Houston Arts Alliance. Conflicts of interest include fiduciary, personal, professional or adversarial relationships of the panelist and his/her family.

Panels are carefully balanced to reflect the make-up of the arts community. Panels include lay persons, as well as artists and arts professionals. Houston Arts Alliance looks for panelists with different points of view and from various cultural orientations. A panelist will serve on only one panel in a particular grants program; however, if willing, able and qualified, he/she may be asked to serve for more than one program, or for the same program for up to three consecutive years, depending on need.

SPECIFIC DUTIES

  • Attend a training and orientation session -- Panel orientations are scheduled to coincide with grants programs offered throughout the year. -- Approximately 1.5 hours.
  • Prepare -- Become familiar with organizations applying for support in the program in which you are serving; read grant applications before panel meeting. Panelists may come to Houston Arts Alliance’s office and review applicant files prior to a panel meeting. -- Several hours.
  • Attend panel meeting -- Panel meetings will vary. – The meetings may last a full day. Some Panels last two days. Panel meetings are held on weekdays.
  • Site visits and/or phone interviews  -- Site visits or phone interviews are not required. If an applicant offers tickets to an event and the panelist has time, he/she is encouraged to attend. -- Several hours.
  • Attend events of assigned organizations – if time allows. – Several hours.