What is the Small Grants Program?
Through its Small Grants Program, the Office of Arts & Culture's three grantmaking contractors distribute grants ranging from $500 to $10,000 to hundreds of individual artists and arts organizations. Arts & Culture's grantmaking contractors are Friends of IFCC, MusicOregon, and the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC). You'll learn more about all of them here!
Separately, Arts & Culture has a second grantmaking program called General Operating Support. That program provides direct, unrestricted grants to approximately 80 established nonprofit organizations each year that demonstrate artistic excellence, provide service to the community, show administrative and fiscal competence, and provide a range of high-quality art programs for the public. Organizations that receive General Operating Support are not eligible to apply for Small Grants Program funding.
A note for applicants
Grant seekers can apply to more than one of the City’s arts contractors listed below. However, the total amount of funding received from all three partners combined may not exceed $5,000 in fiscal year 2025-26. Each grant program has its own application instructions and timelines. Please visit the respective websites, linked below, for detailed information and application guidelines.
The history of the Small Grants Program
From 1995 to 2024, the City contracted with RACC to administer the Small Grants Program and distribute funds. When the Office of Arts & Culture was established in July 2024, both the Small Grants Program and General Operating Support were folded into the office’s portfolio of work. Through contracts with Arts & Culture, Friends of IFCC, MusicOregon, and RACC now administer this program, with disbursements coming directly from the City.
Important grant program dates for FY 2025-26
| Grant program | Application opens | Info session(s) | Application deadline | Panel review | Award announcement | Grant distribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friends of IFCC's Artist Grant & Residency Program | 7/30/25 | 8/24/25, 9/2/25 | 9/12/25 | 9/13-11/9/25 | 12/15/25 | 1/1-12/31/26 |
| MusicOregon's Echo Fund | 8/4/25 | 8/11/25, 8/25/25 | 9/5/25 | 9/15-10/29/25 | 11/13/25 | 12/2025 |
| RACC's Portland Arts Project Grants | 7/16/25 | 8/14/25, 9/5/25, 9/12/25, 9/15/25 | 9/24/25 | 10/13-12/19/25 | 1/2026 | 2/1-6/30/26 |
Friends of IFCC's Artist Grant & Residency Program
The mission of Friends of IFCC is to further the success of the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center (IFCC), which has served as an arts center and cultural home in in North/Northeast Portland for multiple generations. The IFCC Artist Grant & Residency Program provides artists with dedicated funding, studio space, and yearlong opportunities for collaboration and professional development. In fiscal year 2025-26, Friends of IFCC will offer grants and residency opportunities to support projects and programming for artists working at any level and in various disciplines—including visual arts, writing, multimedia, music, dance, theater, spoken word, and multidisciplinary performance.
This program is part of a larger community-driven effort to revitalize IFCC. We are re-activating the current building to build excitement and attention for future expansion. The in-kind donation of space at IFCC for artist residencies is provided by Portland Parks & Recreation as a program partner.
Grant award highlights
- Eligibility: Portland-based artists working at any level and in wide-ranging disciplines—including but not limited to visual arts, writing, multimedia, music (including bands), dance, theater, spoken word, and multidisciplinary performance.
- Funding focus: Alignment with the mission of Friends of IFCC (above) and the goal of revitalizing IFCC as an arts/cultural home in North/Northeast Portland.
- Available funding: $100,000 from the Office of Arts & Culture (plus additional support from other philanthropic sources)
- Grant awards: $6,000 to $10,000 per grant
- Note: As mentioned, Arts & Culture limits annual grant awards to $5,000 per artist across all of its contracting partners. Friends of IFCC has raised additional philanthropic support to cover any grant awards in excess of the $5,000 cap.
Funding timeline
- Grant application opens: July 30, 2025
- Information sessions: August 24, 2025 and September 2, 2025
- Application deadline: September 12, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. PT
- Panel review: September 13-November 9, 2025
- Award announcements: December 15, 2025
- Grant funding awarded: January-December 2026
MusicOregon's Echo Fund
MusicOregon is the first statewide organization to create grant programs purpose-built to support the unique needs of independent, commercial, contemporary musical artists. The Echo Fund at MusicOregon empowers creative musical excellence and professional development by supporting independent, working musicians with funding for creative, non-performance projects that support new growth and spur creative and career development. In fiscal year 2025-26, MusicOregon will partner with the Office of Arts & Culture to provide grants to Portland-based independent musicians across all genres through the Echo Fund.
Grant award highlights
- Eligibility: Portland-based independent working musicians, including musicians operating as sole proprietors, LLCs, and other legally organized entities
- Focus: Professional development and career expansion for independent musicians; funding cannot be used for performances
- Available funding: $100,000 from the Office of Arts & Culture (plus additional support from other sources)
- Grant awards:$1,000-$5,000 per grant
Funding timeline
- Grant application opens: August 4, 2025
- Information session: August 11, 2025 (information session) and August 25, 2025 (grant writing workshop)
- Application deadline: September 5, 2025 at 12 a.m. PT
- Panel review: September 15-October 29, 2025
- Award announcements: November 13, 2025
- Award distribution: December 2025
Regional Arts & Culture Council's Portland Arts Project Grants
The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) envisions a thriving region, powered by creativity, with arts and culture in every neighborhood. The organization's mission is to enrich its communities through arts and culture. The Arts Project Grants support a wide range of artistic endeavors, emphasizing diversity and community impact.
In fiscal year 2025-26, RACC will partner with the Office of Arts & Culture to provide Arts Project Grants to Portland-based individual artists, arts organizations, arts businesses, and other nonprofits. Successful proposals will involve the creation or presentation of a performance, exhibit, or other work of art available to the general public in 2026.
Grant award highlights
- Eligibility: Individual artists, arts groups, arts-focused businesses, nonprofits, and organizations in Portland
- Focus: Grants will support the making and sharing of artistic work and the development of the arts community in Portland
- Available funding: $1,200,000 from the Office of Arts & Culture
- Grant awards:$1,000-$5,000 per grant
Funding timeline
- Grant application opens: July 16, 2025
- Information session: August 15, 2025 (recorded information session), September 5 and September 12, 2025 (in-person and virtual budget work sessions), and September 15, 2025 (Instagram live Q&A)
- Application deadline: September 24, 2025 at 5 p.m. PT
- Panel review: October 13-December 19, 2025
- Award announcements: Late January 2026
- Award distribution: February 1-June 30, 2026
Past Small Grant Program grantees
Fiscal year 2024-25
Across all three of Arts & Culture's grantmaking partners, 230 artists and 90 arts organizations received Small Grant Program funding in fiscal year 2024-25.
Learn more about Friends of IFCC's 2024-25 grantees