Arts Build Communities (ABC) Grants

About this funding opportunity

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Girls in traditional attire celebrate during a Centro Cultural del Condado de Washington County community cultural event. Arts Build Communities Grants

The Arts Build Communities (ABC) program provides matching support to arts and other community-based organizations for projects that address a local community problem, issue or need through an arts-based solution.

Contact

Email OAC Grants Team 971-304-5044

Para asistencia en español, llame al 971-345-1641

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FY2027 guidelines will be posted on Monday, June 29, 2026

Application deadline: 5 p.m., Wednesday, August 12, 2026

To stay informed: Check this page periodically for updates. Sign up for our newsletter/email for monthly updates. Follow the Oregon Arts Commission on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

This program recognizes the role that the arts play in the broad cultural, social, educational, economic and tourism sectors of community life. The program fosters partnerships that strengthen arts engagement, access and involvement in communities. Successful projects demonstrate building local capacity to strengthen the arts in a community through these local partnerships.

The Arts Build Communities program prioritizes projects that provide access to the arts for underserved communities. This includes communities that currently or historically face systemic barriers as defined by, but not limited to, geography, race/ethnicity, tribal affiliation, immigration status, socioeconomic status, ability/disability, age (youth and aging people), sexual orientation, gender identity or veteran status.

Projects must support the integration of the arts and artists with community goals and may include new initiatives, new program development, cultural tourism and the expansion of existing arts and community development projects. Pre-development, design fees and community planning activities are eligible in this program. Who is Eligible?

At the time of the application deadline, all applicant organizations must: Be a unit of municipal government (including libraries, schools and Tribal governments); or Operate as a nonprofit as evidenced by: Current IRS 501(c)(3) federal tax-exempt status; Active registration with the State of Oregon for corporate, non-profit status; Current Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) from SAM.gov.

Organizations using a fiscal sponsor are not eligible to apply. How to Apply

Applications must be submitted in the online grant system no later than 5:00 pm on the deadline date to be considered for review.

Please see the Arts Build Communities Grant Guidelines for full information about this grant program including all the application questions.

Limitations

Arts Build Communities Program funds may not be used for the following:

Events whose primary focus is to raise funds for a non-arts purpose; Services to entities located outside Oregon; Activities that take place outside the grant's defined activity dates; or Tuition assistance or scholarships for college, university or other degree-bearing courses of study.

If awarded, your award…

Topic areas: Arts and Culture, Social Innovation and Community Development.

Funding amount

This grant provides Varies in funding.

Deadline

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis; there is no single fixed deadline.

Who can apply

This opportunity is open to the following applicant types:

• Not specified by the program.

Eligibility

The program did not publish a separate eligibility statement. See the official opportunity page for the full eligibility criteria.

Agency

Arts Build Communities (ABC) Grants is administered by Business Oregon (Oregon Business Development Department) (Business Oregon), listed via Business Oregon (Oregon Business Development Department).