The Give for Greatness grant supports small to mid-sized nonprofit arts and cultural organizations in Erie, Niagara, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, and Allegany counties by providing general operating support in the amount of $1,000. Between twenty-five and thirty-five $1,000 grants are given out each year, depending on the amount of money raised that year.
Give for Greatness supporters include:
- Fund for the Arts
- Lawyers for the Arts
- Lawyers for the Arts: Classical Edition
- The Marilyn Gohr McTaggart Reveal Fund at the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo
- The Rupp Family Foundation
Since 2014, ASI has distributed over $150,000 to nearly 100 different arts and cultural organizations in WNY!
Submission Deadlines
Application Open | Monday, January 11, 2021 |
Deadline for Applications | Friday, February 12, 2021 at 11:59 PM |
Funding Announcements | Early March 2021 |
Check Presentation Event | N/A |
ELIGIBILITY
The Give for Greatness grants provide general operating support in the amount of $1,000 to small and mid-sized arts-focused nonprofit organizations across Western New York.
To be eligible, an organization must meet all of the following criteria:
- Have arts or cultural activity and programming as primary purpose or mission;
- Have 501c3 or NYS CHAR 500 status (current or pending) or be fiscally sponsored by another organization that meets this criteria;
- Be located in Erie, Niagara, Allegany, Cattaraugus, or Chautauqua counties;
- Have a current operating budget of under $300,000;
- Receive less than $30,000* in county funding (or no county funding) for programs or operations for the current year;
- Be willing to recognize Give for Greatness and Arts Services Inc. (ASI) as a funder if funds are received.
*This amount was updated for the 2020 grant cycle.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
Applications for the 2020 Give for Greatness grants will open on Monday, January 11, 2021.
Give for Greatness grants are awarded to organizations based on their successes, activities, and impact on the community in the calendar year listed. That being said, we know 2020 was a challenge for everyone, and that half our industry has yet to be given the green light to reopen.
Our 2020 Give for Greatness application will focus on how organizations found success (big or small) despite COVID-19 and the corresponding shutdowns and limitations to business operations. We don’t expect applicants to showcase a stellar year, but we do want to hear how applicants found unanticipated successes, successfully adapted their programming to create something really impactful, reached new audiences they could only dream of reaching before, and more in 2020.
All applications are to be completed through our online system.
The button below allows you to preview the application, register in the grants portal, and complete the application. You can preview the grant options or set up an account for the 2020 grant cycle by clicking the link below.
2019 RECIPIENTS

Out of 78 applicants, the following 32 organizations were chosen by a panel of local arts and cultural leaders:
- 1891 Fredonia Opera House
- Allegany Arts Association
- Amherst Bel Canto Choir, Inc.
- Amherst Chamber Ensembles
- Art for Rural America
- Beaver Alley Studios Inc.
- Brazen-Faced Varlets
- Buffalo Choral Arts Society
- Buffalo Institute for Contemporary Art
- Buffalo International Film Festival Inc.
- Buffalo Is Creative
- Buffalo Jazz Collective
- Buffalo Opera Unlimited
- Buffalo Society of Artists
- Carnegie Art Center
- Cynthesis Studios
- Devi Bollywood Performing Arts
- El Museo Francisco Oller y Diego Rivera
- Fountain Arts Center, Inc.
- Lock City Glee Club, Inc.
- Lockport Public Arts Council
- North Shore Arts Alliance, Inc.
- Nusantara Arts Inc.
- Olean Theatre Workshop
- Pappy Martin Legacy – Masten Jazz Festival
- Second Generation Theatre Co.
- Starlight Studio and Art Gallery
- Starring Buffalo
- Unique Theatre Company
- Verve Dance Studio
- West Falls Center for the Arts
- WNY Book Arts Center
Click here to read the press release announcing the 2019 recipients.