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.

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.