The Give for Greatness grants provide up to $2,000 in general operating support to small and mid-sized arts-focused nonprofit organizations across the five counties of 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 and mission;
• Have 501c3 or NYS CHAR 500 status;
• 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.

Applications for the 2021 Give for Greatness grants will open on Monday, December 6, 2021.

Give for Greatness grants have traditionally been awarded to organizations based on their successes, activities, and impact on the community in the calendar year listed. Due to our inability to host G4G’s largest fundraiser this year, we are adjusting the application requirements to make the most impact with the funds we do have available to give out.

For 2021, we only have a total of $15,000 to award. This year, we are asking nonprofit organizations to tell us how they will use these funds to build their internal capacity. Requests can be made up to $2,000. You should provide detailed costs and price quotes whenever possible to show how you will spend the money if you receive a grant this year.

Please note: This funding is general operating support. Any applications requesting project or event support will not be considered. Even though we are asking for you to tell us how you will use the money, we want to support your internal operations. This can include: hiring consultants or temporary staff, updating or purchasing software or programs, updating your website or physical signage,  purchasing updated computers or other equipment, and more. Tell us how this money can help make your work easier. 

All applications are to be completed through our online grants portal. 

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 2021 grant cycle by clicking the link below.