The Eligibility Check form below serves as notice of your organization’s intent to apply for a 2025 City of Birmingham Community Arts Grant and provides documentation of your organization’s eligibility under the program guidelines. This form, which can be submitted at any time between July 1 and August 16, should be completed by the primary partner for the community arts collaboration.

The primary partner must be a nonprofit organization located in the municipality of City of Birmingham, with a collaboration to be proposed that serves the residents of one or more of the City of Birmingham’s 23 communities and 99 neighborhoods. If you are not sure if your organization is located within the municipality of the City of Birmingham, please refer to the information provided here.

It is not necessary for a nonprofit organization to have finalized both project partners or the project details in order to submit the initial Eligibility Check Form. However, it is recommended that both partners be determined as early as possible in order to prepare your application. Organizations may not serve as one of the two partners on more than one application, and individual artists may not serve as one of the two partners on more than one application.

This program will fund community-based organizations, groups, collectives or artists for arts and cultural projects taking a creative approach to addressing an issue impacting the City of Birmingham communities and neighborhoods where they live and work. Examples of issues addressed include but are not limited to civic advocacy and engagement, public health or safety, racial justice, restorative justice, and social or legal services.

Collaborations eligible for funding include but are not limited to workshops, performances, concerts, festivals, demonstrations, screenings, and readings. Projects may be new collaborations or continuations of existing work. Arts education projects that serve students attending a specific school or schools, either during or after school hours, are not eligible for funding. Project activities must be broadly accessible to Birmingham residents, regardless of the age group or population being served by the project.

Applicants will receive email notification of eligibility to submit a proposal no later than Friday, August 25th. If your organization is eligible to apply, you will receive a link to the application form along with your notification of eligibility. The form cannot be saved and returned to at a later time, so please prepare your materials in separate document prior to submission.

While Eligibility Check forms may be submitted until 11:59 pm on Friday, August 16th, please contact staff with any questions regarding your Eligibility Check no later than 5:00 pm on Wednesday, August 14th. Due to the number of applicants, staff may not be able to assist with technical difficulties or respond to questions received on the day Eligibility Checks are due. 

Questions regarding the Community Arts Grant Program can be submitted by emailing communityarts@createbirmingham.org. Applicants may also request a 30-minute meeting with staff to answer questions either in person or via Zoom by sending an email to the same address.