City of Sedona launches new Arts and Culture Organizations Grant Program

City of Sedona launches new Arts and Culture Organizations Grant Program

SEDONA, Ariz. – Between Nov. 1 – 14, 2025, the city invites eligible Sedona-based nonprofit arts and culture organizations to apply for grants through a new Arts and Culture Organizations Grant Program for fiscal year 2025–2026. The program will provide $200,000 in grants to support eligible organizations that strengthen community identity, foster creativity and enhance Sedona’s cultural vibrancy.

Eligible organizations may apply for grants ranging from $50,000 to $100,000 to support programming, festivals, marketing or creative initiatives that serve residents and contribute to Sedona’s artistic and cultural landscape.

To qualify for this grant funding, arts and culture organizations must be able to document the following:

• Be a city of Sedona-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in good standing.
• Arts and Culture, as defined below, is the primary focus for programming and services.
• Hold event(s) and/or provide programs in Sedona to residents of Sedona.
• May hold event(s) and/or provide programs that attract out-of-town visitors.
• Most recent financial statement demonstrates a minimum of $1,000,000 annual budget.
• Provide regular year-round programming and/or recurring programming.
• The direct benefit provided to the city is defined as: providing programming or services to the community that supports the implementation of the Sedona Community Plan Chapter 3 and that would otherwise be more costly or impractical for the city to provide with in-house city resources.
• The grant-funded program’s benefit to the community and an estimate of what portion of persons served by their programming are residents vs. visitors.

For the purpose of this grant, arts and culture encompasses the broad spectrum of creative expression, heritage and community identity that reflects and shapes the human experience. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Visual arts (e.g., painting, sculpture, photography and digital media)
• Performing arts (e.g., music, dance, theater and spoken word)
• Literary arts (e.g., poetry, fiction and storytelling)
• Traditional and folk arts (e.g., crafts, cultural rituals and indigenous practices)
• Cultural heritage (e.g., preservation of historic sites, languages, customs and oral histories)
• Creative industries (e.g., design, film, fashion and architecture)
• Community-based arts (e.g., public art, festivals and cultural events that foster civic engagement)

This definition recognizes both professional and community-based practices and values diverse cultural expressions.

This new grant opportunity compliments the existing Small Grants Program, which awards grants in the range of $2,000 to $20,000 to fund activities, programs or events developed by a range of 501(c) organizations that serve the public and provide a fair return value to the city. Eligible programs, activities or events include those that promote public health, safety, general welfare and/or foster the well-being and prosperity of the city and its residents. Arts and culture organizations that don’t meet the requirements for the Arts and Culture Organizations Grant Program, but do meet the Small Grants Program requirements may apply for the Small Grants Program funding in the next round of funding. That funding cycle will open in February 2026.

To learn more, get the application and review the application process, visit www.sedonaaz.gov/grants or contact Kristie Turck, executive assistant to city manager at kturck@sedonaaz.gov or (928) 203-5199.