New York: Capital Project Grants

A ribbon-cutting ceremony with a large group of smiling people in front of a building's open glass doors.

NYSCA grantee Downtown Community Television Center ribbon cutting and new Firehouse Cinema in lower Manhattan. Photo courtesy New York State Council on the Arts

Capital grant programs provide large-dollar funding to support the physical infrastructure of arts and cultural institutions. As a uniquely impactful type of funding, capital improvement grants empower organizations to acquire capital equipment, renovate and restore existing buildings, expand accessibility offerings and construct new spaces to serve as community anchors. With a historic investment by Gov. Kathy Hochul and the state legislature, the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) will support up to $150 million in FY2023 capital projects.

The New York State Council on the Arts’s Capital Projects Fund will support a two-track process, with small and midsized grants for projects of all sizes separated from larger grants specifically for projects over $4 million that are focused on community development. Nonprofit arts and cultural organizations of any budget size are eligible, and both tracks seek to provide arts access to all in New York, sustain and grow the role of arts in New York’s state economy, and continue to bolster New York as a creative engine on a global scale.

The small and midsized grant track received $50 million to fund projects up to $2 million each. These grants are further tiered to support organizations with smaller budgets, allowing for no-match grants up to $50,000 for organizations with budgets of less than $2 million. NYSCA is prioritizing projects that support accessibility, artistry, cultural development in rural or underserved areas, environmental sustainability, health and safety, organizational health, structural and historical improvements, and the diversification of organizational leadership. Applicants from underserved areas and communities, as well as new grantees and organizations with budgets under $5 million, also will be prioritized.

The Large Capital Improvement Grants draw from a pool of $100 million in funding to support grants from $2 million to $10 million. In addition to the project priorities outlined for smaller capital grants, Large Capital Improvement Grants prioritize community economic development such as workforce development, tourism growth and downtown revitalization. The larger capital grants require applicants to have an accessibility plan for socially and economically disadvantaged individuals as well as undertake and offer a social equity component. For example:

Create new dedicated programming to engage members of underserved communities.
Partner with local schools and/or community organizations to provide free youth programming.
Expand curatorial opportunities for members of underserved communities and/or representation of work created by artists of color.

To assist applicants during the process, NYSCA hosted and recorded a Capital Projects Fund webinar. NYSCA also is offering dedicated virtual office hours to assist with the application process. For more information, contact Capital Projects Program Director Katie Steger or visit arts.ny.gov/.