UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES

The Neighborhood Cultural Vitality (NCV) grant program grew out of a desire to support projects that celebrate, recognize, and bring together the city's diverse neighborhood cultures. The program was also designed to elevate and honor the extraordinary work of the creative community, opening opportunities for greater community engagement and growth through creative programming. The Neighborhood Cultural Vitality Grant provides support to arts and cultural programming and services within the city of New Haven. Communities include under-served populations, mental health programs & facilities; youth & senior programs and centers; hospitals and mixed or lower income housing are especially encouraged to apply. Applicants should also consider use of New Haven’s public parks and spaces. Priorities More than ever, this work must be grounded with accountability and commitment to equitable systems change. NCV projects are at the core of our city's wellbeing. To that end, a remarkable group of artists, arts activists, leaders, organizers, consultants, and community members who believe in the power of the arts and culture in New Haven came together to develop the Cultural Equity Plan. NCV projects are meant to not only reflect the values of this plan, but also to activate the possibilities and recommendations within it. Projects Should: Influence our economy Drive social innovation Serve as conduits to propel us toward diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice Program Updates Project Period: March 23, 2025 – February 21, 2026. Award Categories and Funding Levels Applicant/Artist Categories Applicant Requirements Grant Program Goals Panel Review Process Strategy and Scoring Transparency Statement Virtual programming and performances permitted on a limited basis. Program Notes For-profit entities are ineligible to apply. Due to budgetary uncertainty, fewer awards may be granted. Additionally, future or multi-year funding is unconfirmed. Incomplete applications will not be considered. These are very competitive grants. The City of New Haven cannot be the sole funder of a project. Applicants should seek out other forms of support (including in-kind not to exceed 50% of other forms of support). For example, additional funding support may be from individuals, community/neighborhood sources, corporate sponsorships, and foundation support (private or public). Applicants who have received awards in consecutive years for the same project or program are encouraged to submit proposals for new or existing projects that have not yet received funding. Please note: Use of Grants Program funds are restricted to the project period. Activities that occur outside of project period do not qualify for funding. GRANT WRITING RESOURCES Continued access to From Idea to Funded Project, a free online grant writing course, presented by Carnelian LLC is available by registration. Registering will provide access to course documents, resources and recordings. Attend one of the free or low cost grant writing workshops hosted by the Community Foundation of Greater New Haven (https://www.cfgnh.org/strengthening-nonprofits/workshops-events) and the New Haven Free Public Library (http://nhfpl.org). PERSONAL ASSISTANCE Reach out to the Department of Arts, Culture, and Tourism at any point within your process to get answers to your questions, for support in completing your application, or navigating any aspect of your process. One-on-one sessions to discuss your project concept or application are available. Contact the Department of Arts, Culture and Tourism to request an appointment or by calling (203) 946-7172. APPLICATION SUBMISSION AND DEADLINE The application deadline is now 11:59pm March 2, 2025. Note: Applications will only be received through the online grants portal. If you have questions or need further instructions, please call the Department of Arts, Culture & Tourism at (203) 946-7172. AWARD NOTIFICATION Final decisions will be announced via the grants portal March 31, 2025. Due to the limited funds available and the large number of anticipated applications no applicant is guaranteed to receive funding. Award distribution will begin no sooner than April 1, 2025. CONTRACT Award recipients will receive a grant recipient contract specifying the specific project for which funds are given, terms of the grant, procedure for payment of funds and reporting requirements. Recipients must sign and return the contract signifying agreement to its terms. No major changes can occur, either in activities or fund use, without requesting and receiving prior approval, in writing, from the Department of Arts, Culture & Tourism. The same approval process must be followed to secure any extension of report deadlines in writing by January 26, 2026. Individual artists and organizations without federal identification numbers who receive an award will be required to complete a W9 in order to receive payment. Additionally, recipients will be checked for any outstanding taxes due to the City of New Haven. PAYMENT OF AWARD Awards will be distributed on a 50/50 percent basis. Recipients are eligible to receive 50% of the grant award upon execution of award Agreement with and submission of initial payment form. The balance of the grant award (50%) is payable upon completion of the Project, submission and approval of the final report and final payment form. Many times funds may not be received prior to the start of a project. Checks may take 4-6 weeks to process. Applicants should plan their cash flow accordingly. Additionally, award funds are restricted to use within the project period (March 23, 2025 - February 21, 2026). Note: Funds will not be disbursed if awardee owes personal or property tax to the City of New Haven. To confirm that you have no outstanding tax payments please contact the Tax Collector’s Office, located in New Haven City Hall, 165 Church St. Its hours are Monday through Friday 9am-5pm, (203) 946-8054. IMPROPER USE OF FUNDS AWARDED Grant awards cannot be used to eliminate a deficit, as awards for competitions, to purchase personal property, for endowments or activities restricted to members or residents. Additionally, awards cannot be used to fund individuals for personal use, for-profit organizations, projects in schools during school hours, political causes, candidates, campaigns, organizations whose primary purpose is to influence legislation, or travel (either by group or individuals). ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT Award recipients are required to acknowledge the City’s contribution in all materials and announcements published related to the Neighborhood Cultural Vitality Grant funded activities with the use of the Department of Arts, Culture and Tourism logo and following credit line “made possible with the support of the City of New Haven Mayor’s Neighborhood Cultural Vitality Grants Program”. Note: the logo should be used with or in place of the above credit line on all printed and electronic material related to the funded project. Recipients must notify the Department of Arts, Culture & Tourism of its project date at least thirty (30) days prior to the event. Two or more tickets to non-free events should be made available to the Cultural Affairs Commission. Additionally, awardees are required to send a letter to their Alderman thanking them for support of the funded project. A list of Aldermen is available here. Award recipients who have not sufficiently documented their acknowledgement of the City of New Haven support with their final report will be placed on a probation and will be ineligible to apply for the next funding cycles. FINAL REPORT All award recipients are required to submit a Final Report no later than March 20, 2026. in order to be eligible to receive the final award installment. Project extensions must be requested by January 26, 2026. Additionally, recipients should submit a copy of all printed materials (posters, flyers, advertisements, program booklets, media articles, etc.) to the Department of Arts, Culture & Tourism either as part of the 30-day notification or as part of the final report. Please note: Failure to submit a final report within 30 days of the funding cycle end date will result in the withdrawing of the remaining balance of the award.

Each year, Orchid Gallery holds an Open Call for Submissions, from which artists are selected for a series of solo shows, thematic group exhibitions, site-specific installations, and programming opportunities. Artists of color who live and/or work in the Greater New Haven Area, and are not commercially represented, are invited to apply. Guest curators are also invited to apply with original exhibition proposals. Exhibitions run for 8-12 weeks, and are accessible to the general public, ConnCORP staff, and those participating in special events at Orchid Hall. Each exhibition launches with an Opening Reception that is free and open to the public. At the end of each calendar year, all artists who participated in past and current exhibition seasons will be invited to attend a Makers’ Meetup, a large informal gathering held in Orchid Hall that celebrates the unique creativity in our region. The event is designed to foster connection and collaboration amongst local creatives working across disciplines. Before applying to the 2026 Open Call, please see the Eligibility & Terms below: Application Dates: 2026 Open Call Application Opens: November 1, 2025 Deadline to Apply: March 15, 2026 Eligibility & Terms: Visual artists of all ages, who self-identify as an early-career artist and a person of color and are not commercially represented, are invited to apply Artists must submit an Artist Statement describing what they make and why (500 Words Max) Artists must submit a CV, detailing their exhibition history and any relevant projects and experiences. A degree in art is not needed to apply! To learn how to write an Artist Statement or CV, you can sign up for Creative Capital’s free online course, Grant Writing and Promoting Your Practice, here. There are also many other free courses and resources available. Artists must submit documentation for a minimum of 2 and maximum of 8 artworks. This should also include: caption information: title, year, dimensions, materials, edition, and price if applicable an artwork description wherever possible/applicable Artists are also invited to submit an optional proposal for a site-specific installation that builds upon ConnCORP’s mission, vision and values, and suits the specificity of the space. This should include: a materials list, installation requirements and a proposed layout with dimensions using the Gallery blueprint which can be made available upon request caption information: artwork title, year, dimensions, materials, edition, and price if applicable Artists are responsible for the hand-delivery of install-ready artwork Orchid Gallery cannot accept any single work valued at more than $10,000 Applications must be submitted by March 15, 2026 at 11:59pm If an artist is interested in contracting the bldg fund to support the promotion and sale of their work–including special tours for collectors and related programming–please indicate this on your application. Otherwise, each artist is responsible for directly managing inquiries and sales Guest curators interested in applying with an Exhibition Proposal must submit a Curatorial Statement, CV, Proposed Checklist, Artist Biographies, installation requirements and a proposed layout with dimensions using the Gallery blueprint which can be made available upon request.

The New Haven Civic Innovation Prize awards up to $25,000 to the best student- or community-led venture or project focused on benefiting the City of New Haven. The Prize aims to catalyze student- and community-led innovations that address, and are informed by, community priorities. Community members, students, or teams of students and community members who are working on projects in key areas of community development are welcome to apply. The competition provides participants with constructive feedback from experienced professionals, mentorship from relevant experts, and chances to meet social entrepreneurs and civic leaders. The judges will award a total of $25,000 in prizes and may elect to allocate the prize amount to a single winner, or between two teams. Application Selection & Judging Criteria Opportunity: The problem the venture/organization/idea seeks to address is clearly defined, and there is evidence that there is a target population who considers it important. Viability: The team has developed a clear solution to the problem, has a realistic path for getting the solution to the end user, and can continue to deliver the solution in a way that is financially and operationally sustainable. In short, the idea seems like it could work. Innovation: The idea is truly innovative. It presents a new model, product or service that fills a unique gap and/or applies an existing model to a new context. Team: The team has the knowledge, skills, passion, energy and ability to execute. Catalytic-ness: The prize will be meaningful in driving the team/project forward in ways that may otherwise not have been possible as quickly or at all. Impact: The project addresses key areas of community development. Important Dates January 20, 2026: Startup Yale Application Fest February 2, 2026: Startup Yale application opens February 12, 2026 at 5:00 pm EST: Startup Yale application deadline March 6, 2026: Finalist announced. April 10, 2026: Finalists participate in a live pitch event as part of Startup Yale. Contact Johnny Scafidi Director of Community Outreach and Engagement johnny.scafidi@yale.edu 2025 Winners: New Haven Civic Innovation Prize: First Place: Enrich Health Second Place: ShellVive Third Place: Wealth Beacon Group Foundation Audience Choice Winner: Black Obsidian Healing

The Eli Whitney Museum & Workshop produces about 80,000 projects each year. Apprentices train in the design and production of these projects throughout the school year. They also support our educators in our vacation day and summer programs for students ages 6+. Apprentices begin training in 8th grade and typically stay in the program through their senior year of high school. Some apprentices graduate from the program and return as EWM staff in a variety of roles. Apprenticeship encourages many passions and builds the discipline needed to excel. The next info session will be on Sunday, February 15, 4-5 pm. For any questions, contact Maddie Ardito.

Named for Bucknell's renowned literary alumnus and initiated in the fall of 1993, the Philip Roth Residence in Creative Writing offers up to four months of unfettered writing time for a writer working on a first or second book in any literary genre. The residency provides lodging in Bucknell's "Poets' Cottage" and a stipend of $5,000. In the spring semester of 2026, the Stadler Center will accept applications for the 2026–27 Roth Residences (Aug.–Dec. 2026 and Jan.–May 2027). The application deadline for both residencies is Feb. 1, 2026. Please note: The Roth Residency is now open to writers in ANY literary genre: fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, hybrid works, graphic fiction, etc.