In Houston, the city's art alliance gives grants to organizations and individuals.
Texas is world-renowned for the performing arts offered in many of its cities such as Austin's live music scene, the cutting-edge Dominic Walsh Dance Theater in Houston and traditional organizations such as the Dallas Opera. Local organizations and individual performers can obtain grant support for their works from funds disseminated by the state, local governments and foundations.
State Government Grants
The Texas Commission on the Arts is a state-funded program that annually disseminates over a million dollars in grants. Non-profits performing arts organizations can apply for grants to support their organization's programming including performances and operating expenses. Large organizations with operating budgets of up to $1 million to tiny grass-roots organizations can apply for grants. Municipal arts agencies are also eligible for grants. Awards vary, depending on the grant proposal. TCA also funds touring artists and individual youth artists at the high school level including home-school students.
Local Government and Art Alliance Grants
Municipal governments and arts alliances enhance the cultural arts offering of their communities by offering grants to organizations and individuals. Major cities such as Houston, mid-size cities such as Austin and small towns like McKinney have grant programs for artists funded by local taxes and other revenue. Many cities offer grant-writing workshops to help organizations and artists learn write grants and apply for funds. The Houston Arts Alliance funds hundreds of organizations and individuals each year with over a million dollars of funds from the city's hotel occupancy tax. In Austin, a city known for its cutting-edge performing arts scene, the city's Cultural Arts Division provides matching grants ranging from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars. The city views artists as contractors providing a service to the community.
Community Foundation Grants
Community Foundations are made up of local citizens who raise funds from individuals and corporations to offer grants to local artists and organizations including performing arts groups. Small towns and large metropolitan areas have community foundations. Some, like the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, include several counties in their geographic range. Several community foundations provide applications on their websites.
Private Foundations and Corporate Grants
Major cites like Dallas, with a long history of philanthropy in the arts, are home to organizations that give hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant money each year to well-established and up-and-coming performing arts groups. Since the 1960s, TACA, based in Dallas, has supported the arts in North Texas. In 2011, the organization distributed a million dollars to 37 organizations including the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and the Dallas Black Dance Theatre. The Harry Bass Jr. Foundation gives grants to arts organizations all over the state three times a year. Other companies such as Texas Instruments also give large grants to organizations in the state. TI's website has an online grant writing guide for organizations.
