Grant Application Assistance

CAH staff members are available to help develop grant applications through group and individual technical assistance. CAH will conduct free workshops and live web chats for participants to learn about the agency’s funding opportunities and how to submit an application.

Open Hours One-on-one assistance, no appointment necessary. Currently held every week until Thursday, August 29, 2024, from 10:00 am to 11:30 am ET via Zoom.

Application Process

CAH utilizes an online grant portal to receive applications. If an applicant requires assistance with online access they may contact the agency for support. All applications must be submitted online by 4 pm on the deadline date. Incomplete or late applications, or applications that do not follow the instructions, will be ineligible for review and funding. The grant period is from October 1 of one calendar year to September 30 of the following calendar year. Grant funds may not be used for activities that occur outside these dates. CAH will not accept mailed, emailed, or hand-delivered copies of grant applications unless approved prior to the grant deadline as a reasonable accommodation request from applicants with disabilities. To request a reasonable accommodation, contact Travis Marcus.

Live chat with Grants Team
Future live chat sessions can be found here. CAH grants staff will be available to answer questions online via live chat. Complete instructions and access to the live chat session can be found here.

Open Hours
To help with the grant application process, CAH staff provides applicants with one-on-one assistance related to their grant applications during “open hours”. Walk-ins are welcome.

One-on-One Assistance
CAH staff members are also available to discuss strategies that might help showcase the applicant’s activities in the best possible manner. These appointments are 30 minutes in length and hosted at the CAH offices up to one week before the deadline, as schedules allow. CAH encourages applicants to contact the appropriate program manager well in advance to schedule and send a draft proposal for review in advance of the meeting.

Grant Application Procedure:

Review the “FY 2023 Guide to Grants” and the grant guidelines for specific grant programs thoroughly and determine the eligibility of the applicant, project, and project activities;
Visit dcarts.dc.gov. Go to the Grants tab and select the Grant Application Portal to register to Sign Up and Sign In:
- To reset the password select “Forgot your password?”
Once logged in, applicants must select the desired grant program(s);
Complete the application questions and budget/budget narrative data;
Upload all required documents, supplementary material, and work samples; and,
Submit the application by the grant program’s deadline date.

The application process is competitive and subject to the availability of funds. Applicants may not request or receive funding for the same activities through more than one CAH grant program or grant category. Multiple applicants (entities) may not apply for funding for the same project – whether through the same or different grant programs.

Applicants are responsible for the content of their application packages. An automated confirmation of an application’s submission does not guarantee an application’s eligibility or recommendation for funding by the advisory review panel. CAH staff is not permitted to make corrections to applications on behalf of applicants. CAH staff will review applications for completeness and contact applicants for any incomplete documents within five (5) business days of the deadline. Applicants are responsible for updating their application within five (5) business days of CAH’s notification. Incomplete applications will not be forwarded to the advisory review panel for consideration.