A. Creating an Application
- Read the Guide to Grants.
- Read the RFA guidelines (this document) and determine eligibility.
- Go to CAH Grants and select the Submittable Grant Application Portal to register as user. Upon registration, applicants select the desired grant program(s).
- Complete the application questions.
- Upload all required documents, supplementary material, and artwork.
B. Submission Dates and Times
All applications must be submitted online by 5:00 PM EST on Monday, May 18, 2026. A confirmation email generates automatically upon submission of the application. Technical issues or failure to receive a confirmation email should be brought to the immediate attention of CAH staff. Incomplete or late applications or applications that do not follow the instructions and guidelines are deemed ineligible for review and funding. CAH does not accept mailed, emailed, or hand-delivered copies of grant applications and/or the required attachments.
To complete your application in an alternative accessible format, request reasonable accommodations or learn more about accessibility at DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, please contact the Accessibility Coordinator at [email protected] or call the office at (202) 724-5613. You are not required to disclose private medical information. All disability accommodations are provided free of cost. We recommend making requests at least 5 (five) business days in advance.
CAH’s grant 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 category. Multiple applicants may not apply for funding for the same project, whether through the same or different grant programs. Applicants can participate in only one application per year for this grant program.
C. Virtual Workshops
To improve the strength of applications, CAH strongly recommends participating in one of the following virtual workshops listed below. All workshops are virtual, free, and open to the public. More information about workshops may be found at www.dcarts.dc.gov under Grant Writing Assistance, or by calling the CAH Point of Contact listed in Section VII. Workshops and Live Chats may be accessed by visiting the CAH website. Interested artists and humanities practitioners may register for workshops via Eventbrite.
|
Workshop |
Time |
|
Monday, April 20 |
Noon to 1:30 PM EST |
|
Tuesday, April 30 |
5:30 to 7:00 PM EST |
|
Thursday, May 7 |
3:30 to 5 PM EST |
D. Technical Assistance
CAH staff are available to assist grant applicants during group or individual technical assistance sessions. Applicants may also request review of draft applications during a thirty (30) minute appointment during business hours scheduled no later than seven (7) calendar days in advance of the grant application deadline. CAH staff will not write applications for applicants. Applicants must prepare their full draft application in the CAH Grants Application Portal along with any questions in advance of scheduling a meeting for technical assistance.
To schedule an individual technical assistance meeting, please contact Michelle May-Curry, Curator, at 202-215-9486 or [email protected]; or Luisa Hammond, Art Collections Registrar, via email at [email protected].
E. Funding Restrictions
As a District of Columbia agency, CAH must ensure that all award funds are expended in a fiscally responsible manner; all awarded funds are subject to audit and Performance Monitoring. Allowable costs are those that the District government and CAH have determined as valid expenditures.
F. Other Submission Requirements
The Agency shall not be liable for any costs incurred in the preparation of applications in response to the RFA. Applicant agrees that all costs incurred in developing the application are the applicant’s sole responsibility.
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