Virginia Beach Arts & Humanities Commission Grant Applications Now Open

Organizations that provide arts, humanities or cultural programming and services to those in Virginia Beach may apply for grants from t​he Virginia Beach Arts & Humanities Commission. Applications are open for two of its three annual grant programs and must be submitted online by the deadlines specified below.

Community Cultural Arts Grants

• Provides grants of up to $5,000, up to 75 percent of the project budget, to help build cultural equity in the arts in Virginia Beach by supporting innovative, culturally rooted and/or participatory arts-based projects that reflect our changing communities.

• Projects must take place in Virginia Beach before June 30, 2026.

• Organizations do not need to be based in Virginia Beach.

• Application deadline is 5 p.m., Aug. 15.

• After the grants have been awarded, if funding remains, applications may be accepted again in November 2025 and February 2026.

Organizational Development Grants

• Provides grants of up to $1,250 to support arts and humanities leaders and staff’s acquisition of skills and practical tools that hone their ability to lead, develop and sustain the overall health and vitality of arts and humanities organizations.

• Eligible organizations must operate within Hampton Roads.

• Available funds are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis to qualified applicants.

• Applications must be submitted no less than 12 business days prior to an Arts & Humanities Commission meeting. The meeting schedule is available online.

Applications for Virginia Beach Arts & Humanities Commission Project Grants, available to nonprofit arts and humanities organizations to help increase Virginia Beach residents’ access to quality cultural programs, will reopen in December 2025. Project Grants are supported in part by a grant from the Virginia Commission for the Arts. 
 
Visit Virginia Beach Cultural Affairs’ Grant Opportunities webpage for full details about these and other arts and culture grants and to submit a grant application. For more information, visit VirginiaBeach.gov/Culture or email artsinfo@vbgov.com.

About the City of Virginia Beach Cultural Affairs Department: 

The Cultural Affairs Department engages residents and visitors through meaningful arts, heritage and cultural experiences to connect and strengthen communities. The department assists and directs the Virginia Beach Arts & Humanities Commission, coordinates the City's Public Art Program, oversees the Virginia Beach History Museums, provides contract management for the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, serves as the liaison with Virginia MOCA, the ViBe Creative District and the Virginia African American Cultural Center, and serves as a resource to local arts and humanities organizations.