The Cultural Trust’s grant programs further the Trust’s mission of ensuring a stable and healthy nonprofit cultural industry in New Jersey by supporting projects that build organizations’ financial and institutional stability and capacity, and by funding important capital projects.
The Cultural Trust offers three different grant programs on a rotating basis, typically with one program offered each fiscal year:
- Institutional and Financial Stabilization Grants for Arts Organizations
- Institutional and Financial Stabilization Grants for History/Humanities Organizations
- Capital Historic Preservation Grants for Arts, History, and Humanities Organizations
All Cultural Trust grants are one-year-long project-based grants. No match is required for any of the Cultural Trust’s grant programs.
In order to be eligible for any Cultural Trust grant program, an organization must first be designated qualified by the Cultural Trust. Scroll down for more information on qualification.
In each program, the guidelines and application are developed by one of the Cultural Trust’s recommending agencies. The recommending agency accepts applications and oversees the independent panel review process, then determines which applications should be recommended to receive Cultural Trust funding. These recommendations are submitted to the Cultural Trust Board for final approval.
IFS Arts
Institutional and Financial Stabilization Grants for Arts Organizations address the financial and institutional challenges that threaten nonprofit arts organizations’ stability and help them build greater operational capacity to manage and advance their work. Grants are available within the following categories:
- Establishing, replenishing or growing a working capital fund/cash reserve
- Debt/deficit reduction
- Strategic planning/assessment
- Technology upgrade
- Capital equipment purchase
- Professional development for staff/board
- New staff position
The New Jersey State Council on the Arts serves as the recommending agency for the IFS Arts program.
IFS History/Humanities
Institutional and Financial Stabilization Grants for History/Humanities Organizations support very similar projects to the IFS Arts program, but for New Jersey’s nonprofit history and humanities organizations. Grants are available in the same categories listed above for IFS Arts grants.
The New Jersey Historical Commission serves as the recommending agency for the IFS History/Humanities program.
Capital Historic Preservation
Capital Historic Preservation grants support capital projects at historic sites, and are open to New Jersey nonprofit arts, history, and humanities organizations. Eligible sites must be listed on the New Jersey and/or National Register of Historic Places, or contribute to the significance of a historic district listed on the New Jersey and/or National Register of Historic Places.
The New Jersey Historic Trust serves as the recommending agency for the Capital Historic Preservation program.
Organizations must be designated "qualified" in order to be eligible to participate in the programs of the Trust and apply for grants.
Qualified Organizations list as of April 1, 2024
Qualification Guidelines and Application
Qualification applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Complete applications received by the Trust will be reviewed at the next scheduled Cultural Trust Board meeting.
To be eligible to apply for the upcoming FY25 Institutional and Financial Stabilization Grants for Arts Organizations, organizations must separately apply to become qualified with the New Jersey Cultural Trust no later than June 24, 2024. Guidelines for the FY25 IFS Arts grant round will be released later in the spring.
Watch an instructional webinar about how to apply for qualification.
The New Jersey Cultural Trust Capital Historic Preservation Grants Program is
collaboratively administered by the New Jersey Historic Trust for and with the New Jersey Cultural Trust. All history, arts and humanities organizations with stewardship responsibility for historic resources that are listed on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places, and qualified by the New Jersey Cultural Trust, are eligible to apply for 2023 (FY24) capital historic preservation funding.
Priority: In 2023 (FY24), the New Jersey Historic Trust’s priority will be projects that can be completed for $100,000 or less. These projects will be carefully considered in relation to other criteria for funding.
Technical Assistance:
Qualification
Grant Application and SAGE
Important Dates: The FY 2024 application is now closed.
Important Documents:
FY2024 New Jersey Cultural Trust Capital Preservation Grant Guidelines
Alternating every other year with the NJ Historic Trust and the NJ Historical Commission, the FY 2023 NJ Cultural Trust grant program was a NJ State Council on the Arts year for grants.
Priority: For FY 2023, Institutional/Financial Stabilization project proposals must address the financial, operational and/or capacity challenges that have significant impact on the organization’s ability to serve its community.
Application Assistance:
Please feel free to watch the pre-recorded webinar with further details about the grant program and application process.
Important dates: The FY 2023 application is now closed.
Important documents:
FY 2023 New Jersey Cultural Trust Grant Guidelines - English
FY 2023 New Jersey Cultural Trust Grant Guidelines - Spanish
Page Last Updated: 03/21/24
Official Site of The State of New Jersey
