$280,000 to Strengthen and Expand Youth Arts Programs

A new Arts Education grant cycle at the Community Foundation awarded more than $280,000 to 35 nonprofits. Grants of up to $10,000 were given to creative programs that expand opportunities for young people to engage with the arts across eight counties. These dollars will support visual arts, music, performance, and dance programs for PreK-12 students.

“Our children deserve to have access to vibrant arts opportunities across our region,” says Community Foundation President & CEO Simeon Banister. “At a time when federal funding is changing in dramatic ways, our focus is right here.”

“At a time when federal funding is changing in dramatic ways, our focus is right here.”

— Community Foundation President & CEO Simeon Banister

Identifying a Funding Gap

Our community’s needs are always evolving, and so is our grantmaking. The Foundation’s annual Arts & Culture grant program began back in 2014, and awarded nearly $250,000 this year. In 2023 and 2024, we started to notice a growing trend — more applications focused on arts education for school-aged children. This raised an important question: are youth arts programs getting the support they need? To find out, we launched a pilot grant round focused specifically on arts learning for young people, so we can learn alongside our grantees.  

Flexibility at the Forefront

A focus group with arts-based nonprofits last year confirmed that organizations need flexible funding to adapt to a changing landscape and overcome local barriers. “How we developed this Arts Education funding was unique, with a heavy emphasis on research and community feedback,” says Senior Program Officer Annette Jiménez Gleason. 

In the open call for applications, we outlined three key goals — but left room for each nonprofit to decide how best to meet them. The goals were: 

1. Expanding geographic access to PreK–12 arts programs 

2. Making program access more equitable 

3. Increasing students’ engagement, enjoyment, and passion for the arts

38% More to Give — Thanks to You

In grantmaking, the need almost always outweighs the available dollars. We received proposals from 64 nonprofits, 23% from the seven counties outside Monroe. The strong response pointed to a real need for this type of support, but also meant making some tough choices. Thankfully, we don’t do this work alone.

In a milestone moment of generosity and collaboration, 21 donors came together to increase available funding by $80,000 for proposals that aligned closely with their values and passions. With gifts ranging from $250 to $10,000, this was the largest contribution from donor-advised fundholders to a single grant round — proof of what’s possible when we unite around a shared vision.

Measuring Impact to Inform the Future 

For the flexible approach to this funding to still produce actionable results, the Foundation is partnering with grantees to evaluate the impact of the grants a little over a year after money goes out the door. The nonprofits will share key outcomes like the number of program slots, hours of operation, and program attendance, and students in their programs will answer age-appropriate questions on how the program impacted their engagement with the arts. 

“The data we get from grantees will help make the case for this kind of funding to continue in the future, and hopefully make the pot bigger,” says Jiménez Gleason. 

Community Dollars in Action

Nonprofits across the region received awards of up to $10,500. Dollars will provide transportation and food so kids can stay in programs, train staff and buy equipment to help better engage students, and much more. Check out a few examples of projects these grants will support: 

• Hillside Children’s Foundation – Crestwood School Music Program, $8,000. Music programming fosters emotional wellbeing and encourages self-expression. New music supplies for the school’s therapeutical music education program will equip students ages 5-14 with disabilities and mental health challenges with the same diverse musical enrichments available at most schools. Supported by the Castle Fund for Music Education and the Arthur Chatman Memorial Fund. 

• Grupo Cultural Latinos en Rochester – Bilingual Creative Dance and Movement, $10,000. Arts programs focused on social and emotional learning are being cut from school budgets at the same time that students are struggling with self-doubt and self-expression. This program brings dance, yoga, and movement activities to School Without Walls and School #12, where 90% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. Bilingual instruction will provide meaningful experiences to hundreds of students. Supported by the Feinbloom Family Fund and Jr. League of Rochester Endowment for Children & Youth Fund. 

• Williamson Central School District – Art Experience Program, $10,311. As a small rural community, Williamson prides itself on its close-knit relationships and supportive values to promote doing what is best for kids. Educational, economic, and social barriers, however, can make it more difficult for students to reach their full potential. This grant will support the cost of transportation and admission for students to participate in free field trips to local art and theatre installations that promote curiosity, creativity, and empathy. Supported by the Feinbloom Family Fund. 

Visit our website for a full list of grants. 

Community Foundation Grantmaking

The Community Foundation promotes two broad grantmaking goals that align with our vision for community change: creating an equitable community and strengthening our region’s vitality. 

This new grant program is designed to expand access to arts education across our region. By strengthening local arts organizations’ capacity to deliver PreK-12 arts education programming, we work to ensure all students — regardless of location or circumstances — can experience vibrant and diverse arts and cultural offerings. 

To learn more about giving opportunities that align with what drives you, contact Mary Hartstein, Director of Donor Engagement and Impact, at mhartstein@racf.org.