Black Trans Femmes in the Arts (BTFA) Collective, 2020 Grantee

    Black Art Futures Fund application is now closed for Spring 2021. 

    Thank you to all who shared your organizations’ visions, projects, and programs with us; who spread the word to potential applicants; who donated to the BAFF fund. You’re helping us move resources to Black arts orgs across the country, and we’re excited to get to work.

    And stay tuned for details about Cycle VI applications in early summer—we’re honoring organizations founded in or before 2011 with our Shay Wafer Legacy Awards.

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    Frequently Asked Questions

    We define this as organizations and projects founded and led by Black leadership, whose annual budgets are $500K or less, and who primarily serve Black communities.
    Currently, BAFF does not fund individuals.
    Yes, we want to see evidence of at least a one-year relationship between your collective and the fiscal sponsor. Just specify those details in your application.

    Only organizations based in the US and with programming offered within the country are eligible to apply at this time.

    Yes, in Cycle V, we are focusing our support and funding for organizations that offer programs for adults. Organizations that offer both youth and adult programming are eligible, but the core emphasis of your application should be on adult learning. Note: This stipulation will change for future funding cycles! For more information about eligibility in the future, see the answer to “My organization is not ready to apply right now. Will the application open again later this year?” below.

    The projected minimum grant award will be $5,000, based on how much is in the BAFF fund at the end of the funding cycle.

    BAFF grants are intended for general operating expenses. 

    We consider BAFF to be more than a grant. Over the course of a year, we invite grantees into a collaborative learning space through Olive’s Classroom to discuss capacity building, board development, and other fundraising “best practices” for small Black arts organizations.

    Yes! In 2021, there will be a total of 4 BAFF funding cycles. Beyond our core eligibility (small, Black-led arts and culture nonprofits), each quarter deadline will have further specified eligibility guidelines:

    (Current) Cycle V: February — March 15, 2021

    This cycle is open to organizations whose core artistic and cultural offerings are for a general adult public. Groups whose majority offerings are for youth and / or primarily include youth arts educational opportunities are ineligible in this round.

    Cycle VI: June 15, 2021—July 5, 2021

    Shay Wafer Legacy Awards

    This cycle is open to organizations founded on or before 2011. 

    Cycle VII: September 15, 2021—October 1, 2021

    This cycle is open to organizations who have never received a grant from a foundation (or from a re-granting organization funded by a foundation) for more than $10,000.

    Cycle VIII: December 1, 2021—December 15, 2021 (funding to be received in 2022)

    This cycle is open to all eligible small, Black-led arts & culture nonprofits.

    Follow us on Instagram or subscribe to our newsletter for the most up-to-date information about eligibility and deadlines for future funding opportunities.

    Sometimes an application is turned down because it does not meet one of the eligibility requirements. In most cases, however, it’s a matter of receiving more requests than our grant budget allows for. With the exception of 2020, we typically ask our readers to provide feedback on applications—we’re very happy to share this information with organizations interested in reapplying for future funding cycles.