The Asian American Arts Alliance (A4) is proud to announce the second and final cycle of the A4 Arts Fund, a national grantmaking initiative supported by The Wallace Foundation and in partnership with the National Arts Regranting Partners.

This program addresses the critical funding gaps that disproportionately affect Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) arts and culture organizations. A 2025 report by the Asian American Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy revealed that for every $100 awarded by U.S. funders, only 34 cents goes to Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. In response, these grants will support AAPI arts and culture organizations whose creative work uplifts and serves their communities, while expanding our collective understanding of the AAPI arts and culture landscape nationwide.

AWARD DETAILS

Type of Grant
This fund provides unrestricted general operating support to AAPI arts and cultural organizations with annual operating budgets under $500,000.

Grant Amounts

A total of $500,000 will be distributed in this final cycle. Award amounts are determined by the applicant’s organizational budget size.
$10,000 Grant: For organizations with annual budgets of $100,000 and under.
We expect to award approximately 14–17 organizations in this category.
$15,000 Grant: For organizations with annual budgets between $100,001 and $499,999.
We expect to award approximately 22–24 organizations in this category.
Requirements
Please review the eligibility requirements for the A4 Arts Fund before applying.

Mandatory Requirements:

We welcome applications from the following entities:

• 501c3 nonprofit organizations
• Fiscally sponsored organizations
• Have an operating budget of under $500,000 (based on your current fiscal year).
• Have a minimum of a three-year operating history. Note: We recognize that organizational structures may evolve. A group may have different incorporations over the course of their history (e.g. two years as a fiscally sponsored group followed by one year as an incorporated 501c3.

Geographic Scope:

• The program is open to organizations based in:
• The 50 US States and the District of Columbia
• US territories, including but not limited to, Guam and American Samoa.

We Do Not Fund:

Previous A4 Arts Fund grantees

• For-profit organizations
• Individuals
• Federal agencies
• Municipal, county, or state government entities
• K-12 schools and preschools
• Colleges and universities
• Timeline

Application Opens: Tuesday, May 12, 2026
Online Informational Session: Tuesday, June 2, 2026 at 12:00 PM ET
Application Closes: Monday, July 13, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET
Application Review: Monday, July 20–Wednesday, September 9, 2026
Notifications: Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Grant Period: October 1, 2026–September 30, 2027
Final Report Due: Monday, November 1, 2027

SELECTION CRITERIA

We strive for a balance of geography, populations served, and disciplines. These factors will also be taken into account when the applications are evaluated.

Applications will be reviewed and scored based on the following criteria:

• Organizational Mission + Impact
• Criteria: Clarity of the organization’s history and its documented commitment and impact on the AAPI community.

• Evidence: Brief timeline of milestones, founding stories, and community testimonials.

• Leadership + Community Context

• Criteria: Demonstrated understanding of the community served and leadership (ED and Board) that reflects the community’s lived experience.

• Evidence: Data on the community demographics; biographies of key leadership highlighting cultural competency and community roots.

• Programming to Advance Well-being

• Criteria: A proven three-year history of culturally relevant and accessible programming that advances community well-being (healing, belonging, joy, etc.).

• Evidence: Overview of program purpose, core activities, frequency and duration, number of participants served, and key partnerships.

• Values + Use of Funds

• Criteria: Alignment between organizational values and the proposed use of funds.

• Evidence: A compelling narrative and project plan including a timeline, anticipated outcomes, and engagement goals.

REQUIRED MATERIALS

Please have the following documents ready before beginning your application. All materials must be submitted via Jotform (link below).

• Online Application: Complete all narrative and contact fields.
• 2026 Operating Budget with Revenue + Expenses: We understand that fiscal years vary; please submit a budget that closely aligns with your activities for 2026.
• For Calendar Year: Submit your 2026 Operating Budget.
• For Fiscal Year: Submit your FY25–26 or FY26–27 Budget, whichever is currently being used.
• Most Recent Form 990, 990-N, or 990-EZ: 501©(3) organizations must submit their most recent IRS filing.
• Fiscally Sponsored Groups: Submit your fiscal sponsor’s most recent Form 990.
• Fiscal Sponsorship Agreement (if applicable): A copy of your current letter of agreement or MOU with your fiscal sponsor.
• Supporting Materials (Optional): We accept a PDF with work samples, community testimonials, partner quotes, photos, and/or excerpts from annual reports. You may submit only one video link that is under 5 minutes. However, you are welcome to feature multiple projects within the single video.

Application Instructions

All applications must be submitted online via Jotform. To prepare, please download the Application Preview (Google Doc). We strongly recommend that you make a copy of this template to draft your proposal in full before copying and pasting your final responses into the online Jotform for submission.

The deadline to submit is Monday, July 13, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET. Applications submitted after the deadline will not be accepted. Unfortunately, no exceptions will be made.

A4 will hold an informational webinar on Tuesday, June 2, 2025 from 12:00-1:00 PM ET.
You may register here.

Applicants unable to attend the live webinar will be able to watch the recording on A4’s YouTube channel.

If you still have questions after the webinar or need assistance applying online, please email Michelle Bae at [email protected].