About Our Local Arts Grants Program
Morris Arts, a 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1973, is the official Arts Agency of Morris County, receiving annual funding from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State to re-grant locally.
In the spirit of our mission to build community through the arts, we offer Local Arts Grants to provide access to quality arts experiences in Morris County communities. Each year, the program supports more than 1,500 arts activities and programs that serve over 100,000 children and adults.
Local Arts Grant funding is available for Morris County organizations that provide the community with arts events that are artistically excellent, provide public benefit, and are accessible to the public. There are three types of grants available:
- General Operating Support (GOS) Grants for arts organizations.
- Special Project Support (SPS) Grants for other types of organizations that have significant arts programs.
- Mini Grants ($1,000) for art projects at new and emerging organizations. Organizations can apply for one Mini Grant per funding period. Mini Grants are intended as an introduction to the Local Arts Grant Program. A grant received in one year is no guarantee of subsequent funding.
Applications are reviewed by an independent panel and funding awarded on a yearly basis. FY2026 Applications are now open – read on for guidelines or download them here.
FY2025 Grantees can find information pertaining to their grants here.
FY2026: Important Dates and Guidelines
FY26 Grant Period: January 1, 2026 – December 31, 2026 (FY26)
FY26 Applications Due: September 19, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Notification of Award: November 2025
75% Payment Sent: February 2026*
Final Reports Due: January 6, 2027
Final 25% Payment Sent: February 2027*
Payments are subject to and sent out by Morris Arts upon receipt of funding from NJSCA. The dates for receiving payments are subject to change. All payments will be done electronically through bill.com.
Applicants must show the ability to complete all reporting necessary in accepting public funds by the deadlines specified, including a Local Arts Grant application for funding, a commitment letter, and a final report (within 30 days of completed project). Applicants must have sufficient cash flow to support their organization, program project or event as grant funds are allocated over two payments of 75% and 25%.
All Local Arts Grant applications and materials must be submitted online via Foundant. Applicants can register for a free account and edit and save their application until the deadline. In order to view the application, applicants must create an account. Late, incomplete, or handwritten applications will not be considered.
In addition, funding decisions and payments may be delayed pending funding decisions by NJSCA. If you have questions contact Sarai Warsoff at swarsoff@morrisarts.org or Cyndall Brice at cbrice@morrisarts.org.
Applicant Qualifications
All applicants MUST be:
- Located in Morris County and primarily serving the constituency of Morris County
- Conducting an active program in the arts for at least two years prior to application. An applicant with less than two (2) years’ history will be considered on a case-by-case basis
- In compliance with all pertinent state and federal regulations including, but not limited to, the following:
- Civil Rights Act of 1964 which bars discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex and disability
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which requires all providers of public programs and services to ensure that those programs and services can be enjoyed by all citizens, including those with disabilities.
Types of Grants
Organizations are encouraged to note that (i) there is no set limit on the amount of funding that may be requested by an applicant, and (ii) awards are in the minimum amount of $1,000. Applicants may apply in only one category of grants. Funding is available for activities conducted between January 1, 2026 and December 31, 2026 in the following categories:
General Operating Support (GOS) Grants are available to support the overall operations of organizations whose mission is exclusively devoted to the arts. Requests can be up to 20% of the organization’s annual expense budget. There are no matching requirements for GOS grants.
Special Project Support (SPS) Grants are available to support the costs of an arts-related special project of the applicant, which need not be an arts organization. The special project, however, must be wholly dedicated to the arts and be a project or program open to the general public. Note that projects or activities which are normally part of the curriculum or extra-curricular activities of an educational organization are not eligible. SPS Grants are required to have a 50% match.
Mini Grants ($1,000) for art projects at new and emerging organizations. Organizations can apply for one Mini Grant per funding period. Mini Grants are intended as an introduction to the Local Arts Grant Program.
Applicant Qualifications for Multi-Year Funding
Applicants who meet the criteria set forth above are encouraged to apply for multi-year funding. Multi-year grant applicants are approved for a two (2) calendar year cycle. The dollar amount requested in this application is only for the first calendar year. Receipt of multi-year funding is not automatic. Applicants that are unsuccessful in receiving a multi-year grant may be recommended to receive funding for a single-year grant period and, if recommended, may reapply for multi-year funding the following year.
Ineligible Requests
Local Arts Grant awards CANNOT be awarded:
- To individual artists
- To those organizations funded by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts or any other county arts agency
- To pay administrative salaries
- For capital improvements, projects, or acquisitions, including the purchase of permanent equipment
- For hospitality costs and travel
- To replace deficits or funds normally budgeted for the requested program or project
- For the purpose of sub-granting to another organization
- For fundraising projects or events, or for scholarship funds or fellowships
Evaluation Criteria
Applicants are evaluated based upon the following criteria:
- Artistic merit of the applicant, its program and/or special project
- Ability of the applicant’s staff (volunteer or professional) and board to responsibly administer the organization and/or special project
- Demonstration of the applicant’s sound financial planning and management of financial resources
- Responsiveness to the needs of the community
- Outreach efforts to the culturally diverse, special constituency, and young (18 and under) audiences in Morris County, particularly in the past calendar year
- Efforts to comply with ADA standards (see ADA Compliance section below)
ADA Compliance
Ensuring that the programming supported by Morris Arts is available to the widest possible audience is a high priority. This includes access for people with disabilities. Accessibility includes the physical performance/exhibition space (whether owned, rented or free), programming, audience and audience development, marketing, sensitivity training for staff, and printed materials.
Need help with ADA planning? Visit the New Jersey Theatre Alliance’s Cultural Access Network Project for resources and the recommended self-assessment survey tool.
All grant applications must include an ADA Accessibility Checklist and related ADA narrative for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (download the checklist here).
Evaluation Process
- All Local Arts Grant applications are reviewed by the Morris Arts staff for completeness and then forwarded to Morris Arts’ Local Arts Grant Evaluation Panel for review based upon the criteria stated in these Guidelines. The Evaluation Panel is comprised of independent arts panelists selected for their experience with various artistic modalities and their solid knowledge of the workings of non-profit arts organizations. Morris Arts strives to select panelists with backgrounds that reflect the arts disciplines of the organizations whose applications they are going to review. The Morris Arts staff does not evaluate applications.
- The Evaluation Panel meets to review and assign a score to each application based upon how well the applicant meets the criteria stated in these Guidelines. The Evaluation Panel forwards its assigned scores to the Local Arts Grant Funding Panel (Funding Panel) which meets to discuss funding ranges and to determine specific award recommendations based upon the funds awarded to Morris Arts by NJSCA.
- The Funding Panel’s recommendations are subsequently reviewed by the Morris Arts’ Board of Trustees, which makes a final decision on all funding requests.
- All applicants are notified of funding decisions no later than November 2025. Successful applicants receive a Letter of Commitment, which they must promptly execute and return to the Morris Arts in order to receive their first award installment.
- Funding will be disbursed in two (2) payments:
- The first payment (75% of grant award) will be forwarded to the recipient after the recipient’s signed Letter of Commitment and voucher have been received by Morris Arts.
- The second and final payment (remaining 25% of grant award) will be made upon receipt and approval of the final report due in January 2027 and may be withheld or reduced if grant funds are not expended based on the Letter of Commitment. The Final Report includes a financial statement, attendance figures, and a narrative. Morris Arts and NJSCA must be credited in accordance with the credit/publicity guidelines.
Note: payments are subject to and sent out by Morris Arts upon receipt of funding from NJSCA. The dates for receiving payments are subject to change. All payments will be done electronically through Bill.com.
- Funding to recipients is based on NJSCA’s funding of Morris Arts. If the actual amount provided to Morris Arts by NJSCA is less than originally awarded, an across the board formula established by the Funding Panel and approved by the Morris Arts Board will be implemented.
- Local Arts Grants are highly competitive. An award for the current year does not guarantee that an organization will continue to be funded in subsequent years, nor does it guarantee that the amount awarded will remain unchanged in subsequent years. Each year, new organizations apply for funding and the amount received from NJSCA changes.
FY26 Local Arts Grants Recipient Requirements
All recipients of a Local Arts Grant must comply with the following:
- Upon notification of funding, execute a Letter of Commitment prepared by Morris Arts.
- Submit a Final Report to Morris Arts no later than the first week of January 2027* on a form supplied during the funding year by Morris Arts. *Exact date TBD in November 2025.
- Notify Morris Arts of any personnel changes in Board or staff (either volunteer or paid) that directly affect the administration of the Local Arts Grant during the funding year.
- Include the crediting statement and Morris Arts logo in all publicity and public information (including all advertising, posters, programs, press releases, newsletters, flyers).
- Make available to Morris Arts two (2) complimentary tickets in order to allow Staff and Local Arts Grant Evaluation Panel members the opportunity to attend the recipient’s performances/events. It is the recipient’s responsibility to inform Morris Arts at least five (5) weeks in advance of all performances/events.
If you have questions contact Sarai Warsoff at swarsoff@morrisarts.org or Cyndall Brice at cbrice@morrisarts.org.
Current Grantees
FY25 Grantees
We granted a total of $120,000 to 36 different organizations across Morris County for funding year 2025, and we can’t wait to see the incredible work they do. Find them online or follow them on social media to stay up-to-date on the arts events and programs they offer our community.
Resources for FY25 Grantees
Important Dates
Funding Period: January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025 (FY25)
1st Payment Sent (75% of award): February 2025
Final Reports Due: January 2026
2nd and Final Payment Sent (25% of award): February 2026
Please note that Mini Grant awards are paid in full upon approval of application.
Crediting
All grantees must include the below logo and crediting statement from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts along with the Morris Arts logo on print, web, and digital materials for activities supported by funds from their Local Arts Grant or Mini Grant.
Crediting statement (should appear to the right of the NJSCA logo): Made possible by funds from Morris Arts, a partner of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.
Download logo files using the links below:
New Jersey State Council on the Arts Logo Files
All Morris Arts logo files can be found here.
The Local Arts Grant Program is administered in Morris County by Morris Arts and it has been made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.