QUAD CITY ARTS TO AWARD $129,150 IN ARTS DOLLARS GRANTS FOR 2026

Quad City Arts is thrilled to announce the opening of the 2026 Arts Dollars grant cycle, offering $129,150 in funding to support local artists, K-12 schools, and nonprofit organizations partnering with artists.

Since 1990, Quad City Arts has helped invest over $1.75 million in the regional arts community, empowering creativity and fostering meaningful connections through the arts. In 2024 alone, Arts Dollars supported 33 projects reaching more than 136,856 people across the Quad Cities, demonstrating the program’s broad community impact and reach.

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Grant Overview
Arts Dollars grants are open to all artistic disciplines and focus on enriching the Quad Cities region through community engagement, arts education, and organizational development. The application process is competitive, and Quad City Arts staff are available to provide guidance and support to applicants.

Grant Categories

• Project Grants:
  For arts projects or programming that prioritize community engagement.
  • Individual artists may apply for up to $2,500.
  • Nonprofit organizations and schools may apply for up to $5,000.
• Education Grants:
  For initiatives that provide K-12 students with meaningful arts education experiences.
  • Individual artists may apply for up to $2,500.
  • Nonprofit organizations and schools may apply for up to $5,000.
• Capacity-Building Grants:
  For activities that enhance organizational capacity, strength, and long-term impact.
  • Nonprofit organizations may apply for up to $5,000.
    
    

Important Dates

• Application Deadline: February 1, 2026
• Recipient Notification: No later than March 17, 2026

How to Apply
Detailed guidelines, category descriptions, and application materials are available online at: https://www.quadcityarts.com/arts-dollars-grants

Impact
Arts Dollars is more than a grant program—it’s one of the most direct ways we invest in the people, stories, and creative ideas that shape the Quad Cities. Each year, these grants empower artists, teachers, and nonprofits to bring projects to life that might not otherwise have the resources to move forward.

In 2024 alone, Arts Dollars supported 33 projects that reached more than 136,856 people across the Quad Cities region, demonstrating the program’s broad community impact and reach.
 
Arts Dollars funding strengthens our region in three key ways:

• Expanding access to the arts. Arts Dollars helps ensure that meaningful arts experiences reach every part of our region, both rural and metro arts areas, for all demographics.
• Supporting local artists as working professionals. By funding artist-led projects and collaborations, these grants provide tangible support for creative workers to develop new work and engage local audiences.
• Creating community connection through shared experiences. Funded projects—murals, performances, workshops, festivals, and more—bring people together and celebrate the voices and stories that make the Quad Cities unique.

 
For Quad City Arts, the goal is simple: to keep creativity thriving across the region through opportunities that strengthen artists, schools, and communities year after year.

Funding
Funding for the 2026 Arts Dollars cycle is provided by the Hubbell-Waterman Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council Agency (a state agency), and the Quad Cities Community Foundation--Isabel Bloom Art Education Fund. All Quad City Arts programs are funded in part by Festival of Trees, individual donations, and operating grants from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, a state agency.

For more information or assistance with Arts Dollars applications, contact Ben Gougeon at [email protected] or 309-793-1213 ext. 100.