Cultural Assistance Program (CAP) Grant Guidelines

CAP grant awards are made possible through the support of the Essex County Board of Supervisors.  

Eligibility

• Any arts and culture organization providing public programming for Essex County residents. Priority will be given to organizations located within Essex County. Organizations located outside of Essex County must provide documentation of how they serve Essex County residents. 
• Projects must be open to the public and completed by December 31, 2026. 
• The organization must demonstrate sound managerial and fiscal capacity to provide arts programming that benefits Essex County residents and/or visitors.
• Applications must be complete when submitted to be considered for funding.
• Organizations no longer need to be a member of ECAC to apply for a CAP grant, though organizational membership and support is greatly appreciated!
• 2025 CAP funded organizations MUST have a final report on file, submitted by February 1st, 2026, to be eligible to apply for 2026 funding.

An FAQ page is included with the 2026 CAP Grant Application. 

Please note: When you open the link for the CAP application from the website, it will take you to a view-only version of the application. Go to FILE → Make a Copy. Rename this copy: 2026 CAP - [name of your organization]. You can now work from this new copy to complete your application. Once you have completed all the fields and are ready to submit, go to FILE→ Download→PDF document. Send in the PDF of your completed application along with the required supplemental materials.

Technical assistance is available. Please do not hesitate to reach out to our Arts Administrator, Casey: admin@essexcountyarts.org // 518.227.1242

• Maximum award: $1,000
• Application deadline: March 15, 2026