2026 Creative Exchange Cohort / Capacity Building Grant Program
Individual artists are essential to a vibrant arts and culture ecosystem, but building a sustainable creative career comes with unique challenges. The Arts Foundation of Cape Cod is proud to offer the 2026 Creative Exchange Capacity Building Grant Program, a four-month cohort experience designed to provide artists on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket with the entrepreneurial tools, mentorship, and resources they need to grow and thrive.
The goal of this program is to strengthen the long-term financial resiliency and business success of artists across the region.
Information Sessions
Want to learn more before applying? Join us for a one-hour virtual information session:
Program Benefits
Through the Capacity Building Grant Program, participating artists will receive:
- $1,000 working capital grant (released upon completion of the artist’s written plan)
- Support in creating a required written plan outlining business and career goals with the help of mentors
- Two small-group business coaching sessions with a mentor
- Priority registration for Arts Foundation webinars available to Cape and Islands artists
- Access to a peer cohort of creative professionals
- An opportunity to showcase their work in a public setting organized by the AFCC (optional)
Workshops including:
- Making a DIY Marketing Plan
- Taxes for Artists, Freelancers, and Creative Businesses with Hannah Cole
- Press Releases and Marketing with Chris Kazarian
- Business Planning for Creatives with Raydene Salinas Hansen
*Additional workshops tailored to the needs of the cohort / subject to change
Eligibility
Eligible applicants are:
- Artists of all disciplines (visual arts, writing, film, dance, music/sound, theater, performance, social practice, etc.)
- Residents of Cape Cod (Barnstable County), Nantucket (Nantucket County), or Martha’s Vineyard (Dukes County)
- Artists with reliable transportation and stable housing
Not eligible:
- Full-time students enrolled in a degree program
- Artists living outside of Cape Cod, Nantucket, or Martha’s Vineyard
- Artists who have already participated in the Capacity Building Grant Program
The program encourages equal opportunity and values diversity in its applicants. Artists who have never received a grant are especially encouraged to apply.
Selection Criteria
Fifteen artists will be selected for the 2026 cohort. Applications will be evaluated based on:
- History of creative work (emerging or established)
- Community impact (how your work engages with or is informed by community, place, or geography)
- Access to resources (priority is given to artists with limited financial or artistic opportunities, those from under-resourced communities, or those holding identities historically undervalued or marginalized)
Timeline
- September 8, 2025: Application opens
- November 12, 2025: Application closes (deadline to apply)
- November – December 2025: Applications reviewed and cohort selected
- January 2026: Cohort onboarding
- January – April 2026: Cohort workshops and peer meetups
- End of April 2026: Program completion and release of $1,000 working capital grant
Each participant will complete a written plan outlining their creative business goals for the next one to two years. Once the plan is submitted and the program is completed, the working capital grant will be distributed.
Questions to Consider Before Applying
- How will this opportunity support the growth of your creative practice?
- What stabilization and/or growth opportunities are you currently pursuing, and what types of investments will help you achieve them?
- Why is this the right time in your career for business and financial training?
- How has your creative practice engaged (or how do you plan to engage) with communities on Cape Cod, Nantucket, or Martha’s Vineyard? How does your work contribute to and strengthen these communities?
Reports to: Executive Director
Status: Part-time (30 hours/week)
About the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod
The Arts Foundation of Cape Cod’s mission is to support and strengthen a vibrant and diverse arts and cultural sector for everyone in our region. Our Arts Access Program removes financial and logistical barriers so that every child has the opportunity to experience the arts. Each year, we impact more than 5,000 Cape youth through bus stipends, scholarships, and grants that turn cultural opportunities into meaningful experiences.
Position Overview
The Arts Access Program Coordinator will lead the continued growth of this impactful initiative. This person will oversee bus stipends, youth scholarships, and access-focused grants, while also building partnerships with schools, community organizations, and cultural institutions. The Coordinator will also support the development and management of a new program curriculum as part of the Arts Foundation’s commitment to expanding access and engagement.
Key Responsibilities
Community Engagement & Partnerships
- Cultivate and maintain relationships with schools, teachers, and youth-serving agencies.
- Conduct outreach to cultural organizations and artists with aligned goals.
- Represent the Arts Foundation at community events, school fairs, and partner meetings.
Program Management
- Administer bus stipends and scholarship applications.
- Track and respond to applications, inquiries, and awards.
- Coordinate access-focused grants to organizations expanding cultural opportunities.
- Support the rollout and management of a developing program curriculum.
Storytelling & Communications
- Capture and share stories of impact with the development and communications teams.
- Promote program updates and success stories through newsletters, social media, and partner updates.
Tracking & Evaluation
- Maintain systems to track applicants, partners, and demographic data.
- Audit program impact and contribute to long-term strategy development.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in arts administration, education, nonprofit management, or equivalent experience.
- 2+ years of experience in program coordination, education, arts access, or nonprofit work.
- Experience recruiting, training, or engaging volunteers strongly preferred.
- Strong organizational skills with excellent follow-through.
- Excellent written and verbal communication; skilled in storytelling.
- Experience working across sectors (education, social services, arts) preferred.
- Proficiency with digital tools (such as Google Workspace, databases; Submittable experience a plus).
- Creative, adaptable, and mission-driven, with the ability to work independently.
Details
- Part-time, 30 hours/week at $35/hour
- This position requires reliable transportation to and from events across Cape Cod. Applicants must be able to travel to community sites, schools, and cultural organizations as part of the role.
- This is not a remote role; the position is based on Cape Cod with time spent in the office and traveling to community sites.
To apply, please send your resume and cover letter through Submittable. Thank you.
Questions: info@artsfoundation.org
The Arts Foundation of Cape Cod’s (AFCC) 2025 Grant Program prioritizes arts initiatives that create access for everyone in the community, ensuring that the arts are inclusive and widely available to people of all ages and abilities. We are looking to support projects that remove barriers —financial, physical, or social — and introduce innovative ideas to engage all audiences.
We are especially interested in programs that:
- Make the arts accessible —offering free or low-cost participation.
- Engage seniors, individuals with disabilities, or intergenerational groups.
- Bring fresh, innovative arts experiences to the community.
- Foster connections through shared creative experiences.
- Prioritize hiring artists to lead and implement these programs, ensuring they are fairly compensated for their work.
Whether large or small, if your project opens the doors to the arts while supporting working artists, we want to hear about it!
Welcome to AFCC Access. This form is the first step in connecting a child in your life to quality arts programming here on Cape Cod. Your child or mentee must be associated with one our community partners: YMCA Achievers; Big Brothers, Big Sisters; Greater Hyannis Supporting Our Youth Task Force; Cape Cod Child Development; Grandparents Raising Grandchildren on Cape Cod; and Cape Cod Children’s Place.
Please note:
The AFCC works with community partners who have systems in place for assessing financial need and will give preference to partners with mentor programs or committed leadership to create a successful match between student and cultural organization.
The cultural organization providing the programming will be paid directly, not through the student, his or her family, or any community partner. Funding may be available for additional expenses related to class and will be coordinated through the cultural organization.
You will hear back from the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod in a timely fashion, within 5-10 days or sooner. Please don't hesitate to reach out with questions to Julie Wake at jwake@artsfoundation.org
School Bus Funding from the AFCC Access Fund
AFCC School Bus funds will provide grants up to $800.00 to help schools with the transportation costs of student cultural field trips. The field trips must be in the arts, sciences, or humanities. Examples: art and science museums; historic sites; and music, theater, and dance performances.
Eligibility
- Any Barnstable County school (public, charter, parochial, or independent) serving grades K-12 can apply.
- The field trips must be focused in the arts, but trips that combine science or humanities with the arts will also be considered.
- Types of field trips that DO NOT qualify for funding are trips to sporting events, amusement parks, or other similar outings.
FAQS
When is the application deadline?
There is no deadline, but applications must be in at least 30 days prior to the trip. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Grants will be awarded until funds run out. Our goal is to spread the funding equitably among all Cape schools that apply.
Can an independent or faith-based school apply?
Yes, all Barnstable County schools serving grades K-12 are eligible to apply.
Someone else in my school already received a grant for this school year. Can I apply too?
Yes, the AFCC may award more than one bus grant to the same school and/or teacher. However, the AFCC reserves the right to approve or deny application in order to distribute the funding equitably so all schools may benefit.
What types of trips do no qualify for funding?
Types of trips that DO NOT qualify for funding are trips to sporting events, amusement parks, and outdoor activities such as class beach trips. Field trips to performances put on by students are not eligible, as the goal of the program is to provide students with a professional cultural experience. The trip must meet the mission of providing access to arts and culture for all students.
Can we get a grant to travel to a destination outside of Massachusetts?
Yes.
What is the maximum amount of money we can ask for?
$800
We want to go on more than one field trip in this school year. Can we apply for another grant?
Yes, however you should also research funding through Mass Cultural Council as well as your local cultural council for funding for additional field trips.
How will we know that the AFCC has received our application?
Once you have successfully submitted your online application, a confirmation email will be sent.
How will we know if our application was approved or not?
Within three weeks of submitting your application, you will receive an email from the AFCC telling you whether or not your application has been approved. Be sure your email account is set to allow messages from jwake@artsfoundation.org. All funding decisions are final.
How do we get the money?
A check will be made out to the school and will include the teacher and department along with a note stating that funds are restricted for the specific field trip. The check will go out USPS. Applicant contact will be notified check has been sent. It is up to the applicant to follow through on receipt of funding.
Who arranges for the bus and pays the bus company?
You or your school are responsible for making all bus arrangements and payments. The AFCC is not liable for school bus arrangements or contractual services made between the bus company and school/teacher.