What is the BACFE Crisis Fund?

The BACFE Crisis Fund is a grant program designed to move flexible resources to Bay Area arts and cultural organizations facing urgent conditions. Crisis can be acute, chronic, cumulative, or quietly destabilizing—conditions that erode the safety, integrity, and sustainability of people, cultural practices, and community spaces over time. 

What does the fund support?

The fund provides $25,000 unrestricted grants to help organizations stabilize, respond, or adapt when something essential is at risk.

This may include protecting:

• Staff and community safety

• Cultural practices and programming

• Organizational stability or continuity

• Physical or digital infrastructure

This is not a general operating grant program. It is intended for urgent, time-sensitive conditions.

Who is eligible to apply?

Arts and cultural organizations across the Bay Area, with priority for:

• Organizations rooted in and accountable to historically under-resourced communities

• Groups with annual budgets of $500,000 or below

• Organizations facing urgent threats aligned with the fund’s focus areas

What crises are prioritized?

Priority is given to organizations responding to urgent conditions related to:

• Immigration status, enforcement, or legal vulnerability

• Safety of trans and gender-expansive communities

• Digital or public safety risks (harassment, targeting, surveillance)

How much funding is available?

• Approximately $1 million is available for this round

• BACFE anticipates making around 40 grants

Demand is expected to exceed available funding, so not all applicants will receive support.

When is the application open?

• Opens: April 29

• Closes: May 31st, 11:50pm PST

What does the application involve?

The application is intentionally simple and low-burden. Applicants can respond using:

• Short written responses

• Bullet points

How are applications reviewed?

Applications are reviewed by the Crisis Fund Committee, which includes BACFE members and community partners.

Reviewers assess applications based on:

• Alignment with the fund’s focus areas

• Urgency and immediacy of the situation

• Potential impact of $25,000

• Connection to and accountability within community

This is not a competitive scoring process. Reviewers apply a trust-based lens that centers applicant self-definition and real-time need.

When will decisions be made?

Decisions are expected in July, with grant disbursements beginning in August.

Is reporting required?

No formal written report is required.

Recipients are asked to participate in a brief follow-up conversation to share how funds were used and what is emerging in their context.

Can organizations apply if they are not 501(c)(3)s?

Yes. Organizations with a fiscal sponsor are eligible to apply.

What kinds of expenses can the grant support?

Because funds are unrestricted, they can be used in ways that best address the crisis, including:

• Staff retention or emergency payroll

• Rent, utilities, or space stabilization

• Legal or safety-related costs

• Program continuity

• Community care and response efforts

What is BACFE?

The Bay Area Cultural Funders for Equity (BACFE) is a collaborative of public and private funders working to shift arts and culture funding toward communities that have been historically under-resourced. BACFE’s North Star is to amplify the voices, power, arts, and cultures of these communities and align philanthropic resources accordingly. 

Who can I contact with questions?

For general inquiries, please use the contact form on this website. Your message will be directed to the appropriate member of the BACFE team. Because this work is held collaboratively across multiple partners, responses may take a few days. We will follow up as soon as we’re able.