Wheaton Cultural Project Grants
Wheaton Cultural Project Grants (WCPG) are available to arts and/or humanities organizations and groups located in Montgomery County, MD that may or may not be incorporated as non-profit organizations with 501(c)(3) status and individual artists and scholars who reside in Montgomery County, MD. Grant awards support impactful projects within the Wheaton, MD community and provide professional opportunities for artists and scholars to work in Wheaton. Grants for FY24 will be awarded for activities occurring between January 1, 2024, and December 31, 2024.
Awards range from $1,000 up to $10,000. Applicants that are individual artists or scholars must partner with a non-profit or for-profit entity based in Montgomery County to apply. Applicants that are organizations or groups do not need a partner to apply.
By awarding Wheaton Cultural Project Grants, the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County (AHCMC) seeks to:
- Support communities that have traditionally received insufficient resources and that have limited access to arts/humanities programming;
- Support Wheaton’s cultural diversity by funding arts/humanities projects in all disciplines, genres, and styles;
- Support artists and scholars currently living or working in Wheaton; and
- Activate Wheaton as a cultural destination that stimulates local economic activity
Important Dates
Questions?
- Dates + Deadlines
- Webinars
- Guidelines + Eligibility
- Application + Templates
- Previous Grants Awarded
- FY23 Grantees
FY24 Important Dates
- Guidelines published – Friday, August 18, 2023
- Application Deadline – Friday, October 13, 2023 at 11:59 p.m.
New applicants are highly encouraged to contact AHCMC grants staff. All applications and relevant materials must be submitted online through AHCMC’s grants portal, SurveyMonkey Apply (SM Apply).
Late applications and relevant materials will not be accepted.
Additional Dates Post-Application
- Panel Review (virtual) – November 2023
- Award Announcement – December 2023
- FY24 Grant Change Request Deadline – November 30, 2024
- FY24 Final Report Due – January 31, 2025
Webinars
- Wednesday, September 20, 2023 from 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
- Thursday, September 28, 2023 from 4:00 – 5:30 p.m.
- Register on Eventbrite!
All AHCMC webinars will be hosted through the Zoom platform. Visit to our Webinars page to see upcoming workshops and webinars for all open grant categories.
Webinars allow grant-seekers to ask AHCMC grants staff specific questions about the grant guidelines, application, and online grants portal.
At each webinar, AHCMC grants staff review eligibility requirements and offer technical assistance for both the application process and the online grants portal
FY24 WCPG Application Webinar
AHCMC Project Budget Tutorial
- View PDF slides of AHCMC’s Project Budget Tutorial
SurveyMonkey Apply (SM Apply) Tutorial
Guidelines
- View a PDF of the FY24 WCPG Guidelines
Required Application Materials:
All applicants must submit:
- A Completed Narrative
- Programming Support Materials
- Work Sample(s)
- AHCMC Reporting Data
In addition, applicants applying as individuals must also submit:
- Resume or CV
- Letter of Support – NEW! – Download a template of the Letter of Support under the “Application + Templates” tab on AHCMC’s website.
- Bio(s) of key staff who work for the partner organization
In addition, applicants applying on behalf of a group must also submit:
- Group Support Materials
- List of group members;
- Bios of key group members and/or volunteers;
- Current Strategic Plan, if available; and
- Organizational Chart, if available.
- Financial Support Materials
- Previous fiscal year’s end-of-year revenue and expenses;
- Current operating budget with actuals year-to-date; and
- Current Balance Sheet or Balance Sheet for the most recently completed fiscal year, if available.
In addition, applicants applying on behalf of an organization must also submit:
- Organization Support Materials
- IRS Letter of Determination
- List of Board of Directors with affiliation;
- Bios of key staff and/or volunteers;
- Current Strategic Plan, if available; and
- Organizational Chart, if available.
- Financial Support Materials
- FY22 990, 990EZ, or 990N;
- Profit & Loss for the most recently completed fiscal year;
- Current operating budget with actuals year-to-date; and
- Current Balance Sheet or Balance Sheet for the most recently completed fiscal year.
Applicant Eligibility Requirements
Applicants eligible to apply must have met all the following requirements by the published application deadline.
Individuals:
- Has resided in Montgomery County, MD with a verifiable mailing address in Montgomery County, MD for at least 12 months prior to the application deadline (P.O. Boxes not accepted);
- Is at least 21 years old;
- Is not a full-time student;
- Is a practicing artist and/or scholar with demonstrated ability in the arts or humanities discipline of the project;
- Is able to provide AHCMC with a Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) prior to undertaking the grant activities;
- Has a partnership for the project with a non-profit or for-profit organization based in Montgomery County, whose budget may exceed $500,000 and whose mission may or may not be arts and/or humanities-based; and
- Has met all outstanding requirements for any grant(s) received from the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County in prior years.
Organizations & Groups:
- Has had its primary location and/or a verifiable mailing address in Montgomery County, MD for at least 12 months prior to the application deadline;
- Has its primary mission or objective as the exhibition, presentation, production or performance of, and/or education in, an arts and/or humanities discipline, and/or provides support services to artists and/or scholars and/or arts and/or humanities organizations;
- Has an annual operating budget of no more than $500,000 for the most recently completed fiscal year; and
- Operates as a non-profit, with or without 501(c)(3) status from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as a public charity; and
- Has met all outstanding requirements for any grant(s) received from the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County in prior years.
*AHCMC defines organizations as entities recognized by the IRS as tax-exempt 501(c)(3) public charity.*
Project Eligibility Requirements
Eligible activities must:
- Take place between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024;
- Take place in Wheaton, MD; and
- Be open to the public, with or without an admission fee, in person or virtually. In-person activities must follow current COVID-19 guidelines as required by the Montgomery County Health Department. (Additional COVID-19 resources)
The following are examples of activities that are eligible for funding. This list is not exhaustive, and applicants are encouraged to think creatively about the activities proposed in the grant application.
- Performances, presentations, or exhibitions of visual, performing, media, and/or folk and traditional arts
- Festivals or events that include one or more arts/humanities discipline(s)
- Historical presentations, archaeological programs, or historical reenactments
- Poetry readings, author lectures, or script workshops
- Public art, including community mural projects
- Arts and/or humanities educational programs
Access SurveyMonkey Apply (SM Apply): https://artsandhumanities.smapply.io/
Applicants are highly encouraged to use the application templates to prepare the narrative and supplementary materials.
FY24 WCPG Templates:
*Know that these are templates for your reference only – all applications and relevant materials must be submitted online through the grants portal.*
- View a PDF of the FY24 WCPG Application Template_Organizations&Groups
- Download a Word document of the FY24 WCPG Application Template_Organizations&Groups
- View a PDF of the FY24 WCPG Application Template for Individuals
- Download a Word Document of the FY24 WCPG Application Template for Individuals
- View a PDF of the FY24 WCPG Partner Organization Letter of Support
- Download a Word document of the FY24 WCPG Partner Organization Letter of Support
FY23 Wheaton Cultural Project Grants (WCPG)
$129,500 awarded for January 1, 2023 – December 31, 2023
Wheaton Cultural Project Grants support impactful projects within the Wheaton, MD community and provide professional opportunities for artists and scholars to work in Wheaton. Montgomery County, MD-based non-profit arts and humanities organizations, groups, artists, and scholars are invited to apply for cultural projects taking place in Wheaton. Eleven organizations and three individuals, a total of 14 grantees, received FY23 awards within this category.
View previous grants awarded for WCPG and other grant categories.
Wheaton, Maryland ($10,000)
Grant funds will be used to produce the 9th Annual Wheaton Film Festival (WFF). The festival will offer educational panels, networking opportunities, film screenings, and a Flavors of Wheaton video series highlighting local Wheaton restaurants.
Silver Spring, Maryland ($9,000)
Ukes on the Move introduces third grade students to music-making via the ukulele and will build on the success of a previous pilot program. Each student will receive a ukulele and songbook to keep. In addition to learning to play and write songs, students will present performances at their school and at the Wheaton Senior Center, including a jam session with the seniors.
Silver Spring, Maryland ($10,000)
Moving Wheaton: Cultural Connections During Covid seeks to move, jump, slide, and shake up the isolation that Wheaton community members of all ages, races, and economic backgrounds experienced during the pandemic through workshops and K-12 student concerts and performances, led by ClancyWorks teaching artists.
Gaithersburg, Maryland ($10,000)
Grant funds will be used to host the 1st Annual DC South Asian Music and Dance Festival. The two-day festival will provide a platform for local musicians and dancers, and an opportunity to compete and showcase talent in different categories.
Silver Spring, Maryland ($7,500)
Village Voices is an intergenerational filmmaking program with Montgomery Blair High School, Wheaton High School, and the Silver Spring Village.
Wheaton, Maryland ($10,000)
InterAct Story Theatre will present the 8th season of the Wheaton Family Theatre Series, a free performing arts series for children and families in Wheaton. The Wheaton Family Theatre Series presents eight arts programs throughout the year, featuring a variety of artistic disciplines and cultures as well as original theatrical work by InterAct Story Theatre.
Rockville, Maryland ($8,000)
Tell Us Your Story is an interactive writing class series for older adults. Through in-class assignments, lectures, at-home exercises, and by presenting their work in a magazine and at a public reading, students will build skills and confidence in their writing and engage with members of the Wheaton community through creative storytelling.
Potomac, Maryland ($10,000)
Grant funds will be used to provide a combination of free and in-person graphic novel and cartooning classes and workshops for children and seniors. The students’ artwork will be displayed at the Wheaton Library.
Potomac, Maryland ($10,000)
Through the medium of classical Odissi dance, Transcending Time: The Journey of Temple Dancers will explore the artistic world of temple dancers from Odisha, a state in Eastern India. The piece is a story of divine dancers, known as Devadasis, and their journey from ancient temples to the outside world, carrying on as guardians of a classical dance form.
Rockville, Maryland ($10,000)
Inspired by nature, the Sounds of Nature concert, part of the Family Concert series, will take young and young-at-heart listeners on an adventure through different times of day using music and storytelling. Each performance will be followed by an instrument “petting zoo.”
Silver Spring, Maryland ($10,000)
This project will consist of months of musical training, social media outreach, and free public appearances culminating in a series of paid admission concerts in Wheaton. Six Degree Singers will collaborate with local organizations such as the Montgomery Blair High School Chamber Singers and the Mana Polynesia performance troupe.
Silver Spring, Maryland ($5,000)
The Civic Circle will bring its arts-based curriculum built on seven “steps to democracy” to three groups of Wheaton students in grades 3-5. Students will participate in social studies activities, hear from civic youth mentors, and write and perform their own civic songs, poems, and stories.
Silver Spring, Maryland ($10,000)
Urban Artistry’s Transformations Elevation Series will amplify, document, and sustain Urban Dance forms by offering: 1) Conflict Transformation/Professional Development; 2) Take-Over Open Sessions; and 3) Dance & Dialogue Interviews/Workshops.
Wheaton, Maryland ($10,000)
The Wheaton Arts Parade seeks to liberate the community’s creative spirit from the confines of everyday life. The arts parade includes a community festival where people can listen to music, watch dance, view paintings and sculpture, talk and eat together, and make art. It is an opportunity for local artists to exhibit and sell their work and be valued by the community.
The FY23 WCPG cycle runs from January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023.
- View a PDF of the FY23 WCPG Guidelines
Important Dates Post-Application
- Final Report – Deadline: March 1, 2024
- View a PDF of the FY23 WCPG Final Report for Organizations Template
- Download a Word document of the FY23 WCPG Final Report for Organizations Template
- View a PDF of the FY23 WCPG Final Report for Individuals Template
- Download a Word document of the FY23 WCPG Final Report for Individuals Template
FY23 Final Reports open in SM Apply!
All final reports must be completed online through AHCMC’s grants portal, SurveyMonkey Apply (SM Apply). Access SM Apply: https://artsandhumanities.smapply.io/
Need to make changes to your project? Fill out a grant change request form, available on our resources page: https://www.creativemoco.com/find-opportunities/resources/