About the Creative Impact Fund 

Artists and creatives positively affect our lives and region every day. Their work has the power to promote healing, to transcend barriers and unite people, and to highlight social injustices leading to just and equitable change.

Assembly for the Arts is proud to continue the Creative Impact Fund (CIF) in 2025. This unrestricted grant is designed to support the growth of an artist’s creative practice and advance their impact on our region. In 2025, the CIF will award thirty (30) forward-thinking artists and creatives, in 2025 including 15 Early Career artists at $5,000 each and 15 Mid-Late Career artists at $10,000 each. The CIF is open to artists living in Cuyahoga County who have been creating impactful and inventive artistic work in the disciplines of craft, dance, design, film, interdisciplinary work, media, music, theatre & performance, traditional arts, visual art, and writing/literary art.

Please see the Creative Impact Fund Guidelines for all details including Assembly’s definitions of Artist, Creative Disciplines and Artist Career Stage.

Assembly for the Arts is supported by the residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture.  

CIF Artists Receive:

• $5,000 (Early Career Artists) or $10,000 (Mid-Late Career Artists) in unrestricted funds
• Promotion as a CIF grantee on Assembly’s website, social media and other platforms
• A one-year Assembly for the Arts membership
• Business and professional development opportunities, including marketing, networking, connections to partners or potential collaborators
• Special access to opportunities as they arise throughout the year

Who can apply?

• Active creators who are Artists according to Assembly’s definition
• Artists must be 18 years of age or older
• Artists must live in Cuyahoga County. All applicants need a verifiable residential address. Studio addresses (unless it’s your place of residence) and P.O. Boxes are not accepted.

Those not eligible to apply include:

• Artists who received a grant through any of the following programs in 2023 or 2024 
  • Creative Impact Fund (Assembly for the Arts)
  • Premiere Fellowship (Cleveland Public Theatre)
  • Individual Artist Fellowship (Cleveland Public Theatre)
  • Unidos por el Arte (Julia de Burgos Cultural Arts Center)
  • Room in the House Fellowship (Karamu House)
  • Urgent Art Fund (SPACES)
• Nonprofit organizations, businesses or collectives. Artists who are part of organizations or businesses may apply as individuals
• Staff and board of Assembly for the Arts and Cuyahoga Arts & Culture
• Selection panelists for any Assembly artist program

How to apply

Artists can submit an online application by clicking the ‘Apply Now‘ button at the top of this page. Artists will need to create a free Submittable account or use their existing account to submit their application. Paper applications will be accepted for accessibility reasons on a case-by-case basis. If you have a disability and require assistance in applying for CIF, please contact grants@assemblycle.org.

The CIF application will be available in English. Spanish-language versions and other translation support will be provided as needed—please contact us for assistance.

Questions?

Be sure to read our Frequently Asked Questions or email us at grants@assemblycle.org