​​These grants are supported by taxpayer revenues in an annual appropriation from City Council. A small portion of the funds available for grants may be supported by a grant from the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

• This grant program supports a wide variety of artistic and cultural activities.
• The Commission does not fund general operating support for cultural organizations, and funding will not exceed 50% of the total cost of the project.
• There is no guarantee of funding or increases in grant awards year-to-year. Projects that receive funding one year may or may not receive funding the following year.
• The annual deadline is February 1. ​​