2025 Arts, Cultural, and Event Grants

Tourism Grants, Community Grants, and Signature Event Grants request for a project can be up to 50% of total expenditure budget. Award may only pay for eligible project expenses. All budgeted expenses must be real cost. In-kind donation value of goods and services are not eligible to be included in the expense budget.

Spark Tourism Grant requests can be up to $3,000 and can cover up to 90% of eligible project expenses. All budgeted expenses must be real cost. In-kind donation value of goods and services are not eligible to be included in the expense budget.

The Grants Program are separated into four distinct grants, supported by different City funds. Each project application can only receive funding from one of the four grants.

TOURISM GRANT

This grant is funded by Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT). State law sets the rules on how this money may be spent; HOT funds must be used to directly enhance and promote tourism and the hotel and convention industry in San Marcos. Fifteen percent of the grant award must be used for paid advertising outside a 50-mile radius of the San Marcos city limits. Grant recipients must provide paid advertising samples and receipts in their final reports.

COMMUNITY GRANT

This grant, supported by City’s General Fund, is available for projects that have artistic and cultural value but may not attract overnight visitors. Projects must enhance the arts and benefit San Marcos residents. Diversity projects that serve historically under-represented groups or cultures in our community or that celebrate a diverse ethnic and cultural heritage of our community.

SPARK TOURISM GRANT

This grant is funded by Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) for newer applicants with smaller funding needs. Projects that have received City arts and cultural grants for less than three years may apply. All requirements of the Tourism grant apply with the exception of permanent public artworks that are exempt from 15% paid advertising component.

SIGNATURE EVENT GRANT

This grant is funded by Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) for newer applicants with smaller funding needs. A signature event is a well-branded, well-marketed event that brings people together to celebrate and enjoy different forms of artistic expression, music, food, sports and/or traditions in San Marcos. The annual in person event, must have an attendance of over 5,000 people, been successfully held for more than three consecutive years and more than fifty percent of its participants and attendees are from outside the area.

Applicants cannot use the same project proposal to apply to more than one grant program. Applicants should decide which grant program best aligns with their project goals and apply for that specific program.

TOURISM GRANT

• Project or event is primarily targeted to bring visitors to San Marcos
• Applicant is individual artist/artist team, creative business, or nonprofit organization

COMMUNITY GRANTS

• Project or event is primarily targeted to residents of San Marcos
• Applicant is individual artist/artist team or nonprofit organization

SPARK TOURISM GRANTS

• Project or event is primarily targeted to bring visitors to San Marcos
• Applicant is individual artist/artist team, creative business, or nonprofit organization
• Applicant’s project has not received Arts and Culture Grant funding for three years total

SIGNATURE EVENT GRANTS

• Event is primarily targeted to bring visitors to San Marcos
• Applicant is a nonprofit organization or an event production business
• Annual event with more than 5,000 people in attendance
• Has held a successful event for more than three years

Projects must promote the arts. This may include instrumental and vocal music, dance, drama, folk art, creative writing, architecture, design and allied fields, painting, sculpture, photography, graphic and craft arts, motion pictures, radio, television, tape and sound recording, and other arts related to the presentation, execution, and exhibition of these major art forms.

Tourism grant and Spark Tourism grant projects must occur within the San Marcos 78666 zip code and must primarily benefit visitors and San Marcos residents.

Community grant projects must occur within the San Marcos 78666 zip code and must primarily benefit San Marcos residents.

Must be open to public participation or attendance.

Tourism grant and Spark Tourism grant projects must be held in-person and advertised to visitors and San Marcos residents.

Must be completed within the time period set in contracted award year.

Applicant projects may not receive funding or donations from any other City board, commission or department in addition to arts and cultural grants. In addition, City of San Marcos Arts & Cultural Grant Funding cannot be used to support:

Lobbying: Per the City’s ethics policy, grant applicants are prohibited from directly or indirectly communicating with City Council members regarding their qualifications or any department matter related to the eventual award of a Contract. Any violation of this provision will result in immediate disqualification of the applicant from the selection process.

Political activity – including any activity supporting the current elected public office, election, or defeat of any candidate for public office; or to influence the passage, defeat or final content of legislation.

Projects or programs that include obscene material as defined in Section 43.21, Penal Code of Texas

Religious and/or sectarian programming

Applications that are incomplete or fail to adhere to the eligibility requirements

Though part of your project budget, certain costs are ineligible to be paid with funding from grants. Ineligible expenses include:

Non-arts portions of festivals or art fairs not directly related to arts and culture, including humanities and historical portions

To reduce/eliminate a deficit

An event that occurred before the grant award year

Regranting awarded funds is not an allowed, including to individuals as a microgrant

Scholarships (The grantee is allowed to offer sliding scale, discounted fees or free programing to their program participants.)

Competitions, award ceremonies, and sports and recreation activities, or parties and private celebrations.

Projects that are primarily fundraisers, benefits, or activities offered for the sole purpose of raising money in excess of the value of programs or services delivered

Costs of food and drink for receptions

Rental costs of hotel/motel rooms

Cash prizes or items purchased for resale, use as prizes or gifts, or awards

Transportation to exhibits/field trips

Programs that are essentially recreational, rehabilitative, or therapeutic

Building space, real property, or supplies and equipment that is purchased and owned by, or could be used by, the applicant

Long-life items and permanent fixtures (excluding permanent public art)

Organizations’ monthly/seasonal/annual operational costs

Funding for litigation or litigation related activities

Consultants who are members of an applicant’s staff

Payments to students or interns whose employment is tied to class credit

Property Taxes, payroll tax or any other tax (sales tax excluded)

TOURISM GRANT:

Organization must be in good standing with the Texas Comptroller's Office as verified by the Texas Comptroller Search.

OR an individual artist or artist team, age 18 years or older, which will be verified by applicant’s submission of official valid Texas state-issued identification card, US passport, or other official document with photo with current address. At least 51% of project must be made up of artist/artist team’s work.

Applicants’ scopes of work must have a clear public presentation component.

Organization or individual artist/artist team must be Central Texas based in counties of Hays, Travis, Caldwell, Guadalupe, or Comal.

Project manager must provide official valid Texas state-issued identification card, US passport, or other official document with photo with current address.

Applicants must have fulfilled contractual requirements of previously funded projects, including final reports.

COMMUNITY GRANT: 

Organizations must be tax-exempt under the Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3), as verified by the IRS Tax Exemption Organization Search. Applicants’ names must appear on an IRS letter of determination.

Must be in good standing with the Texas Comptroller’s Office as verified by the Texas Comptroller Search.

OR an individual artist or artist team, age 18 years or older, which will be verified by applicant’s submission of official valid Texas state-issued identification card, US passport, or other official document with photo with current address. At least 51% of project must be made up of artist/artist team’s work.

Organization or individual artist/artist team must be Central Texas based in counties of Hays, Travis, Caldwell, Guadalupe, or Comal.

Project manager must provide official valid Texas state-issued identification card, US passport, or other official document with photo with current address.

Applicants must have fulfilled contractual requirements of previously funded projects, including final reports.

SPARK TOURISM GRANT: 

Organization must be in good standing with the Texas Comptroller's Office as verified by the Texas Comptroller Search.

OR an individual artist or artist team, age 18 years or older, which will be verified by applicant’s submission of official valid Texas state-issued identification card, US passport, or other official document with photo with current address. At least 51% of project must be made up of artist/artist team’s work.

Applicants’ scopes of work must have a clear public presentation component.

Organization or individual artist/artist team must be Central Texas based in counties of Hays, Travis, Caldwell, Guadalupe, or Comal.

Project manager must provide official valid Texas state-issued identification card, US passport, or other official document with photo with current address.

Applicants must have fulfilled contractual requirements of previously funded projects, including final reports.

SIGNATURE EVENT GRANT: 

Organization must be in good standing with the Texas Comptroller's Office as verified by the Texas Comptroller Search.

If a nonprofit, organizations must be tax-exempt under the Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3), as verified by the IRS Tax Exemption Organization Search. Applicants’ names must appear on an IRS letter of determination.

Applicants’ scopes of work must have a clear public presentation component.

Event manager must provide official valid state-issued identification card, US passport, or other official document with photo with current address. 

Applicants must have fulfilled contractual requirements of previously funded events, including final reports.

Schools/universities

Religious institutions and/or programs to support a religion

Government institutions and departments

Students work intended for undergraduate or graduate academic credit or as part of an academically supported project, program, or residency