The Groundwork Grant program is open to eligible nonprofit dance organizations and fiscally sponsored projects based in the Greater Houston area with budgets under $1,000,000. Through the funding program, DSH distributed general operating support awards of $5,000 to 18 grantees, totaling $90,000, to support the January 1, 2024 – December 31, 2024 grant term. Awards provide general operational support to grantees for the 2024 calendar year grant term. The Groundwork Grant program is not a project grant.
Dance Source Houston accepted applications from October 12, 2023, through November 20, 2023 for the 2024 Groundwork Grant cycle.
Through support from Houston Endowment, Dance Source Houston will facilitate the fifth round of the Groundwork Grant program to support the 2024 calendar year grant term. The program was launched in 2019 to address the need for increased funding opportunities for local dance makers. Nonprofit dance companies and fiscally sponsored projects located in the Greater Houston region dedicated to the creation and presentation of any dance genres are encouraged to apply. The priorities for the funding are in alignment with Dance Source Houston’s mission to empower the diverse individuals and organizations working in the field of dance throughout the Greater Houston region by means of advocacy, inclusive community engagement, and support services.
2024 Grantees
Art Uniti
Ashley Horn
Bay Area Houston Ballet & Theatre
Bayou City Ballet Youth Company
Frame Dance Productions
Group Acorde
Houston Contemporary Dance Company
Houston Metropolitan Dance Center, Inc.
Indian Performing Arts Samskriti
ISHIDA Dance
Mezclada Dance Company
Nia’s Daughters Movement Collective
NobleMotion Dance
Open Dance Project
Rivkah French Choreography
Silambam Houston
The Pilot Dance Project
Wild She Dances
Learn more about the 2024 Groundwork Grant cohort here.
Goals
- Facilitate a process that is transparent and minimizes labor on applicants and grantees;
- Provide an additional funding source to local dance organizations that currently have limited access;
- Offer flexibility through operational support that allows grantees to direct funds where they are needed most; and
- Infuse Houston’s dance sector with additional funds.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants are eligible to apply if they:
- Are a dance organization or fiscally sponsored project focused on the performance and/or presentation of dance;
- Are based in the Greater Houston region, defined by Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery and Waller counties;
- Have a documented history of creating and presenting dance in the Greater Houston region;
- Have a documented history of paying fees to local dance artists for performance-based work; and
- Can provide proof of current 501(c)(3) status or fiscal sponsorship status, as verified by the IRS Tax Exemption Organization Search.
Applicants are not eligible to apply if they:
- Are an individual artist or artist collective without a fiscal sponsor;
- Are an organization that is not focused on the creation or presentation of dance;
- Do not have a documented history of paying fees to local dance artists for performance-based work;
- Are a preprofessional company working exclusively with student dancers under the age of 18; or
- Are an educational institution.
Funding Priorities
Grant panelists will select awardees based on:
- A clear artistic vision and exhibition of artistic excellence, as defined by Animating Democracy’s Aesthetic Perspectives: Attributes of Excellence in Arts for Change;
- A clear explanation of how the funds would impact the organization;
- A demonstration of payment to artists as a central value;
- Organizational and financial health, regardless of budget size,
- A range of organizational models, budget sizes, dance genres and perspectives; and
- Representation of and service to audiences reflective of the Greater Houston region.
Selection Process
Applications will be reviewed by DSH staff for eligibility before they are paneled by a group of members of the local dance community. Panelists are selected through an open call and curated to guarantee the group represents a broad range of artistic and cultural perspectives. To apply to serve as a panelist click here. If you have applied to be a panelist in previous years and are interested in serving this year please complete the form again.
Applicant Assistance
Questions?
Read our Frequently Asked Questions. Additional questions should be directed by email to [email protected]. Do not direct questions to individual staff members’ email addresses. Please put “Groundwork Grant Question” in the subject line to ensure your email is prioritized. As appropriate, responses to questions received will be added to the FAQ page.
Limited one-on-one Office Hour sessions were made available to connect with a member of the Dance Source Houston team.
2024 Timeline
Call for applications open – Wednesday, October 12, 2023
Deadline for submission – Monday, November 20, 2023 at 11:59pm CT
Panel review – December 2023
Grantee notification & orientation – January 2024
Applications for the 2025 funding cycle will open in October 2024.
The Groundwork Grant program is a response to the findings and culminating report of Dance Source Houston’s needs assessment study of the Houston dance sector, titled The State of Houston Dance and published in 2019. Data revealed that, of the responding dance organizations, over half had operating budgets under $100,000 and all reported a small number of sources for support. The Houston dance landscape is rife with activity but lacks sufficient funding to allow individuals and organizations within the community to thrive. Through the distribution of funds to small and mid-sized organizations, DSH aims to foster increased stability for the city’s dance field and advance the sector as a whole.