Apply for Baltimore County FY2026 Operating Grants

Applicants may apply for up to 15 percent of their operating expense budget for FY26. 

About the Application Process

To ensure your grant application is received, acknowledged and processed, follow the steps below.

For more information, view the webinar that was held on Wednesday, October 23. If you have additional questions about the application process, please email artsgrants@baltimorecountymd.gov.

You must format application attachments according to the instructions:

  1. Required attachments must be submitted in PDF format. Printed formats will not be accepted.
  2. Organize each attachment by similar content.
  3. All documents must be signed electronically. A typed signature constitutes a legal electronic signature. 
  4. You may use abbreviations in the name of attachments. Be certain all documents clearly include your organization’s name and contents as follows:
  5. FY26, Name of your Organization or common abbreviations for your name, plus a word that indicates file contents, such as Application, Board/IRS, Financial or In Kind. Documents not using this format will be returned for proper formatting. Examples of acceptable formats include:
    1. FY26 Op Grant Application Balt County Choir
    2. FY26 Board/IRS Balt Univ Gallery

Review your entire application and attachments carefully prior to submission. Applications with missing parts may not be accepted. 

Grant applications and supporting documents must be submitted electronically using the online form. The application must be received by 4 p.m. on Monday, December 16. Applications received after this deadline will be processed for funding. 

We receive many grant applications. Your submitted grant applications will be acknowledged as having been received via email. Emails with attachments are flagged by our Office of Technology. If you do not receive a confirmation email acknowledging our receipt of your application, email a separate request (without attachments) to artsgrants@baltimorecountymd.gov.

The application will be reviewed based on the following criteria: 

  • Merit (Quality and consistency of the professional work)—30 percent
  • Service to Baltimore County residents—25 percent 
  • Service to the broader community (education, advocacy)—15 percent 
  • Outreach to multicultural and underserved populations—15 percent
  • Soundness of business practice for an award—15 percent

Documents Checklist

The following list consists of the required attachments, with the exception of the optional brochures.

  1. Baltimore County Application for Financial Assistance Form

    Download and complete the Baltimore County Application for Financial Assistance form. Be sure that all your responses are consistent with the grant application. Submit with “Financial Assist” in the document name.

  2. FY24 Financial Statement

    One PDF file of a financial statement from the most recently completed fiscal year. See details in Section E.3 of the application to be sure you are submitting the correct financial information, based on your requested grant amount. Submit with "FY24 Final Report" in the document name. 

  3. Organizational Documents

    The following should be uploaded as individual PDFs:

    1. A Board of Directors/Advisory Board list (See question 10 in the Application for Baltimore County Financial Assistance form, above). Submit as "FY25  [Name of Organization] Board."
    2. An IRS 501(c)(3) tax exempt status letter. Submit as "FY25 [Name of Organization] IRS."
  4. In-Kind Donations Over $1000 (If Applicable)

    One PDF file with an itemized list of In-Kind Revenue donations over $1,000 (if applicable). Submit with “In-Kind Donations" in the document name. 

  5. Brochures (Optional)

    One PDF file of no more than three brochures or supporting materials, if desired. Submit with "Brochures" in the document name. 

Complete the Application

Apply for Baltimore County FY2026 Operating Grants