We’ll be at San Pedro Square
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The leprechaun hunt is back! Now through the
2025 Arts Marketing Grant
The San Jose Downtown Association is excited to announce $80,000 in arts marketing grants, thanks to the City of San Jose, Department of Transportation and the Knight Foundation. These grants will enable arts organizations and event producers to increase their marketing budgets, bringing more people into downtown, ultimately increasing usage of the City-owned ParkSJ lots and garages.
The Knight Foundation has matched the City’s funds, allowing for a total of sixteen (16) $5,000 grants to be awarded in 2025. Eight (8) grants will be awarded to smaller (with attendance between 500 and 2500) and eight (8) grants will be awarded to larger (with attendance 2500+) arts-focused programs, activations, events, or series.
This year, the application process for the arts marketing grants has changed. Applicants will respond to qualifying questions, and eligible applications will be entered into a randomized (computer-generated) lottery system. Applications are due Friday, April 18, 2025 at 5 p.m. No late submissions or amendments will be accepted. These one-time grants will be awarded in early May 2025.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible organizations must be located in San Jose. Grant funds must be used to support an arts-focused program, activation, event, or series taking place in Downtown San Jose within the BID boundaries of the San Jose Downtown Association.
The boundaries are defined as Fourth Street on the east, Interstate 280 on the south, Highway 87 on the west and Julian Street on the north, plus San Jose MarketCenter on Coleman Avenue, Little Italy and SAP Center.
Events and programming outside of the BID boundaries are not eligible for this grant, even if the organization itself is within the BID boundaries.
The eligible arts-focused program, activation, event, series must be planned (with the date scheduled and venue identified) by April 18, 2025 and completed by December 31, 2025. Applications are limited to one submission per organization and must include at least one of these arts disciplines:
- Musical performance (vocal, instrumental, band)
- Dance
- Theater (plays, dramatic readings, musicals)
- Visual arts (galleries, museum exhibits, temporary installations, public art)
- Cultural arts
Additionally, qualifying applicants must:
- Have a dedicated marketing staff or volunteer team to execute the marketing and outreach plan
- Agree to promote parking in advertising, marketing and/or communications
*The San Jose Downtown Association retains the right to disqualify applicants if they are not an appropriate fit for the grants program, even if they meet the initial eligibility criteria.
Grant Application Timeline
Grant Application Released
Friday, March 28, 2025
Grant Application Due
Friday, April 18, 2025 by 5 p.m.
Grant Applications Reviewed
April 21 – May 2, 2025
Grants Awarded
Monday, May 5, 2025
Grant Recipient Requirements
The City of San Jose’s Department of Transportation is helping to fund these grants to promote the convenience and availability of downtown parking to arts and event enthusiasts who visit downtown and raising awareness for the parking website, ParkSJ.org. Notably, the website provides maps, information about the 90 minute free parking program and real-time availability in ParkSJ garages. This initiative is part of the City’s broader effort to enhance the downtown parking experience.
If selected to receive a grant, all grantees will be required to fill out a separate grant agreement to provide further information on how funds will be spent, specific attendance numbers and marketing budget information.
After signing the grant agreement, grantees will be provided with a marketing toolkit for promoting downtown parking programs and the ParkSJ lots and garages, and will be required to:
- Place or include the ParkSJ logo, approved language and website link into marketing materials and organization website. Examples of marketing materials with ParkSJ logo must be provided to SJDA at least 30 days prior to the event date.
- Provide photos from the event or program that can be used in SJDA and City marketing.
- Submit W-9 and IRS determination letter (for nonprofit entities only).
- Report event or program attendance and/or marketing campaign reach.
Questions about the grant?
Contact Julie Carlson, Marketing Director, jcarlson@sjdowntown.com, to learn more about this grant opportunity.
Thank you to our partners
