Apply for a Grant
The application window is now open for fiscal year 2026 Statewide Community Regrants (SCR) Community Arts projects from eligible organizations, individual artists, and project managers in the Adirondack (ADK) Quad-County region—Clinton, Essex, Franklin, and Hamilton counties—as well as the Haudenosaunee tribal community of Akwesasne. The Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts (ALCA) SCR Program is generously funded by the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA).
Step 1
Review Guidelines, Eligibility and Application Requirements
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Review the 2026 SCR Application Guidelines PDF.
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Familiarize yourself with the three grant categories, eligibility requirements, deadlines, and funding caps.
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Deadlines may be extended monthly until funding for each category is fully allocated.
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For example, if Individual Artist requests exceed the approximately $70,000 available by the 1/31/26 deadline, the Individual Artist window will not be extended.
Community Arts
Initial Application Deadline:
December 31, 2025
Applicants:
Community-based organizations, groups, collectives & artists.
Projects:
Arts and cultural programs/events open to the general public that benefit community members and, in some cases, directly involve community members—e.g., concerts by community music ensembles or community-theater productions.
Additional Information:
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Project budget required with application.
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Download this blank Excel budget forms required for 2026 Community Arts project applications.
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Requested SCR funds cannot exceed 90% of the project’s total budget/total expenses for requests of $5,000 or less and cannot exceed 75% of the same for requests greater than $5,000 up to the maximum $7,500 allowed for one project or a total of up to three proposed projects in various combinations of the three grant categories.
Arts Education
Initial Application Deadline:
January 31, 2026
Applicants:
Individual teaching artists, artist collectives or non-profit organizations, governmental/quasi-governmental entities, and tribal organizations as defined in the “Eligibility Criteria and Requirements” section of ALCA’s 2026 SCR Application Guidelines.
Projects:
Skills-based, sequential arts education programs consisting of at least three sessions, offered to K–12 students in public schools (during or after school) or to youth and/or adults at community-based learning centers such as public libraries, arts centers, or community centers.
Additional Information:
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Project budget required with application.
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Download this blank Excel budget forms required for 2026 Arts Education project applications.
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Requested SCR funds cannot exceed 90% of the project’s total budget/total expenses for requests of $5,000 or less and cannot exceed 75% of the same for requests greater than $5,000 up to the maximum $7,500 allowed for one project or a total of up to three proposed projects in various combinations of the three grant categories.
Individual Artist
Initial Application Deadline:
January 31, 2026
Applicants:
Individual artists, with applications limited to one artist-applicant (projects conceivably could be undertaken by more than one artist but approving them for funding would be up to the peer-review panel)
Projects:
Creation of art in a wide range of disciplines and genres, including (but not limited to) dance, film/video/media arts, folk/traditional arts, literature, music, performance art, theater, visual arts, and interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary arts, with the secondary requirement of a public presentation/public-engagement component.
Additional Information:
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For 2026, NYSCA has increased the maximum IA funding award, which functions as a straight commission, from $3,000 in 2025 to $5,000. To help ensure that as many artists as possible receive funding, ALCA is offering two tiers: one at the $2,500, half as many grant slots at $5,000. Artists will most likely either receive the amount they apply for or not have their project funded, with the possibility of one or more partial grants being offered.
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No budget required in the application.
*For additional support, attend a grant-application seminar or schedule an individual consultation with our coordinator—required of first-time applicants and returning applicants who did apply at least once for 2021 Decentralization Grant or 2022, 2023, 2024, or 2025 SCR funding.
Funding Ranges:
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Minimum request: $1,000
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Maximum funding request: $7,500 for one, two, or three projects in, depending on the applicant, various combinations of Arts Ed, Community Arts, and/or the Individual Artist category
Eligibility:
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Applicants must be based in Clinton, Essex, Franklin, or Hamilton counties or the Haudenosaunee tribal community of Akwesasne OR, for Arts Ed and/or Community Arts applications, must apply through a fiscal sponsor based in the county or tribal community where the proposed project is to occur.
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All applicants and/or project managers for organization applicants must be at least 18 years of age
at the time of application.
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Teaching artists can apply directly for SCR funding for Arts Ed projects taking place in the same county where they live.
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Individual artists, artist collectives, and organizations that are not 501c3 nonprofits, governmental/quasi-governmental entities, or tribal organizations can now apply in the Community Arts category through a community partner, rather than a fiscal sponsor, for projects taking place in the same county where the applicant is based.
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Organization and individuals who apply for direct-NYSCA funding cannot apply for any SCR funding nor serve as a fiscal sponsor or community partner for any SCR applications in the same fiscal-year grant cycle.
Application Requirements:
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All applicants must submit their completed application via the Submittable platform.
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All applicants must attend either a grant application seminar or participate in an individual consultation with ALCA’s SCR coordinator, Fred Balzac, unless they previously applied for funding through this program in which case they should contact Fred by email to confirm they will be exempt from this training.
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Organizational applicants for Arts Education and Community Arts grants, including fiscal sponsors, must submit an Intent-to-Apply (ItA) form. Returning applicants must review their previously submitted ItA form and, if any updates are needed, email the SCR coordinator to open the form in Submittable for editing.
Step 2
Attend a Grant-Application Seminar or Consultation
First-Time Applicants
and applicants who have not applied since 2020
Attendance in a grant-application seminar or a consultation with SCR Coordinator Fred Balzac is required.
Sessions cover:
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Guidelines and application form walkthrough
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Project-specific feedback
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Technical assistance
Returning Applicants
who have applied to ALCA’s SCR Program at least once in the past five years beginning with the 2021 Decentralization Grant cycle
Contact SCR Coordinator Fred Balzac to confirm that attendance at a seminar or participation in an individual consultation will not be required.
(518) 588-7275 *include your full name if texting.
Step 3
Create a Free Submittable Account
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Visit the ALCA Submittable portal.
2. Create an account using your email address.
Step 4
Prepare & Submit Your Application
Draft Your Application
Use the Word version of the application form (available by request from Fred Balzac) to draft offline.
Plan to submit your application well before the deadline.
Required attachments:
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Prepare all documents specified in the guidelines.
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Ensure all fields marked with red asterisks are completed
Submit Your Application
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Log into the Submittable platform (see the "Submittable Portal" link above)
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Complete the application form and upload all required attachments.
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Double-check that all fields are filled out correctly.
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Save your work as you go. The application forms can be completed in more than one session.
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If possible, have a relative, friend, or colleague proofread your application before you submit it.
Confirm Submission
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After submitting, you will receive a confirmation email from Submittable.
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If you do not receive confirmation, contact Submittable support or email Fred Balzac at fred@adirondackarts.org
Need Help?
Contact Fred Balzac for support
(518) 588-7275 *include your full name if texting.