The City of San Luis Obispo's Promotional Coordinating Committee (PCC), under direction of the City Council, recognizes that cultural, social and recreational organizations make significant contributions to the overall quality of life in the City of San Luis Obispo. To support such organizations, the City is offering a Cultural Arts & Community Promotions (CACP) grant program (formerly Cultural GIA) to award competitive grants for the marketing and advertising costs related to the promotion of eligible activities and events in San Luis Obispo.

Grant funds are to be used only for the marketing and advertising expenses related to execution of an event or activity of cultural, social, and/or recreational benefit to the residents and visitors of the City of San Luis Obispo. Events must occur between July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025.

Organizations must have nonprofit status prior to grant submittal to be eligible. Applications will be reviewed, and grants awarded in accordance with the criteria described within the program specifications and at the discretion of the PCC. This is a competitive process with $100,000 in grant funding available. 

The City is hosting a mandatory information session at the SLO County Library Community Room on Thursday, February 8 at 4:30 p.m. Only applicants that attend the information session will be considered for this grant program. 

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February 1, 2024 – Applications open for events occurring July 1, 2024- June 30, 2025.

February 8, 2024 – A mandatory CACP Grant Informational Session will be held from 4:30-5:30 p.m. at the SLO Library Community Room. Only applicants that attend the information session will be considered for this grant program.

March 18, 2024 – Application period closes at noon.

May 8, 2024 – Recipients will be announced in a Public Hearing at the PCC’s regularly scheduled meeting.

July 2024 – City Council approval.

July 1, 2024-June 30, 2025 – The event must occur during this time period.

Before applying for grant funding please review the Program Specifications. To apply, complete and submit the application by March 18 at 12:00 p.m. All applications and supporting material must be submitted electronically through the digital CACP Application Form. Incomplete and late applications will not be accepted.

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Please contact the City’s Tourism & Community Promotions Manager, Jacqui Clark-Charlesworth at jclark@slocity.org with any questions. 

The Promotional Coordinating Committee partners with the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce to provide additional, complimentary event promotion and public relations support to CACP recipients. View the many ways in which the SLO Chamber can help drive attendance and increase visibility for your event. See the outline below for more information.

OUTLINE OF SERVICES

Complete and submit electronically through the CACP Final Report FORM.

Per the requirements set out for the Cultural Arts and Community Promotions Grant Program, a final report must be turned in within 90 days of funded event. The report must include:

• an administrator’s report
• statistical survey
• financial report
• proof of City recognition
• proof of funding

Final report must be received and approved prior to submitting any additional applications. 

Full details of the Final Reporting Guidelines are laid out in the agreement attachments and can also be found here. Additional questions and or clarifications can be directed to the City's Tourism & Community Promotions Manager, Jacqui Clark-Charlesworth at jclark@slocity.org.

We encourage all events to implement sustainable as well as diverse and inclusive practices. For more information, visit our event sustainability resources and our event DEI resources.