CANVAS Amplify Grants: FAQs
How much can I apply for?
Please refer to the following guidelines for request amounts:
- For organizations with budgets up to $500,000, you may request up to $25,000.
- For organizations with budgets up to $1 million, you may request up to $50,000.
- For organizations with budgets above $1 million, you may request up to $75,000.
- The CANVAS Amplify Grant cannot exceed 50% of the total cost of the project. (For example, for a project requesting $50,000 of CANVAS support, the total project budget must be at least $100,000.)
- The amount of funding requested from CANVAS must not exceed 20% of the organization’s total operating budget.
While the Review Committee will take funding requests into careful consideration, CANVAS may make awards to organizations at a lesser amount than requested. Please share what a realistic budget looks like for your project, alongside other types of funding and support that your organization is seeking for the project. Please consider the project’s feasibility if awarded a lesser amount from CANVAS than requested.
How long is the funding period and when does funding get disbursed if awarded?
The period of performance for the grant may be for up to 18 months from the date of the awarded agreement.
CANVAS Amplify Grant support for projects will begin January 1, 2027; award funds will be disbursed by that date.
I would like to apply for funding for a project that doesn’t exist yet, but I would like to make happen! Do I qualify?
Grant funds are available for all phases of proposal activities, including:
- Support for sustained, ongoing programs and initiatives.
- Scaling and expanding existing initiatives to accelerate growth.
- Prototyping/piloting of new initiatives. Note: this type of activity will be most competitive within the Review Criteria if there are clearly established partnerships to reach audiences.
Do applicants need to identify as Jewish (or support artists who identify as Jewish) to apply or to receive CANVAS funding?
While CANVAS is dedicated to elevating the Jewish Arts and Culture ecosystem, applicants do not need to identify as Jewish, or support artists who identify as Jewish, to apply or receive funds.
CANVAS supports qualifying organizations whose creative work and/or proposed project explores Jewish identity, themes, rituals, traditions, history, culture, or experience.
Does the proposed project need to be advertised, marketed, or explicitly identified as Jewish when produced in order to qualify for the CANVAS Amplify Grant?
No. A proposal for the CANVAS Amplify Grant, however, should clearly outline how the project and/or artists involved explore Jewish themes in their work, should clearly detail the project’s audience, and should specify how the project will be marketed and reach those audiences.
If the project presents Jewish artists who aren’t necessarily exploring Jewish themes in the proposed work to be presented, do we qualify?
The CANVAS Amplify Grant is designed to encourage telling Jewish stories of all kinds. All proposals will be evaluated based on the Review Criteria, which includes opportunities to celebrate the diversity, complexity, and intersectionality of Jewish identity, themes, rituals, traditions, history, culture, or experience in the work presented.
I’d like to learn more about previous Amplify awardees and their projects. Where should I look?
If I am partnering with another organization on my proposed project, who should apply?
One eligible 501c3 or non-profit U.S., Mexican, or Canadian qualifying donee organization–the organization who is presenting or distributing the proposed work–should serve as the lead applicant to submit a Statement of Inquiry to CANVAS.
The lead applicant should be prepared with the resources to submit all requested materials. They should also be able to demonstrate that the amount of funding requested from CANVAS does not exceed 20% of the organization’s total operating budget.
Proposals that advance to the second round of review will be asked to submit letters of intent from partners between end of June – end of July.
Do any organizational partners for my proposed project need to be committed by the time I submit my proposal?
A project with committed organizational partners is likely to be more competitive within the Review Criteria than one with prospective partners.
We understand that certain project timelines may make it difficult for a project to have committed partners by the deadline for Amplify; projects with prospective partners that can highlight the likelihood of the partnership will also be competitive (for example: explain if you have existing relationships with the prospective partner; if and how you collaborated with them in the past; what the nature of the partnership might look like, etc.)
Proposals that advance to the second round of review will be asked to submit letters of intent from partners between end of June – end of July.
Changes to organizational partners during the application review process, or after receiving an award, are expected to be similarly aligned on mission/goals/reach to the originally proposed partners.
If I have already received funding from CANVAS, am I eligible to submit to the CANVAS Amplify Grant?
The Amplify Grant will allocate a percentage of total grantmaking to current CANVAS Grantee Partners. Current grantees should submit no more than one proposal TOTAL to Amplify, for a project that does not overlap with their existing CANVAS grant.
Can I submit more than one application to Amplify?
No. Your organization may be involved with other applications as a partner, but should only submit one proposal by your organization as the lead applicant.
If I have already received an Amplify grant from CANVAS in the past, am I eligible to reapply to continue funding my project?
No, Amplify grants are non-renewable. However, you may apply for funding for a different project.
Who will be reviewing the grant applications?
CANVAS assembles an external panel, composed of peer arts leaders, field experts, and funding partners to review proposals. Panels use the grant criteria to evaluate all factors of an application in determining finalists. Finalists will be invited to an interview and to submit additional materials as part of the evaluation process.
Does CANVAS have restrictions on cultural expression, or on what it will or will not fund?
In addition to the Eligibility Criteria outlined above, all prospective applicants should review the Core Values of the Collaborative Fund to be aware of CANVAS’s principles and guidelines.
Are there any restrictions on the formats, genres, or art disciplines that CANVAS supports?
We are interested in a wide range of genres and forms for the presentation and distribution of contemporary Jewish art and creativity. This may include disciplines such as visual art, performance, dance, performing arts, music and literary arts, storytelling, film, poetry, culinary arts, comedy, social practice, material culture, public art, comics, graphic novels, mass media, and more. We encourage creative, expansive ideas that bring contemporary Jewish artistry to new audiences and to unlikely places.
How many Amplify Grants will CANVAS award this round?
While there is no specific limit on the number of awards to be made, CANVAS expects to award between 10-20 Amplify Grants in this round of funding.
How does CANVAS define presentation or distribution to “broad and diverse audiences”?
Organizations should demonstrate a track record of public programming that engages audiences from diverse backgrounds: ethnic, economic, religious, etc. Applicants should also be able to demonstrate reach, influence, or meaningful engagement between Jewish and non-Jewish communities on regional, national, or North American levels.
Will CANVAS staff review draft materials in the submission process?
CANVAS will hold an informational session to help answer any proposal-related questions, but will not be able to review draft materials before submission.
If I have any questions before submitting, who do I reach out to?
Due to an anticipated high volume of proposals, we ask that you please fully review the CANVAS website for information about Amplify before reaching out with questions. If at that time you have specific questions, please contact grants@bycanvas.org. We will not be able to offer meetings to discuss proposals. Thank you in advance for your patience with our response.
It all sounds great. How do I apply?
To apply for a CANVAS Amplify Grant, click here! Submissions are due on April 20, 2026 at 11:59pm ET.
