Established through a combination of City and State legislation, Grants for the Arts (GFTA) has evolved into a national model of arts funding with annual revenue derived from the hotel tax portion of the City’s General Fund. This economic investment in diverse arts and cultural organizations enhances our City’s attractiveness to visitors, and provides employment and enrichment to residents.

GFTA’s mission is to promote the City by supporting the arts. This is accomplished by supporting arts organizations’ general operating expenses; there is no limit to the number of years a group can continue to receive funds. GFTA strives to be a stable, dependable resource for organizations who successfully meet its funding criteria, and is committed to supporting the full spectrum of arts organizations in San Francisco, including, for example, the nation’s first international film festival; the oldest continuously performing ballet company in the country; an internationally acclaimed symphony; nationally recognized gay and lesbian theatre; the leading presenters of contemporary performance in the Bay Area; and an array of festivals celebrating the heritages of the City’s myriad cultures.

Now, and in the future, Grants for the Arts seeks to contribute meaningfully to the presentation and enhancement of existing art forms, while cultivating artistic experimentation and the expansion of San Francisco’s dynamic cultural panorama.