2026 PLACEMAKING GRANT GUIDELINES

ABOUT GWINNETT CREATIVITY FUND (GCF) 

The Gwinnett Creativity Fund seeks to elevate Gwinnett County’s profile as a cultural, inclusive destination where the arts educate, elevate, and inspire. Key GCF tenets include: developing programmatic opportunities, reaching underserved audiences, and enhancing Gwinnett County’s economic and cultural destination status. 

ABOUT PLACEMAKING GRANTS

The Gwinnett Creativity Fund’s 2025 Placemaking Grant is dedicated solely to supporting Gwinnett County’s placemaking projects, with a focus on small-to-midsize projects. The GCF Placemaking Grant requires a 25% cash match for all project applicants.

WHAT IS PLACEMAKING?

• The art of creatively activating public spaces in dynamic, engaging and inviting ways while ensuring wide accessibility.
• Enhancing public spaces, encouraging vibrancy and activity, while serving the needs of the community functionally, aesthetically and socially. 
• Encompassing multiple disciplines: art, culture and design, history and storytelling and enhancing community connections. 

EXAMPLES OF PLACEMAKING

WHO CAN APPLY?

Applications will be accepted from the following (including but not limited to): arts/cultural organizations, public art commissions, civic/community organizations, Community Improvement Districts (CID) and qualified city/county divisions. For profit organizations are not eligible. 

INELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS

• Organizations that have discriminatory policies and/or practices on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, economic status, disability, sex/gender, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information or political beliefs
• Individuals
• Entities in existence for less than one year that cannot provide at least one year of financial documentation 

APPLICATION ATTACHMENTS 

Submit applications and attachments online: exploregwinnett.smapply.io

• IRS Form W-9
• Logo
• FY25 & FY 26 Organization Budgets 
• Placemaking Project Budget (be sure to denote 25% applicant cash match)
• Artistic or Architectural Site Rendering and/or Site Images
• Call for Artists (if utilized, draft acceptable)
• Site Agreement or MOU (Memorandum of Understanding)
• Maintenance Plan

ACCESSIBILITY

All GCF funded projects must happen at ADA compliant facilities or locations. 

HOW ARE ORGANIZATIONS EVALUATED AND PRIORITIZED? 

Completed applications are reviewed and scored by an impartial panel. The panel will award funding based on a weighted matrix. Due to budget limitations, not all grant requests are fulfilled. 

ZOOM Interview: After applications are submitted, applicants will be scheduled for a ZOOM interview to answer any final questions the review committee may have. 

Priority for placemaking grants will be:

• First-time applicants
• Organizations proactively seeking multiple funding sources for their projects
• Projects located in underserved cultural districts/locations

INELIGIBLE USES OF GRANT FUNDS 

HOW ARE FUNDS DISTRIBUTED

Grant Distribution requirements:

• Signed Grant Agreement & Big Check Photo
• Final Report 

50% of the grant award will be paid upon receipt of the signed agreement and the final 50% is distributed once the final report is submitted, reviewed and approved. All reports and attachments are required to be submitted via the online portal. Any organization who does not submit a final report by the deadline may be ineligible to apply for future Gwinnett Creativity Grants and will be required to return the previously allocated funds. Recipients must request prior approval via the grant administrator for any changes in how funds will be utilized. 

FINAL REPORT REQUIREMENTS 

In order to receive the final 50% of the grant award, applicants must submit Final Report and attachments online: exploregwinnett.smapply.io

• Final Report Form (budget section of this form must be completed)
• Updated/ Actual Project Budget (side-by-side comparison to proposed budget)
• Sponsor/partners credit examples
• Itemized receipts and invoices from all grant funds spent (with cover page)
• Artist Contract
• Photos from the completed project

RECOGNITION REQUIREMENTS 

Grant recipients must credit Gwinnett Creativity Fund with logo inclusion on-site, if available, or via organizational website.

HOW DO I LEARN MORE ABOUT GWINNETT CREATIVITY FUND?

See gwinnettcreativityfund.com  for FAQ page, grant announcements, updates and a printable version of the 2026 Placemaking Grant guidelines. Email gcf@exploregwinnett.org for any other questions or to book an orientation session.