FY 2026-27 Grant Period

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 to award competitive grants for 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, 2026 – June 30, 2027.

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. 

Mandatory Information Sessions

To be eligible for funding, organizations must have attended either the in-person or virtual information session or watch a recording of the webinar linked here as well as below. 

FY 2026-27 Program Timeline

February 3, 2026 – Application form opens for events occurring July 1, 2026- June 30, 2027.

February 18, 2026 – An in-person CACP Grant Informational Session will be held from 4 – 4:45 p.m. in the Finance & IT (FIT) Conference Room on the lower level of City Hall, 990 Palm Street. To be eligible for funding, organizations must attend one of the two informational sessions or watch a recording of the webinar (which will be posted to this page following the virtual session on February 20).

February 20, 2026 – A virtual CACP Grant Informational Session will be held at 10 a.m. Register here: Zoom: Register online. To be eligible for funding, organizations must attend one of the two informational sessions or watch a recording of the webinar (which will be posted to this page following the virtual session on February 20).

March 17, 2026 – Application period closes at 11:59 p.m.

May 12, 2026 – Recipients recommended for approval will be considered in a Public Hearing at the PCC’s regularly scheduled meeting. Find the agenda posting here. 

July 21, 2026 – City Council vote for approval.

July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027 – Funded events 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 17, 2026, at 11:59 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.

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

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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

For grant recipients in the FY 2025-26 cycle, grant recipients may complete and submit electronically through the CACP Final Report FORM. An updated version of the form will be available on July 1, 2026, for recipients of the FY 2026-27 grant program. 

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 and 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. 

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