Like the saying goes, “On with the show” – and Volusia County helps with that through an annual grant program that supports cultural organizations in the region. 

The county annually budgets $611,000 for the Community Cultural Grant program, which assists 32 nonprofits with general operating funding. 

The program is available to 501(c)(3) organizations operating at least two years that have a mission of providing visual art, performance art, literary art or heritage-based programming to Volusia County residents. 

“Art, culture and history are important attractions and contributors to the $5.7 billion tourism industry in Volusia County,” says Nancy Maddox, one of eight council members with the Community Cultural Grant program. “Grants have been awarded each year since 1989 and are funded from only 25 cents yearly from residents’ property taxes.” 

Examples of recent nonprofit applicants include the African American Museum of the Arts, ArtHaus, Bel Canto Singers of Daytona, Fall Festival of the Arts – DeLand and the Florida Surf Film Festival. Other applicants have included the Little Theatre of New Smyrna Beach, Ormond Memorial Art Museum, Shoestring Theatre, USA Dance Greater Daytona Chapter #6026 and many more. 

“Some of the nonprofit galleries, theaters, museums and other organizations don’t charge an admission at their venues, so these grants are vital to their operations,” Maddox says. “The nonprofit arts and culture industry is an important economic driver in communities throughout the U.S., and that certainly is the case in Volusia County.” 

Nonprofits submit their grant applications by May to Volusia County, then the eight-member council reads and reviews applications in June and July, and grant approvals take place in August. Visit volusia.org for more information about the application process and economic impact of the Community Cultural Grant program.