How do arts organizations pay the bills?

There’s a consistent problem in the world of arts funding. People who give to the arts often want a visible, flashy impact. They want the photos of a kid holding a violin for the first time, multiple generations coming together to paint something, or a named bar in a theater lobby. Those things are all important and valuable.

But what about the rest of the picture?

What about the cost of an HVAC system to keep the theater or community arts safe for visitors on especially hot or cold days? What about the overhead costs of staffing a museum? What about licensing fees, insurance premiums or even rent?

It’s not as flashy, but in many ways those expenses are the bedrock of any arts organization. That’s where unrestricted operating support comes in. Through ArtsWave, that means Sustaining Impact grants.

Sustaining Impact grants are ArtsWave’s largest and most consistent form of support, providing multi-year operating funding that helps arts and cultural organizations maintain financial stability, leading to more consistent community impact. The program anchors ArtsWave’s grantmaking and represents the majority of its annual grant distributions.

The latest cohort

Recently, the ArtsWave Board of Trustees approved Sustaining Impact grants to 46 arts organizations in the Cincinnati region, launching a new three-year funding cycle. The grants are funded by the 2026 ArtsWave Community Campaign, and mark the first Sustaining Impact Grant cycle heading into ArtsWave’s 100th anniversary in 2027.

To receive funding, applying organizations must demonstrate a primary mission dedicated to arts and cultural programming, nonprofit status of at least five or ten years (depending on budget size), a history of ArtsWave funding and sound financial health, among other requirements. A panel of 58 volunteer business, civic and arts leaders from across the region reviewed and scored applications based on a formula that weighs proof of community impact as the most important metric.

The organizations that will receive funding range from major pillars of Cincy arts and culture like Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Art Museum and Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, to small, agile groups like Pones, My Nose Turns Red Youth Circus and MUSE, Cincinnati’s Women’s Choir. The new cohort of grantees includes Q-Kidz Dance, a first-time recipient, and Wave Pool, which returns to the program after a two-year absence.

For a full list of organizations receiving the Sustaining Impact grant, visit artswave.org/sustaining.