Arts & Cultural District

Who We Are & What We Do

Montgomery County believes its arts and cultural amenities play a valuable part in our quality of life, making the county a vibrant community in which to live, work, and play. View a roster of current board members.

The Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District (MCACD) is not a geographic entertainment area. Rather, it is a government body similar to a school district or parks district. The Arts and Cultural District supports, nurtures, and encourages the development and preservation of arts and culture throughout Montgomery County, primarily by funding arts and cultural organizations and institutions.

While the County boasts a wide variety of arts and cultural organizations, the following institutions, destinations, and organizations make up our larger institutions and organizations. Many of them are recipients of funding by the Arts and Cultural District:

Competitive Arts Grants

MCACD funds two competitive grant programs that are administered by Culture Works, the region's local arts agency, and united arts funds.

The Artist Opportunity Grant is for individual artists pursuing professional development opportunities or completing new works in order to advance their career. Artists may apply for up to $3,000.

The Special Projects Grant is for small to mid-size organizations holding programs or conducting projects during the July 1 to June 30 fiscal year. The application period for 2023-2024 will open in February 2023. Organizations may apply for up to $10,000 for project support.

MCACD separately operates two other grant programs (click links for Guidelines):

The General Operating Support (PDF) grant is offered annually to coincide with the calendar year. Applications are due in the fall, with decisions made before the end of the calendar year. General operating support is intended for larger organizations with staff who do not receive funding from MCACD's other grants. General Operating Support is awarded based on a competitive review, scoring rubric and formula.

The Community Mini Grant program (PDF) offers grants up to $1,000 for neighborhood organizations and other community groups to utilize arts and cultural programming as a way to bring people together. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, reviewed quarterly, and should be submitted at least 90 days prior to an event.

Grant Applicant and Reviewer Site Sign-In Pages

e-CImpact is Montgomery County's online grants/contracts system. Through e-CImpact, organizations submit applications and provide reports. Reviewers access submitted applications and reports and submit their scores and comments.

Grant processes utilizing this platform include General Operating Support, Special Projects, and Mini Grants. Individual artists should visit Culture Works.

Learn how to enter as an Applicant or a Reviewer.

Board Meetings

Quarterly meetings of the Arts and Cultural District Board are all held at 4 pm at the Reibold Building in downtown Dayton - 117 S Main Street, Conference room 5405. The Quarterly meeting dates are as follows:

  • February 9
  • May 11
  • August 10
  • December 7

Changes to meeting dates and times and additional, ongoing information on all Board of Trustees meetings, its committees, and sub-committees will be posted on this website.