© New Children's Museum
Creativity and the arts play an important role in enhancing the quality of life in San Diego. One of the ways the Commission for Arts and Culture cultivates a dynamic arts ecosystem and promotes greater cultural participation and engagement is through the funding of projects and organizations. These funds, awarded to nonprofits through competitive application processes, make meaningful impacts in communities and expand access to arts and culture throughout the city.
The City’s fiscal year (FY) runs from July 1 to June 30. Annually, the City annually awards funding for general operating support and project-specific support to San Diego nonprofit organizations operating in the field of arts and culture. These funds, awarded to nonprofits through two application processes Organizational Support Program (OSP) and Creative Communities San Diego (CCSD), generate meaningful impacts in communities and expand access to arts and culture in every City Council district. The source of the funding for OSP and CCSD is Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT), a tax levied on individuals who stay overnight in hotels, motels, and other lodging establishments. A portion of the City’s TOT revenue is intended to be used to: enhance the economy and strengthen the arts, cultural and creative sectors; contribute to San Diego’s national and international reputation as a creative, cultural destination; provide access to excellence in culture and the arts for residents and visitors; enrich the lives of the people of San Diego; and build healthy, vital neighborhoods.
