Organizational Support Program (OSP)
Funding FY28 Guidelines

The City of San Diego Division of Cultural Affairs (Cultural Affairs) advances an equitable and inclusive creative economy and cultural ecosystem by investing in artists, creatives, organizations, and the systems that support creative work; expanding participation and access; and advancing San Diego as a global creative destination.

San Diego’s creative ecosystem is made stronger by organizations with different histories, structures, artistic practices, cultural traditions, communities, resources, and ambitions.

Beginning with the FY28 funding cycle, Cultural Affairs is modernizing the City’s arts and culture funding programs to create a clearer, more predictable, responsive, and transparent system. OSP and CCSD will continue, with each program organized into three funding pathways.

These updates put the Creative City cultural plan into practice through one of the City’s primary recurring investments in arts and culture.

We do not expect every organization to look alike, grow in the same way, serve the same communities, or define success through the same measures. Applicants are evaluated in the context of their work, while Cultural Affairs works to make public funding easier to understand and responsibly steward public resources.

The new structure better aligns funding, applicant support, application requirements, evaluation, and accountability with the work being supported.

Applicants should tell us clearly about their work, communities, organizational context, strengths, challenges, and what City investment makes possible.

Peer panelists evaluate applications using the published criteria and the context applicants provide.

OSP is supported by Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT), governed by Council Policy 100-03. The policy allows TOT funding to strengthen the creative sector and economy; contribute to San Diego’s reputation as a cultural destination; expand access to arts and culture for residents and visitors; enrich the lives of San Diegans; and help build healthy, vital neighborhoods.

Apply Here: https://sandiegoarts.fluxx.io/

About the Organizational Support Program  

The Organizational Support Program (OSP) provides general operating support for eligible nonprofit arts and cultural organizations based in the City of San Diego.

Get to Know the OSP Pathways

Beginning in FY28, OSP is organized into three pathways that recognize differences in organizational stage, needs, and role.

OSP asks: What organizational context and role best describes your organization right now? 

These pathways are not a ranking of artistic quality, community importance, organizational worth, or public benefit. Size provides context; it does not determine value.

Different organizations contribute differently to San Diego’s cultural life. OSP pathways recognize those differences and are designed around organizational stage, needs, and role, not budget size alone.

Find Your OSP Pathway

Category placement

Applicants select the pathway they believe fits best. Cultural Affairs confirms pathway placement before panel review.

Cultural Affairs may move an application between Strengthening Emerging & Growing Organizations and Organizational Growth & Sustainability when another pathway is clearly a better fit and the application can be reviewed fairly without substantive rewriting. A category adjustment will not, by itself, negatively affect eligibility or score.

An organization will not be moved into Global Creative City Partners without its affirmative consent because that pathway carries enhanced public-benefit, reporting, transparency, and partnership requirements.

Eligibility Guidelines

Your organization is eligible to apply for OSP funding if:  

• ELIGIBLE NONPROFIT STATUS: The organization holds eligible federal tax-exempt status under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(6) at the time of application, verified through the required IRS documentation; AND
• LEGAL ENTITY AND CALIFORNIA REGISTRATION: The organization can demonstrate legal existence and active California registration, where applicable; AND
• ORGANIZATION PURPOSE: The organization demonstrates a substantial and ongoing presence in the City and sustained engagement in the development, production, presentation, preservation, service, support, or advancement of arts, culture, and creative activity; AND
• PUBLIC BENEFIT: The organization provides meaningful public benefit through accessible arts, cultural, or creative activity. Public benefit may be targeted to specific audiences and may include paid or ticketed activity when participation is not unlawfully discriminatory; AND
• SERVICE AREA: The organization’s primary administrative or operating address is in the City of San Diego and can be verified through an approved proof-of-address document; AND  
  • Applicants identify a primary administrative or operating address and submit current documentation that reasonably establishes the organization’s City of San Diego base.  
  • Cultural Affairs will publish acceptable forms of documentation and an alternative verification process for organizations whose operating model does not fit a traditional leased-office structure.
  • Organizations with multiple sites may qualify. General operating funding supports the eligible organization’s sustained work consistent with the funding agreement and applicable City requirements.
• PUBLIC PURPOSE ALIGNMENT: The organization’s work aligns with one or more purposes of TOT funding under Council Policy 100-03:
  • To enhance the economy and strengthen arts, cultural, and creative sectors;  
  • To contribute to San Diego’s national and international reputation as a creative, cultural destination;  
  • To provide access to excellence in culture and the arts for residents and visitors;  
  • To enrich the lives of the people of San Diego; and  
  • To build healthy, vital neighborhoods.  

Your organization is NOT eligible for OSP funding if:

• Elementary or secondary schools, school districts, colleges, or universities, unless a future Council Policy or funding category expressly provides otherwise.
• Other government entities, except where expressly eligible under applicable policy.
• Organizations whose primary function is re-granting funds to other entities or individuals.
• Organizations whose sustained work is not substantially centered on arts, culture, creativity, cultural heritage, cultural practice, or support for the creative sector.
• Applicants that do not meet the City-based requirement for general operating support.
• Applicants with unresolved legal, financial, registration, debarment, or City-debt conditions that make them ineligible.
• Applicants or activities that discriminate in a manner prohibited by applicable law, Council Policy, or the funding agreement.
• PROJECT SUPPORT: The organization is seeking funding primarily for a specific project rather than ongoing operations. Review Creative Communities San Diego (CCSD).

Public Benefit

City arts and culture funding is a public investment. Funded organizations are expected to create meaningful benefit for San Diego residents, communities, artists, cultural workers, and/or visitors.

Public benefit can look different depending on an organization’s work, community, resources, and pathway. It does not require every organization to offer the same activity or make all programming free.

Public benefit is the public’s ability to meaningfully access, experience, and engage with the cultural resources your organization provides. It may take different forms depending on your work and community.

Examples of Public Benefit include:

• free or reduced-cost opportunities to experience arts and culture;
• strategies that reduce financial, geographic, physical, communication, language, or other barriers to participation;
• recurring community-based arts and cultural programming;
• culturally specific programming, cultural preservation, or stewardship of cultural practices;
• accessible or inclusive participation for people with disabilities;
• opportunities for children, youth, families, older adults, or other communities;
• employment, commissioning, or professional opportunities for artists and cultural workers;
• educational or learning experiences;
• neighborhood cultural activity or creative gathering space;
• partnerships that extend cultural access or impact;
• services and capacity-building that strengthen artists or arts organizations;
• cultural tourism and meaningful visitor engagement;
• opportunities that connect San Diego artists and cultural work with broader audiences or markets;
• another credible form of public benefit appropriate to the organization’s work.

Application Process

FY28 uses one complete OSP application. There is no separate Part 1 or Part 2.

The application collects eligibility and compliance information, financial context, scored responses, work samples, and impact data in one place.

Application Details

Administrative verification is separate from panel evaluation.

• FY28 uses one complete OSP application.  
• Applications are accepted via the online platform Fluxx. Only applications submitted via the Fluxx platform will be accepted.
• Cultural Affairs reviews eligibility, required administrative documents, financial completeness, and category placement.
• Applicants with eligible correctable issues receive cure instructions and a deadline.
• Category placement is confirmed before panel review. Global Partner consideration requires applicant consent.
• Eligible applications are assigned to trained peer panels.
• Panelists independently review and score applications using the published 100-point criteria and submit comments explaining their scores.
• Panel deliberation and final scoring follow the published panel process.
• Cultural Affairs reviews the process for consistency, fairness, conflicts, and compliance.
• Final panel scores feed the published award-calculation model.
• Recommendations move through applicable Commission, Mayor, City Council, and/or budget authorization processes.
• Applicants are notified and selected recipients proceed to agreement execution.

After You Apply

Cure Period

The cure period allows an otherwise eligible applicant to correct certain missing, outdated, illegible, or inaccurate administrative or eligibility information.

Potentially curable issues may include:

• missing or outdated registration documentation;
• an illegible administrative upload;
• incorrect W-9 or administrative information;
• information needed to verify nonprofit, geographic, or other eligibility;
• another correctable administrative issue identified by Cultural Affairs.

The cure period does not allow applicants to:

• rewrite scored narrative responses;
• replace work samples solely to improve competitiveness;
• materially change the organization or work presented for review;
• add substantive competitive information that other applicants were required to provide by the deadline.

Cultural Affairs will identify what must be corrected and the deadline.

Appeals

Applicants who are not recommended for a funding award may submit a written appeal to the staff by 5:00 p.m. on the tenth calendar day following their notification. Staff will review these appeals and present them to the Commission for Arts and Culture (Commission) advisory board for recommendation to the City.

The City makes final funding decisions. Panel scores and comments will be made available to applicants in a consistent format after decisions are final, subject to applicable requirements.

Evaluation and Allocation  

FY28 OSP awards are calculated using:

• the organization’s 100-point panel score;
• an organizational scale/budget factor derived from the financial information identified in these guidelines;
• the total amount of OSP funding available for distribution; and
• applicable pathway-specific award parameters, including any approved minimums, maximums, ranges, or controls.

A larger operating budget does not produce a higher application score. The budget factor affects allocation only; it is not a measure of merit or public value.

Awards, Agreements + 100% Upfront Payment

Award recommendations are not final until required City authorization and budget processes are complete.

Selected organizations must execute a funding agreement before funds are released.

After the agreement is fully executed and required payment documents are complete, Cultural Affairs will issue one advance payment equal to 100% of the annual award.

Recipients remain responsible for eligible use of funds, reporting, reconciliation, records, audit requirements, repayment obligations, and all other agreement terms.

Material Change Notification

Recipients must notify Cultural Affairs within 15 calendar days of a significant change that may materially affect eligibility, funded activities, financial condition, legal status, or agreement compliance, unless the final agreement establishes a different timeframe.

Multi-Year Agreements

Where applicable, OSP agreements may provide up to three years of continuity through annual renewal options.

Agreement structure:

• initial term: FY28, July 1, 2027–June 30, 2028;
• first possible one-year renewal: FY29;
• second possible one-year renewal: FY30;
• total potential period: three years.

Renewal

Renewal is at the City’s discretion and depends on available and appropriated funding, continued eligibility, timely and accurate reporting, satisfactory compliance, and any additional renewal requirements.

The City may renew at the same or a lower amount, subject to the final agreement and annual appropriation. Renewal is not guaranteed.

When a renewal option is exercised, the recipient generally will not submit a new competitive application unless additional review is required.

Renewal may consider:

• continued eligibility;
• annual City funding and appropriation;
• completion and accuracy of required reports/reconciliation;
• compliance with the agreement;
• progress on public-benefit commitments;
• material organizational, legal, or financial changes;
• special conditions or corrective action;
• progress on enhanced partnership and community-benefit expectations, where applicable.

Application Overview

What You Will Submit

Required Compliance Materials in the Application

These materials are required with the application so Cultural Affairs can verify eligibility and correct eligible administrative issues before panel review.

Compliance materials are not scored or shared with peer panelists.

• IRS tax-exempt determination documentation;
• California Department of Justice / Registrar of Charitable Trusts registration documentation,  
• California Secretary of State active registration documentation,  
• System for Award Management (SAM) non-debarment verification;
• current W-9,
• Workforce Report required by applicable City requirements;
• proof of City of San Diego organizational base;
• financial documents required in Section Financial Snapshot and Sustainability Data

Financial Snapshot and Sustainability Data

FY28 removes the Annual Operating Income (AOI) calculation. Cultural Affairs will instead collect Revenue Available for Current Operations. Revenue Available for Current Operations means revenue the organization can use for current operations, excluding funds that cannot currently be spent for those purposes because of donor restrictions or other applicable limitations.

No Matching Requirement

FY28 OSP does not require a dollar-for-dollar match. Applicants still provide accurate financial information to support award calculation and City stewardship.

Core Financial Fields

Financial History

Conditional Financial Context Question

If financial data shows a significant change or condition, the application may ask for brief context:

Your financial information shows a significant change or condition that may benefit from context. Tell us what happened and anything Cultural Affairs should understand about your organization’s current financial position. (250 words maximum)

A deficit or significant financial change does not automatically make an organization ineligible or lower its score. The purpose is to understand context.

Work Samples

Submit 3–5 work samples that help panelists understand the organization’s arts, cultural, creative, heritage, or field-serving work.

Samples may include images, short video or audio, publications, program documentation, cultural-practice documentation, educational/community materials, artist-service tools, exhibition or performance documentation, or another format appropriate to the organization.

For each sample provide:

• title / activity;
• date;
• format;
• organization’s role;
• brief context (75 words maximum): why you selected the sample and what panelists should notice.

Creative Impact Snapshot — Not Independently Scored

Cultural Affairs collects structured impact data to understand and communicate the reach, workforce, artist investment, community impact, and economic contribution of City-supported arts and culture. Bigger numbers do not automatically mean a stronger application.

Optional context: Is there anything important we should know when interpreting the numbers above? (150 words maximum)

Unless specifically identified in a scoring criterion, Creative Impact Snapshot figures are not independently scored.

What the Panel Sees

• brief organization profile and pathway;
• relevant operating-scale context;
• category-specific scored responses;
• work samples and annotations;
• relevant financial or impact context specifically identified for review.

What the Panel Does Not See

• W-9;
• IRS, DOJ, Secretary of State, SAM, or other compliance records;
• Workforce Report unless a final legal requirement expressly requires panel access;
• sensitive contracting documents;
• staff-only compliance notes;
• optional demographic data collected solely for program assessment.

Panel Scoring Guide

Numeric Bands

Conditions for Submission

The following conditions are a working FY28 draft and remain subject to City Attorney review before publication.

1. CITY DISCRETION. The City may revise, postpone, reissue, cancel, or decline to make awards through this funding process as allowed by law and City policy. Submission of an application does not guarantee funding.
2. ADDENDA. Official changes to the guidelines or application will be posted by written addendum on the Cultural Affairs funding webpage. Applicants are responsible for reviewing posted addenda through the deadline.
3. APPLICANT COSTS. The City is not responsible for costs incurred in preparing or submitting an application.
4. ACCURACY. Applicants are responsible for the accuracy and completeness of information submitted to the City and must promptly correct material errors or omissions.
5. ONE APPLICATION. Applicants must comply with the applicable one-application requirements established by Council Policy and these guidelines.
6. AGREEMENT REQUIRED. A selected organization must receive a fully executed funding agreement before City funds are released.
7. PAYMENT. After the agreement is fully executed and required payment documents are complete, the City will issue one advance payment equal to 100% of the annual award. Payment does not relieve the recipient of reporting, reconciliation, recordkeeping, audit, repayment, or other agreement obligations.
8. NO MATCH. FY28 OSP does not require a matching contribution.
9. REGISTRATIONS AND COMPLIANCE. Applicants and recipients must maintain all state, federal, and City registrations and compliance requirements applicable to the award.
10. REPORTING AND RECONCILIATION. Recipients must complete required reporting and account for the use of the full award in the format and by the deadlines established by the City.
11. RECOVERY OF FUNDS. Recipients must return unspent, ineligible, unsupported, materially inaccurate, or otherwise noncompliant funds when required under the agreement.
12. MATERIAL CHANGES. Recipients must notify Cultural Affairs of significant changes that may materially affect eligibility, performance, financial condition, legal status, or compliance within the timeframe established by the agreement.
13. PUBLIC RECORDS. Information submitted to the City may be disclosed under the California Public Records Act unless protected by applicable law.
14. FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS. Recipients must comply with any financial disclosure, CPA review, audit, compensation, or other financial requirements triggered by award amount, organizational size, policy, guidelines, or the agreement.
15. PROHIBITED USES. City funds may not be used for expenses prohibited by law, Council Policy, these guidelines, or the funding agreement.
16. NONDISCRIMINATION. City funds will not be provided to applicants or activities that discriminate in a manner prohibited by applicable law, Council Policy, or City requirements.
17. ACCOUNTABILITY. Material noncompliance may result in corrective action, recovery of funds, termination, nonrenewal, and/or future funding ineligibility as authorized by the final agreement and accountability framework.