The Vallejo Artists Mutual Fund connects local artists and cultural leaders by empowering them to recognize and uplift those whose work meaningfully contributes to the vitality of Vallejo’s arts and culture ecosystem.

Launched in 2026, the Vallejo Artists Mutual Fund (the “Fund”) provides financial support to Vallejo-based individual artists and cultural leaders whose work meaningfully contributes to keeping the local creative community active, connected, and thriving. Rooted in the belief that those closest to the work are best positioned to recognize it, the Fund invites Vallejo artists to participate in a local redistribution process that empowers artists to see and name the people whose work meaningfully contributes to Vallejo’s cultural landscape. Rather than awarding artists through juries of outsiders, this Fund supports artists in the city to validate and encourage one another.

Artists participating in the Fund will invite other artists within the city whose work contributes to sustaining and enriching Vallejo’s creative and cultural vibrancy to receive an unrestricted grant of $7,500, and an organization providing publicly accessible arts programming in Vallejo to receive an unrestricted grant of $1,800. Altogether, $1,000,000 in funding will be fully disbursed through this process by August 2026.

The Vallejo Artists Mutual Fund is administered by the Center for Cultural Innovation (CCI), an intermediary focused on strengthening the economic and social infrastructure for creatives, culture bearers, and creative entrepreneurs, with funding from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

CONTEXT AND GOALS

This is the third round of funding from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, administered by CCI, as part of five years of programmatic support for artists and cultural leaders who have been integral to Vallejo’s creative vitality. Each year has been an opportunity to try and learn how to reach the anchors of the arts and culture community in as deep and broad a way as possible. In the 2026 funding round, the program moved away from a traditional, competitive grant program juried with outsiders. Competitive panel processes by non-locals can unintentionally divide individuals in a community and miss the mark in reaching the people locals deem to be the most critical to their creative communities. The challenges of such an approach are universal to nonprofit grantmaking processes. Given that Vallejo does not have a long history where this approach has been refined over time to reflect arts communities’ priorities, CCI is administering a different approach that directly empowers artists to decide where resources go so that they can recognize those whose artistic and cultural contributions have been the most meaningful to them and relevant to the region. This round’s approach also shifts authority from CCI, the program administrator, to trust those in Vallejo with decision-making power. Besides shifting authority, this approach is also meant to deepen connections amongst the people and organizations that contribute so much to Vallejo’s arts ecosystem. 

Program goals include:

• Empowering artists and cultural leaders to name who and what artistic work and cultural organizations are valuable in their community;
• Keeping financial resources circulating locally;
• Fostering conditions for mutualism; 
• Directly supporting artists and cultural leaders whose work is appreciated and relevant locally; and
• Providing unrestricted funding that helps artists, culture leaders, and arts organizations in Vallejo.

ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible for the Vallejo Artists Mutual Fund, individuals:

• Must be an individual artist or cultural leader (e.g., cultural producers, culture bearers, creatives, cultural practitioners); 
• Artist (a person who practices any of the various creative arts, such as visual artists, craft, poets, musicians, dancers, media artists, sculptors, filmmakers, etc.); or
• Cultural Leader (a person who is continuing to keep a cultural identity and/or tradition alive and thriving).
• Must have a current, active artistic or cultural practice that is meaningfully contributing to the vitality of Vallejo’s arts and cultural ecosystem;
• Must be 18 years of age or older;
• Must reside full-time in Vallejo, or commute from an immediately adjacent town or city;
• Received at least one (and no more than two) grants, totaling a minimum of $7,500 and a maximum of $15,000, from the Fund; and
• Must be able to verify eligibility if requested by CCI.

¹Referrers attest to an artist’s eligibility when making a referral. If an artist is later found ineligible, CCI will contact the referrer to verify or submit another referral.

To be eligible for the Vallejo Artists Mutual Fund, organizations:

• Must primarily provide an artistic, cultural, or creative programming accessible to the general public;
• Must be based in Vallejo, or actively provide substantial arts and culture programming and services that directly benefit Vallejo;
• Must employ or contract with residents of Vallejo; and
• Must be an organization that is a registered 501c3, fiscally sponsored project, commercial enterprise (e.g., small businesses), or a sole proprietorship; and/or in good standing with the City of Vallejo, evidenced through possession of an active Vallejo business tax certificate (aka business license, business permit).

In addition, the following are ineligible for grant award consideration:

• Individuals who do not have a clear connection to Vallejo’s arts and culture community.
• Individuals who have already received more than two referrals or $15,000 total through the Vallejo Artists Mutual Fund.
• Organizations that do not provide publicly accessible arts, cultural, or creative-based programming.
• Incomplete referrals or unverifiable additional eligibility materials requested by CCI.  
• Individuals who have a conflict of interest (such as a family or financial relationship) with the artist, culture leader, or organization that referred them. This includes spouses, family members, or employers/employees of the referring artist.
• Individuals who have a conflict of interest (family or financial relationship) with the board, staff, or directors of the Center for Cultural Innovation or the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

TIMELINE

PROGRAM MATERIALS 

We encourage artists participating in the Vallejo Artist Mutual Fund referral process to review the Guidelines and FAQ for an overview of the program.

 Program Guidelines   |   Frequently Asked Questions  |   Submittable Quick Tips

SUPPORT

For assistance, please email us at grants@cciarts.org (include Vallejo Artists Mutual Fund in the subject line) or call 415.288.0530. For Deaf applicants and those with hearing loss, contact CCI via the California Relay Service–our staff is trained to make and receive these calls.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT:

The Vallejo Artists Mutual Fund evolved from a previous program, the Vallejo Arts Fund, which was guided by the leadership, insight, and artistic vision of individuals deeply rooted in Vallejo. We extend our gratitude to the following individuals whose contributions influenced what the Fund is today (ordered by last name): Claudia Alick, Alison De La Cruz, Lori Herrera, Chelsea House, Kerby Lynch, ser marin luna, Maia Mills-Low, Suilma Rodriguez-Rizzo, September Thorton, and Maria Tucker. We also recognize the many community members whose participation in focus groups, surveys, and ongoing conversations, particularly throughout 2025, has also informed this work.

In addition, we are grateful that the Vallejo Artists Mutual Fund is made possible with support from: