Fairgame was created in partnership with casinos in three gaming regions: Rivers Casino and Resort SchenecThe Fairgame Arts Grants provide support to arts and culture organizations for arts projects in the three regions represented by Fair Game (Capital, Southern Tier, and Catskills). The goals of the grant program are to: a) support organizations that produce or present arts programming; and b) expand opportunities for residents and visitors of these regions to experience the arts.
The grant fund is administered by the Upstate Theater Coalition for a Fairgame. Each of the Fairgame regions were selected by the governor and the state legislature allowed negotiations with Fairgame for casino applications. Each casino negotiation was different, but 15% of each region’s Fairgame payment from that region’s casino or casinos was allocated for grants. Grant pools for each region for 2026 are: Capital: $52,500 Catskills: $75,000 and Southern Tier $37,800.
Application Deadline: March 20, 2026 at 5 p.m. (EST)
Apply at https://upstatetheatercoalitionforafairgame.submittable.com/submit
Please direct any questions to info@afairgame.net.
Eligibility
Eligible Applicants: Non-profit 501 (c) 3 organizations with a primary purpose to create or present arts or cultural programs (including libraries). Organizations with budgets of $1.5 million or less may apply. Projects in all arts disciplines are eligible, including music, theater, dance, film/video, literary and visual arts.
Geographic Restriction: Organizations must be based in one of the counties of the Fairgame regions: Capital: Albany, Fulton, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Washington; Catskill: Columbia, Delaware, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Sullivan, Ulster; Southern Tier: Broome, Chemung, Monroe, Ontario, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins, Wayne, Yates.
Creative projects must take place in the same region in which the organization is based.
Ineligible Projects: Capital projects and fundraising events.
Grant Amounts: $1000 to $5000
Funding Period: Projects should take place between June 1, 2026 and May 31, 2027
Funding Priorities: Projects that integrate the arts with community goals/needs
Review Criteria:
· Feasibility of project and likelihood of success
· Artistic Quality of project
· Quality and clarity of application narrative and budget
· Audience benefits and relevance of the project to the intended participants
Note: These grants are for project support; they are not intended to support general operating.
In order to apply for a Fairgame grant, applicants must create a Submittable account.
Prior year awardees whose projects have been completed must have submitted their Final Report before applying in 2026.
Grants will support projects that take place between June 1, 2026 and May 31, 2027.