Performing Arts Equitable Payroll Fund Program (PAEPF)
Funds small nonprofit performing arts groups in California to cover payroll during transitions.
The Performing Arts Equitable Payroll Fund Program (PAEPF) is a California grant program run by the California Office of the Small Business Advocate. Launched in 2025, it was built to help small nonprofit performing arts organizations pay and retain employees at equitable wage levels. The inaugural round distributed $11.6 million to 100 grantees from 413 applications that asked for more than $40 million. Individual awards ranged from $11,471 to $351,520, and eligibility was limited to nonprofits with annual budgets under $2 million, including theaters, orchestras, dance companies, and live performance groups. The public results point to 4,748 direct jobs supported and 7,406 downstream jobs supported across 29 Senate Districts and 42 Assembly Districts. CalOSBA administered the round with California for the Arts, while a separate partner reimbursement track remained open for intermediaries. The program is a good fit for organizations that can show modest operating scale and a direct payroll need rather than a broad capital plan. Its design points to a targeted state effort to keep small cultural employers staffed, with the grantee route now closed and future cycles not yet posted.
No upcoming rounds verified. Cadence: Annual.