Sedona Arts Center and the Sedona International Film Festival will each receive $100,000 through the city’s Arts and Culture Grant, now in its second year.
The Sedona City Council approved the awards unanimously during its July 14 meeting, alongside separate approval of the 2026 Small Grants awards totaling $350,000 across 32 different organizations that were requesting a total of $436,572.
“This year marks the 14th year of the city’s small grants program, which supports programs, services and events that provide both a public benefit and a direct benefit to the city’s funding priorities,” city co-liaison for the grants programs Kristie Turck said. “Following the council’s adopted funding framework, the grants committee allocated 40% of funding to the arts, 40% for social services and 20% at the grant committee’s discretion.”
Sedona kids were among the big winners with the two largest awards directly benefiting youth. The Rotary Club of Sedona Charitable Fund was awarded $26,120 of its $30,000 request to help support the funding of West Sedona School’s Wildcat Extended Day Program that provides afterschool programs. Low Income Student Aid Inc. received its full $25,000 to provide direct material assistance to area working-class families.
New awardees for FY2027 are Volunteer Sedona & The Verde Valley at $12,500, Sedona Charter School at $7,200, the Therapeutic Harp Foundation at $6,500, Sedona Toys for Tots at $5,000, the Sedona Dance Project at $3,000 and Church of the Red Rocks at $2,300.
“Volunteer Sedona connects and coordinates volunteers with their 30 plus current Sedona non-profit organizations programs,” the council packet about VSVV’s initial support reads, the organization was requesting $25,050.
Sedona Charter School will use the $7,200 to create an outdoor problem solving learning lab, additionally SCS received $23,000 in this year’s city budget for new playground equipment.
“Therapeutic Harp Foundation provides direct patient care through therapeutic harp services for virtual and bedside playing for end of life and memory support,” the council packet reads. “The committee recommends funding to cover costs for an initial 100 patients, allowing them to establish themselves and to assess impacts to Sedona in their first year.”
The Sedona Dance Project received its full $3,000 request and was awarded to provide the group an opportunity to perform at the city-owned Posse Grounds Pavilion at Barbara Antonsen Memorial Park.
“Funding supports the Church of the Red Rocks conversion of 65 years of documents and records to a digital, searchable platform that is available to the general public,” the council packet reads. “The church works in coordination with the Sedona Heritage Museum but this is not a duplication of their efforts. Church of the Red Rocks has maintained original records unavailable anywhere else.”
Sedona City Council will not have its second regular meeting this month, but will instead have a special meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 4, to approve the canvass of the City Primary Election held on Tuesday, July 21, the results of which will decide who Sedona’s next mayor will be along with three seats on Council. Election results will be featured in the next issue of the News on Friday, July 24.
