Intro
The Queens Community Arts Fund (QCAF) distributes grants to Queens-based artists in all disciplines and nonprofit organizations that have been in existence for at least one year.

The purpose of QCAF is to direct city, state, federal, and private funds to carefully chosen local individuals and groups who have demonstrated their commitment to producing new work inspired by the community and/or to increasing cultural programming and access to the arts in Queens. Through a competitive peer panel evaluation process, the Queens Council on the Arts distributes funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York State Council on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, the JPMorgan Chase Foundation, and other sources to support programs and activities that directly serve the citizens of Queens and enhance the cultural and artistic climate of the borough.

History
Supporters of QCAF have long relied on the Queens Council on the Arts as a key partner, a local "ear to the ground" that can determine where their funds will best serve the community. In the 1970s, the New York State legislature issued a mandate to increase local participation in the grant decision-making process. Accordingly, in 1977, the New York State Council on the Arts inaugurated the Decentralization program to support the development of local cultural resources responsive to community needs. Then, in 1983-84, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Department of Cultural Affairs created the Greater New York Arts Development Fund, a grant program enabling local arts councils to distribute funds to emerging artists and groups. Finally, in 1997, JPMorgan Chase established a grant program that partners with local art service organizations and arts councils to administer funds in support of small and emerging arts organizations that play a vital role in their communities. The Queens Council on the Arts is a designated grant administrator for all these programs.