Banner Image Courtesy of Museum of Fine Arts Houston, SO 2O24 Grantee
Houston Arts Alliance’s grants process is strengthened by the voices of artists, arts workers, community members, and field experts. Through panel service, working groups, and community feedback opportunities, HAA invites individuals to help shape a more accessible, equitable, and transparent grant making process.
Peer panelists with current and relevant expertise will independently review and score no more than 30 designated grant applications for the assigned grant programs per panel. Panelists will independently evaluate assigned applications culminating in a one-day virtual panel meeting (typically 10AM – 2PM CST unless communicated otherwise) where panelists will discuss and confirm scores, share and review feedback for each application assigned. At the end of your panel service, panelists are paid an honorarium of $300 in recognition of their time and participation.
HAA conducts its application review process by including the voices of community members and fellow experts. Panelists help amplify community perspectives and review City-funded grant applications. We invite creatives, arts professionals, community members, and subject matter experts from Houston, across Texas, and nationally to apply for panel service. New panelist application submissions are reviewed and approved by the Grants Committee, and approved panelists are entered into a database for future consideration and selection.
HAA staff will contact you by email if your service and expertise are needed for a future panel. All notifications will be sent to the email address provided in your application.
Questions? Please contact us anytime by sending an email to panels@haatx.com.
Ready to start your panel service? Complete the Panelist Interest Form below to considered as a panelist.
In 2023, Houston Arts Alliance launched the Grants Working Group, a diverse group of artists, arts workers, and community members committed to shaping and improving the grants process. The Grants Working Group includes both past grantees and first time applicants, ensuring that a broad range of perspectives and lived experiences inform the work. The group also includes a mixture of organizations and individuals to reflect the different types of applicants served across HAA’s grant programs. Established to advance accessibility and equity; the Grants Working Group reviews key aspects of the grant making process, including outreach, guidelines, applications, workshops, and final reporting. Every stage is open to feedback and refinement, helping build a more inclusive grants program that reflects and supports the needs of Houston’s arts community.
Applicants should review the meeting dates below before applying, as selected participants will be expected to attend all Grants Working Group meetings covering a range of topics related to the Houston Arts Alliance Grants Process. The Grants Working Group Orientation date is not included below.
Please submit your interest form by August 24, 2026 COB (5:30PM CST) to be considered for this year’s Grants Working Group. At the end of the Grants Working Group convenings, participants who completed their service will receive a $350 honorarium.
*This opportunity is now closed.
The Panelist Working Group was founded in 2025 as a separate group from the Grants Working Group to focus more specifically on the panel review process, which is an integral part of HAA’s grant-making structure. This is a closed call opportunity only, with time commitment being a half day of work from 10am-2:30pm. At the end of the Panel Working Group convening, participants who completed their service will receive a $75 honorarium.
To be eligible to serve on the Panelist Working Group, individuals must have previously completed panel service within the last calendar year. Participants in the Panel Working Group will provide feedback on key parts of the panel experience, including scoring rubrics, the review interface, application review timelines, and panel procedures. Eligible panelists may receive an invitation to participate later in the year following their panel service.
If you are currently a Panelist and have an interest in serving on the Panel Working Group, please ensure that you indicate this on the post-panel survey form.
Feedback gathered and topics discussed through the Grants Working Group and Panelist Working Group are incorporated into HAA’s annual grants evaluation. This annual evaluation is reviewed by the Grants Committee, presented to the Mayor’s Office, and used as a blueprint for improvements, planning, and timelines for the Grants Department in the following calendar year.
