CBA offers a Scholarship program to individuals for tuition assistance. See “CBA Scholarships”. In addition, CBA offers two types of Grants for Individuals: a Research Grant and a Teaching Grant. These programs are explained below, “CBA Grants for Individuals”.

CBA will also consider requests from other organizations under the terms of the inter-organization grant guidelines. See “CBA Inter-organization Grants”.

All these programs are funded from a budget established every year. Once the funds allocated for a given year are exhausted, applicants may have to wait until the next fiscal year and an updated application may be required.  Scholarship and Grant applications should be directed to grants@calsmith.org.

The practice of offering grants to enhance the educational mission of the CBA by supporting the metalsmithing and design skills of its members has been in place since 1982. The name of the fund has honored several leading members of the CBA over the years. Raffi Bedayn was a founding CBA member, board member, and early newsletter editor. Raffi died in 1982 and his memorial fund became the first CBA scholarship fund. Bob Thompson was a very long-term magazine editor. In his honor, Thompson was added to the name of the fund. Terry Toomey was a CBA board member and a fireman who died in the line of duty. The Toomey family bequeathed a scholarship fund in his honor. Now grants come from the CBA General Fund.

           (These programs were approved by the CBA Board of Directors on December 6, 2023. The governing document is CBA Grant definition and process.)