Aside from teaching, Grigsby was an active community leader. He attributes his involvement to his experiences working for three months teaching art at the American Pavilion at the World's Fair in Brussels in 1958. Following his time there, he began to start art programs in unlikely places, such as daycare centers and housing projects. He also worked to provide opportunities for young minority artists to exhibit their work. One of the ways he did this was through the founding of COBA (Consortium of Black Artists and Others for the Arts) which puts on an invitational exhibition of work from inner-city high school students in Phoenix annually and brings in a prominent African American artist to the Phoenix region every two years among other community supported programs. Additionally he started the "Arts in Job Development" program through the Opportunities Industrialization Center which provides employment training programs for under-served populations in the United States. On a national stage, Grigsby was involved with the National Art Education Association. He attended the second convening and was Chair of the Committee on Minority Concerns which is now the Committee on Multiethnic Concerns.