The NEA Big Read is a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and Arts Midwest which supports community shared reading programs. Their goals are to build connections through meaningful conversations and a celebration of local creativty in the United States and its territories.
Awards of $5,000 – $20,000 are available with a required 1:1 match. Intent to Apply forms are due by January 23, 2025 and full applications are due by January 30, 2025.
Eligibility
This grant is open to:
501(c)3 nonprofit organizations
Divisions of U.S. state, local, and tribal government
Tax exempt public libraries
School districts
Arts and culture organizations
Museums
Institutions of higher education
Allowable Expenses
Grant funds may be used for:
Project staff salaries
Purchasing books
Supplies
Promotions
Speaker and artist fees
Venue rentals
Theme
The theme for the 2025-26 Big Read is OUR NATURE: How Our Physical Environment Can Lead Us to Seek Hope, Courage, and Connection. Applicants will choose one of the 22 books in the NEA Big Read Library and facilitate discussions, writing workshops, and creative activies that explore the theme and celebrate how it relates to their community.
The Brooks and Joan Fortune Family Foundation was founded in 1988 to support Education and The Arts. Historically they funded projects in Indiana and Florida, but have expanded to accept applications from anywhere in the United States.
Applications are accepted April 1st – December 31st, but submissions are reviewed throughout the year.
Eligibility
This grant is open to 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations.
Allowable Expenses
The Foundation prefers to fund distinct programs with measurable outcomes, rather than general operating support or fundraising.
The PEN America U.S. Writers Aid Initiative supports professional writers in the United States facing financial hardship due to a short-term emergency situation. Applicants do not need to be PEN America members and all grantees will receive a free one year membership.
Applications are accepted and reviewed on a quarterly basis. Deadlines for 2025 are currently January 1st, April 1st, July 1st, and October 1st.
Eligibility
This grant is open to professional writers including:
Fiction authors
Nonfiction authors
Poets
Playwrights
Screenwriters
Translators
Journalists
Writers currently enrolled in degree-granting programs are also not eligible.
Professional Credentials
The grants committee will review applicants’ credentials to determine if they qualify as a ‘professional writer.’ Qualifying work includes:
One or more books that were not self published or published by a press that charges for publication.
Multiple essays, short stories, or poems appearing in online or print literary anthologies or literary journals in the last two years.
A full-length play, performed in a theater by a professional theater company. Academic company productions are only eligible if the author was not a student at the time of production.
Employment as a full-time professional journalist, columnist, or critic, or a record of consistent freelance publications over the last two years.
Forthcoming books, essays, short stories, poems, or articles under contract and for which the name of the publisher can be provided.
Letters of Inquiry for all grants programs will be accepted December 1-15, 2024. Past awards have ranged from $2,700 – $165,000 and must be spent on direct expenses.
Eligibility
This grant is open to 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations.
Other applicants, including international organizations, will need a fiscal sponsor with a 501(c)3 status.
Grant Types
History of Art
Judith with the Head of Holofernes From the Kress Collection
History of Art projects may include:
Archival projects
Development and dissemination of scholarly databases
Documentation
Museum exhibitions and publications
Photographic campaigns
Scholarly catalogues and publications
Technical and scientific studies
International exchanges
Professional meetings
Conferences and symposia
Consultations
Documentation of individual art museum collections are typically not approved.
Conservation
Conservation projects may include activities similar to History of Art projects.
Conservation treatment is typically funded for works in the Kress Collection and coordinated through the Kress Program in Paintings Conservation at the Conservation Center of the New York University Institute of Fine Arts.
Digital Art History
Portait of a Young Woman From the Kress Collection
Digital Art History projects should foster new forms of research and collaboration and novel approaches to teaching and learning. This may include:
Digitization of important visual resources
Digitization of primary textual sources
Promising initiatives in online publishing
nnovative experiments in the field of digital art history
Digitizing museum object collections are generally not supported.
The Wyeth Foundation for American Art supports research, conservation, and exhibition programming in American art through their grant program. Awards are typically $5,000 – $25,000 over 2 – 3 years.
The Sorenson Legacy Foundation was founded to improve the lives of other people and the world we live in. They fund projects in four focus areas: Education, Innovation, Health Care, and Community.
Applications are accepted on a continual basis and reviewed quarterly. Deadlines each year are March 1, June 1, September 1, and December 1.
Eligibility
This grant is open to:
501(c)3 nonprofit organizations
Municipalities
Public schools
Preference is given to applicants in Utah.
Focus Areas
Education
Promoting education and job training
Fostering the arts, including arts education in schools
Supporting performing arts organizations
Helping young artists
Innovation
Protecting and enhancing the environment
Advancing work in science, culture, and recreation
Developing parks and green spaces
Enhancing quality of life for everyone
Health Care
Medical research
Developing innovative medical technology
Easing pain and suffering
Community
Promoting community development and security
Promoting adequate, affordable housing
Helping disenfranchised members of society
Providing youth with alternatives to destructive behavior
Application Requirements
All applications must include:
A list of the Board of Directors and Officers
A copy of the organization’s 501(c)3 determination letter from the IRS (if applicable)
The most recent audited financial statement, balance sheet and annual operating budget
Relevant pamphlets or brochures
At least two letters of support
Photographs and/or and 8 1/2 x 11 architect’s rendering for construction or restoration projects
The Puffin Foundation Annual Artist Grant supports art that educates the public on issues facing the United States and the planet. In 2025, they will be awarding grants of up to $3,500 for Video/Film and Theater.
Requests for access to the online portal must be postmarked by November 22, 2024. If invited to submit, full applications will be due by December 13, 2024 at 5 PM ET. Requests may be sent to:
The Puffin Foundation, Ltd. Application Request 20 Puffin Way Teaneck, NJ 07666
Eligibility
This grant is open to:
U.S. citizens and permanent residents
Organizations with an annual budget of less than $250,000
Individuals and organizations with a fiscal sponsor
The Brabson Family Foundation supports bold and creative projects in education, science, and the arts. Awards of up to $60,000 are available, but the majority of grants are under $10,000.
Applications are accepted annually from September 1st – March 1st.
Eligibility
This grant is open to 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations or applicants under the umbrella of a 501(c)3 nonprofit.
Application Requirements
Identification of a problem
A unique and innovative solution
IRS Letter of Determination
W-9 Form
Any supporting documents, such as photos, to illustrate the idea
Project Classifications
Applicants will be asked to categorize their project as:
The Shubert Foundation has provided funding for professional, nonprofit theater and dance companies since 1977. Their mission is to support and advance live performing arts in the United States.
The Foundation’s primary focus is on Theater with a secondary focus on Dance and a small portion of funding going to Arts Related Organizations. Applications for Theater are due by December 4, 2024 at 6 PM ET. Applications for Dance and Arts Related Organizations are due by October 16, 2024 at 6 PM ET. Grants start at $15,000.
Eligibility
This grant is open to organizations that are:
501(c)3 nonprofits
Professional theater/dance companies
Established, with a successful track record and history of fiscal responsibility
Theater applicants must have an annual budget of $150,000 or higher, not including in-kind support.
Dance applicants must have:
Annual operating expenses of $500,000 or higher, not including in-kind support
At least 8 dancers employed for a minimum of 10 weeks of rehearsals and performance
At least 10 professional performances annually
Allowable Expenses
Shubert Foundation grants are for unrestricted, general operating support. Funds should not be used for:
