Hundreds of national, regional, state and local entities offer funding for artists and their projects. They include government agencies--like state arts councils, or nationally, the National Endowment for the Arts. But they also include private and corporate foundations. The links below provide good starting points for targeting possible funders.
National Endowment for the Arts
This federal agency fosters arts programs and projects around the country. Apart from particular grants, a good site to visit to learn about the grants landscaped.
NAASAA Directory of State and Regional Arts Agencies
The National Assembly of State Arts Agencies keeps an up-to-date and comprehensive directory of state and regional arts councils. This list links to state council Web sites, most of which include directories of other statewide and local agencies that provide support for artists.
NYFA Source National Database
The New York Foundation for the Arts Web maintains a goldmine of a Web site for artists, and it's not just for New York Artists. The NYFA Source database has what might be the most comprehensive national listing of funding sources in one spot.
NYFA provides a sophisticated search mechanism, and it's worth going through the accompanying online tutorial before digging in.
The Foundation Center/ User Aid for Artists
This organization holds a cornucopia of information for all types of grants from all types of organizations, but sections focus on particular audiences. Start with this link--it's tailored for artists.
Grants/Foundations
The good news about grants is that there are countless entities that make them to artists and arts organizations. To get started finding those organizations, check out the links under "Finding Funders."
The bad news is that there never seems to be enough grant money available--at least from the artist's perspective--and that finding and applying for grants can be a time-consuming process. Time that could be spent making work or marketing and selling it.
Where grants fit in your career depends on your circumstances, the way you like to work and your goals. If you do decide to go for a grant, you've got to dot all your i's and cross all your t's. Application reviewers get lots of applications and to make the first cut, you've got to meet all the basic requirements. Reviewers summarily throw out applications that are late--even by a day--or that are incomplete in any way.
If you bother to take the time to apply for grant money, you owe it to yourself to research the organization and carefully read and understand the application process. The links below provide a good start at learning the grant process
- Foundation Center Learning Lab
Provided by the Foundation Center, this resource offers online tutorials on the grant process. - Foundation Proposal Writing Short Course
Also provided by the Foundation Center, this thorough, step-by-step guide provides the basic recipe for writing a grant.
Additional Websites
National Council on Nonprofit Associations