Where can I find funding as an individual artist?
If you are an individual artist, you might want to review the resources found in our FAQs for Individual Grantseekers. Another excellent resource for learning about the grantseeking process is the Guide to Funding Research.
Most foundation grants are awarded to nonprofit organizations, rather than directly to individuals. The individual grantseeker should expect to encounter stiff competition for grant dollars. It is essential, therefore, that you research all potential funding sources within your own discipline or geographic area.
Most grantmakers place very specific limitations on their giving to individuals, since provisions for grants to individuals require advance approval of the program by the IRS. For this reason, grantmakers usually cannot make exceptions to their program guidelines, even if you present a compelling case for them to do so.
However, each of the Foundation Center's five libraries has a collection of materials of interest to individual grantseekers. The Foundation Center's information on grantmakers for individuals is available in two formats and may be helpful in your search for foundation funding. They are:
Foundation Grants to Individuals, in both formats, includes information on grantmakers giving to individuals for research and education, for the arts and sciences, and even for personal, living and medical expenses. Information about how to apply for funding from each foundation is included. All Foundation Center libraries and Cooperating Collections provide free public access to the print version of Foundation Grants to Individuals, and some may have the online version as well. These resource tools also may be purchased through the Marketplace.
Web Resources for Individual Artists:
- The Foundation Center's Individual Grantseekers page gathers all of the Foundation Center's information, tools, and resources for individual grantseekers in one place.
- New York Foundation for the Arts, a nonprofit arts service organization, provides grants and services to individual artists and arts-related organizations in all artistic disciplines in the United States. Includes information on fellowship opportunities in writing and the visual arts, and on fiscal sponsorship. NYFA also provides access to NYFA Source, an extensive national database of awards, services, and publications for artists of all disciplines. Artists, arts organizations, and the general public can access information on over 3,400 arts organizations, 2,800 award programs, 3,100 service programs, and 900 publications for individual artists nationwide, with more programs added every day.
- NYFA Current a weekly digest of news in the arts, which often contains information on grants and funding and is also available via an electronic mailing list.
- Art Deadlines List a monthly Internet publication, edited and published by Richard Gardner (artist/computer expert), that includes funding, job, residency and internship opportunities in all areas of the arts.
- Michigan State University Library—Arts Grants a compilation of web pages and books of potential interest to individuals seeking funding opportunities related to arts and cultural activities.
- National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) provides information on fellowships for artists.
- Arts Over America, a page hosted by the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA), includes links to state art agencies, many of which offer funding opportunities.
- The Foundation Center's Reference Guides for Individuals.
- The National Arts and Disability Center has a listing of funding sources for individual artists and arts organizations of all disciplines.
- Art-Support was originally created for fine art photographers, but has evolved to provide information that is valuable for every artist trying to make it in the field of visual art.
Print Resources for Individual Artists:
- Annual Register of Grant Support: A Directory of Funding Sources. New Providence, NJ: R.R. Bowker, annual. Describes over 3,500 grant programs in all subjects. Covers government, public and private foundation, corporate, association and other special interest support programs.
- Artists' Communities at Work: Lessons Learned. Providence, RI: Alliance of Artists Communities, 2003. This booklet provides case studies that document successful management practices, particularly in fundraising and community building (both internally and with the outside world) and examines various models for artists' communities.
- Brill, Amy. The Digital Directory: Art and Technology Resources in New York State. New York, NY: New York Foundation for the Arts, 1999. Lists low cost telecommunications and educational resources for artists in New York State. Also available as a PDF file.
- Christensen, Warren and Ron Clawges (eds.) National Directory of Arts Internships, 2003-2004. 9th ed. Los Angeles, CA: National Network for Artist Placement, 2003. Organized by broad field of interest, and by state.
- Galligan, Ann M. and Joni Maya Cherbo. "Financial Support for Individual Artists." Journal of Arts Management, Law and Society Vol. 34 (Spring 2004) p. 23-40. The authors researched the various sources of support that artists receive—government (federal, state, and local), foundations, service/trade organizations, and artists’ residencies—over a period of ten years, providing statistics from relevant sources.
- Investing in Creativity: A Study of the Support Structure for U.S. Artists. Urban Institute, 2003. Presents findings from a national study that examines the conditions and support networks of artists. Topics covered include the demand and market for artists; financial and physical resources; training and professional development; and artist communities. The analysis was based on information from case studies in nine cities; NYFA Source, a database of awards and services for artists; a national survey; conferences and meetings; and other studies. Also available online.
- Middleton, Robyn, et. al. Artists and Writers Colonies: Retreats, Residencies, and Respites for the Creative Mind. (2nd ed.) Portland, OR: Blue Heron Publishing, Inc., 2000. Contains entries for over 200 residencies, retreats, and fellowships for artists and writers worldwide.
- National Association of Artists' Organizations. Organizing Artists: A Document and Directory of the National Association of Artists' Organizations. (4th ed.) Washington, D.C.: National Association of Artists' Organizations, 1998. A directory of the member organizations of the National Association of Artists' Organizations, including foundation with an interest in the arts.
- Obalil, Deborah and Caitlin S. Glass (eds.). Artists Communities: A Directory of Residencies That Offer Time and Space for Creativity. (3rd ed.) New York, NY: Allworth Press, 2005. Features descriptions for 95 communities that provide studios and housing for artists in a communal environment. Entries give address; telephone number; facilities and housing descriptions; average number of artists present at one time; ratio of artists applying to artists accepted; scholarship, fellowship, and stipend opportunities; and statements by a former resident and the community's director. An additional index provides brief data on 300 U. S. and international programs. Includes indexes by artistic categories, regions, seasons and deadlines, fees and stipends, and disabled access.
- Vitali, Julius. The Fine Artist's Guide to Marketing and Self-Promotion. Rev. ed. New York, NY: Allworth Press, 2003. Explains how artists can be successful small-business entrepreneurs by marketing and promoting their work. Chapter 7 addresses corporate support for the arts, while Chapter 8 deals specifically with grants for individuals.
- Webster, Valerie J., ed. Awards, Honors and Prizes. Detroit, MI: Gale, annual. Directory of more than 22,500 organizations and awards recognizing achievement in all fields, including the arts.
- Wilder, Judith Luther. Breaking Through the Clutter: Business Solutions for Women, Artists, and Entrepreneurs. Los Angeles: National Network for Artist Placement, 1999. A guide for artists who want to create business plans, market their work, reach an audience, and seek outside funding.
Recommended Periodicals for Individual Artists:
Washington International Arts Letter
NYFA Quarterly
For other books and articles for individual artists, try searching our Catalog of Nonprofit Literature (CNL), the Center's bibliographic database. You could start searching on the subjects "Arts", "Arts--directories", "Arts--grants", and "Individual grants and grantseekers".
Many of the books and articles found through CNL can be located in Center Libraries and Cooperating Collections. It is best to call ahead to verify a specific library's holdings. All articles, but not books, can be obtained through interlibrary loan at your local Cooperating Collection.
For Individuals with Fiscal Sponsorship:
Depending on the nature of your project, you might wish to consider affiliation with a tax-exempt organization in order to broaden your base of potential support. In this type of arrangement, a nonprofit would act as your fiscal agent, receiving and administering the grant for you. It is important that you begin looking for a sponsor at the same time that you start researching potential funders. For more information on fiscal sponsorship, see our FAQs on Fiscal Sponsorship or our Guide to Fiscal Sponsorship and Affiliation.
All five Center libraries and some Cooperating Collections offer educational classes for individual artists (called Grantseeking Basics for Individuals in the Arts).
Can't find the answer you're looking for in our FAQs? Ask our Online Librarian. |
