Reference Guide for Artists

If you are an artist and are looking for information on grants, this reference guide will help you in your search. We have selected a few of the most important print and electronic resources for you to begin your search.

Because most private foundations make grants only to incorporated nonprofit organizations, individual grantseekers must follow a different funding path than organizations with tax-exempt status. Some private foundations currently offer support for individual projects; it is up to you to determine which foundations might be interested in your particular subject area or project.

The Foundation Center has identified a range of materials useful to artists seeking funding for the support of their creative pursuits. Feel free to refer to them, read introductions, scan indexes, and think of all the subjects and terms by which you can identify your project. Knowledge of support available from local arts organizations will also be to your benefit. You need to be both creative and flexible in your approach to seeking funding.

If you are unfamiliar with the process of grantseeking, you may want to start with the Individual Grantseekers area of the Foundation Center's web site. Here, you will also be able to access Foundation Center Worksheets for individual projects, which help you develop a statement of purpose and funding and affiliations profiles.

Information on proposal writing for individual grantseekers can be found in our FAQ "Where can I find information on proposal writing for individual grantseekers?".

Electronic Resources for Individual Artists

Foundation Grants to Individuals Online (http://gtionline.foundationcenter.org/)
The Foundation Center's online database includes more than 7,000 grantmakers that provide support to individuals. Available at a low monthly subscription rate.

Actor's Fund of America - Artists' Health Insurance Resource Center (http://www.ahirc.org/)
A state-by-state listing of health insurance resource for artists and people in the entertainment industry.

Art Deadlines List (http://www.xensei.com/users/adl)
Monthly Internet publication with funding opportunities in the visual arts.

Art-Support (http://art-support.com/index.htm)
Originally created for fine art photographers, this site has evolved to provide information that is valuable for every artist trying to make it in the field of visual art.

Creative Capital's Artist Toolbox (http://toolbox.creative-capital.org)
A listing of career resource sites for individual artists, including a guide for fundraising and a listing of grants and fellowships.

Michigan State University Libraries - Grants for Individuals: Arts (http://www.lib.msu.edu/harris23/grants/3arts.htm)
Provides a listing of funding opportunities in the arts including web sites, databases, books, and announcements.

National Endowment for the Arts (http://arts.endow.gov/grants/index.html)
Provides information on fellowships for artists.

New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) - For Artists (Free registration required.) (http://www.nyfa.org/level1.asp?id=1)
Provides information on fellowships and fiscal sponsorship for artists and access to NYFA Source, a national database of awards, services, and publications for artists of all disciplines.

Theatre Communications Group (http://www.tcg.org/grants/individual.cfm)
Lists grants to actors, directors, writers, and theatre professionals.

Recommended Books for Individual Artists

Edelson, Phyllis, ed. Foundation Grants to Individuals. New York, NY: The Foundation Center, annual. Profiles more than 7,000 foundation programs that make grants to individuals for education, arts and culture, general welfare, and more.

Alliance of Artists' Communities. Artists Communities: A Directory of Residencies in the United States Offering Time and Space for Creativity. 3rd ed. New York: Allworth Press, 2005. Profiles 95 residence opportunities for visual and performing artists, composers, and writers. Annual Register of Grant Support: A Directory of Funding Sources. . Medford, NJ: Information Today, annual. Describes over 3,500 grant programs in all subjects. Covers government, public and private foundation, corporate, association and other special interest support programs.

Christensen, Warren and Ron Clawges, eds. National Directory of Arts Internships. Los Angeles, CA: National Network for Artist Placement. 2003. Organized by broad field of interest and by state.

Cox, Mary, ed. Artist's and Graphic Designer's Market. Cincinnati, OH: Writer's Digest Books, annual. Covers greeting cards, magazines, books, posters, galleries, cartoons, clip art, record labels, and other related markets. Entries include contact information, how to query the publisher, typical fees paid, and other specifications for aspiring and professional graphic designers.

Liberatori, Ellen. Guide to Getting Arts Grants. . New York, NY: Allworth Press, 2006. Provides practical advice to help artists obtain grants from foundations and government agencies. Topics covered include developing a plan, creating a portfolio, identifying funders, and completing a grant application. A chapter focuses on proposals submitted by arts organizations, noting that artists may collaborate with arts groups through fiscal sponsorship arrangements.

Michels, Carroll. How to Survive and Prosper as an Artist: Selling Yourself Without Selling Your Soul. 5th ed. New York, NY: Henry Holt & Co., 2001. Includes a chapter on grantseeking, and an appendix of useful resources, including a listing of art colonies and residencies. Schlachter, Gail Ann and R. David Weber. Financial Aid for Research and Creative Activities Abroad. El Dorado Hills, CA: Reference Service Press, annual. Lists scholarships, fellowships, loans, grants, awards, and internships abroad.

Webster, Valerie J., ed. Awards, Honors & Prizes. Detroit, MI: Gale Research, annual. Directory containing information on more than 22,500 organizations and awards recognizing achivement in all fields including music.

For other books for individual artists, check under the subject headings "Arts--directories", "Arts--grants", and "Individual grants and grantseekers" in the Catalog of Nonprofit Literature.

For Individuals with Fiscal Sponsorship

Individual artists that have established a fiscal sponsorship arrangement should use the Center's Foundation Directory Online or Grants for Arts, Culture, and the Humanities to look for potential funders.