2026 CREATIVE WRITING CONTESTS AND GRANTS
- Cully Perlman
- May 19
- 42 min read
Below are a great many 2026 creative writing contests and grants open to writers like you. A number of the opportunities have already past, but it gives you the opportunity to prepare your entries for next year's round, if you’re not ready to submit this year to the contests and grants whose deadlines are approaching. One of the things I’ve learned over the years of submitting is to get your entry in early. I’ve been a reader for more than a couple publications over the years, and nearly every literary magazine or competition has a limited number of readers and editors, and we often get behind on our readings, so, at least in my case, I remember the top few good/great entries, and then look for reasons to weigh subsequent entries against those earlier ones. But there’s also the other reality where readers may start with the most recent and work their way back. Either way, it helps to be ready and to submit to as many places as possible, when allowed. I never believed in journals or anything else that required submissions strictly to them. I do, however, believe in letting journals I’ve sent work to that I’ve placed my work somewhere else.
Remember to be thorough. Remember to provide exactly what’s listed out in the rules and guidelines of each opportunity, whether it be a writing grant or contest or publication opportunity. So let's do this. Apply today to the grand list of 2026 Creative Writing Contests and Grants. Oh, and good luck!
National/Multi-State*
National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Prose Fellowships: Offers $10,000 grants to published fiction writers. The 2026 cycle focuses on prose.
South Arts (AL, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN): Provides up to $3,000 to support professional development or business enhancement for writers in their nine-state region.
PEN America U.S. Writers Aid Initiative: Provides emergency funding for fiction writers, with various deadlines throughout 2026.
Creative Capital Awards: Provides up to $50,000 for innovative new work, with open calls for artists across all 50 states.
Barbara Deming Memorial Fund, Inc.: Grants for feminist fiction writers in the US or Canada (up to $2,000)
By State/Region (2026 Opportunities)
California (Chicago/Regional): The 2026 Luminarts Creative Writing Fellowship offers $10,000 to artists aged 18-30 living within 150 miles of the Chicago Loop.
Colorado: The Colorado Authors Hall of Fame offers an Aspiring Authors Scholarship for unpublished Colorado residents over age 20.
Delaware: The Delaware Division of the Arts offers individual artist fellowships ($5,000–$12,000) for local writers.
Georgia: Columbus State University offers the Marguerite and Lamar Smith Fellowship for a 3-month residency in Georgia, including a $5,000 stipend.
Maryland: The Maryland State Arts Council provides Creativity Grants ($1,000–$4,000) for independent artists.
New York: Poets & Writers offers mini-grants ($150-$450) for readings/workshops, specifically for New York State in 2026.
Oklahoma: THRIVE Grants are available for Oklahoma visual artists.
Washington State: Artist Trust Grants are available for Washington-based creators
Fiction Contests & Awards
Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction: $1,000 prize and publication (Deadline: May 31, 2026).
Boa Editions Short Fiction Prize: $1,000 prize (Deadline: May 31, 2026).
Porter House Review 2025-2026 Editor's Prize: Fiction prize up to 5,000 words.
Speculative Literature Foundation Grants: Includes the Older Writers Grant ($1,000) in May and Diverse Writers Grant ($500) in July.
Poets & Writers
For comprehensive lists of grants and contests with 2026 deadlines, you can also explore resources from Poets & Writers, FundsforWriters, and Grants For Creators.
Arts Midwest (applying in 2026 will be for 2027)
The GIG Fund is a grant of $2,000 – $15,000 that helps organizations bring artists into their community. This page includes information about the last grant cycle. Information on the next cycle is coming in summer 2026.
To get updates about the next cycle, sign up to receive our email newsletter.
Freedom of Writing
The Coppice Prize
This is a short fiction prize for underrepresented writers. “The contest is open to writers who identify as belonging to marginalized or under-represented groups (e.g. cultural identity, income level of your family, racial identity, gender identity, disability, or something else). We will leave it up to individual contestants to decide if they identify as marginalized or under-represented. If you’d like to talk this out with us, please feel free to reach out. … Winners and the finalist receive review and feedback from a literary agent.” Send a story up to 4,000 words.
Value: $600, $300, $100
Deadline: 31st March 2026
Details here.
Columbus State University: The Marguerite and Lamar Smith Fellowship for WritersThese three-month fellowships are to afford writers uninterrupted time to focus on their work at an apartment in Carson McCuller’s childhood home in Columbus, Georgia. A spouse or companion is welcome. The application includes a writing sample of up to 20 pages.
Value: $5,000, residency
Deadline: 1 April 2026
Open for: Unspecified
Details here
Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest
This prize is for humor poetry. Submit a poem of up to 250 lines.
Value: $2,000 and a two-year subscription to Duotrope; $500; $250; 10 prizes of $100 each
Deadline: 1 April 2026Open for: All poets
Details here.
Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism
They have nonresidential fellowships; for this cycle, there will be nine fellowships for US journalists and one, open internationally. The US fellowships focus on mental health and the non-US, on the intersection of mental health and climate change. They have detailed guidelines, including, “Journalists reporting on mental health topics within the United States are encouraged to apply. In addition, a new international fellowship, introduced in 2024, will focus on the intersection of mental health and climate change. Climate change fellowship applicants should be based in countries considered the most vulnerable, outside of the United States. … Projects can be in any format — digital, audio, video, print — and applicants are encouraged to think creatively within the topic area. … Qualified applicants must be journalists with at least three years of experience.
The yearlong, nonresidential fellowships equip journalists with the resources necessary to produce compelling and solutions-based stories on mental health and substance use issues.”
Value: $10,000
Deadline: 3 April 2026
Open for: Journalists in the US and worldwide
Details here.
The Mike Resnick Memorial Award
This award is sponsored by Galaxy’s Edge magazine and Dragon Con. They want a science fiction story by a new writer (who has not been paid a per-word rate of 6 cents a word or more or received a payment for any single work of fiction totaling more than $50). Send stories up to 7,499 words. Writers do not need to be members of Dragon Con.
Value: $250, $100, $50
Deadline: 15 April 2026
International Women’s Media Foundation: Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship
This is a fellowship from the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF), open to women and nonbinary journalists worldwide. “The Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship gives academic and professional opportunities to women journalists committed to human rights and social justice reporting. During this fellowship, the selected journalist will have the chance to complete research and coursework at MIT’s Center for International Studies and to participate in an internship with The Boston Globe. In the past, fellows have spent time in New York City at The New York Times as writing fellows. As of 2027, the fellows will no longer be writers at the Times. The IWMF and fellowship organizers are currently arranging the fellow’s placement for June – July 2027. Stay tuned!” While they cover transport, stay, and healthcare costs, they do not award a salary.
Value: See above
Deadline: 19 April 2026
Open for: Women and nonbinary journalists with three years of experience
Details here, here, and here. (Click on IWMF’s Opportunities and Awards tabs on this page for more; and all their open opportunities, including for The Gwen Ifill Award for US journalists, are on their Submittable page.)
Wilbur & Niso Smith Foundation: Author of Tomorrow Award
This international contest is designed to find the adventure writers of the future. Writers must enter a piece of short fiction. The work must fall within what can be defined as adventure writing (see guidelines). There are three categories: for writers ages 16-21, 12-15, and under 11.
Value: £1,000 in the 16-21 group, £250 in the 12-15 group, £100 in the under-11 group
Deadline: 19 April 2026
Open for: All writers ages 21 and under
The Cave Canem Prize
This is a prize for Black poets. “The Cave Canem Prize supports the work of Black poets to overcome the obstacle of publishing their first book of poems. Awarded to one poet annually, the Prize recipient receives a monetary award, as well as having their manuscript published by one of our partner publishers, Graywolf Press; University of Pittsburgh Press; or University of Georgia Press.” About eligibility, “All unpublished, original collections of poems written in English by Black poets who have not had a full-length book of poetry published by a professional press.” Also, “Cave Canem defines Black poets as any poet who identifies as a member of the African Diaspora. Submissions must be paginated with a font size of 11 or 12, and 60 – 75 pages in length, inclusive of title page and table of contents.” The winning manuscript will be published by Graywolf Press.
Value: $10,000
Submission period: 1-30 April 2026
Open for: Black poets (for a debut poetry collection)
Details here.
Terrain.org Editor’s Prize
They welcome submissions on place, climate, and justice – fiction (short story, flash fiction series, novel excerpt, radio play, or other fiction piece) and non-fiction; they are not open for poetry in 2026. They also accept translations, and art. Payment for general submissions is $50. And, “All accepted submissions by writers of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, women, and/or other marginalized communities whose contributions explore place particularly in the context of social, environmental, or climate justice are considered for our annual Editor’s Prize of $500 per genre.”
There is no separate submission process or entry fee for this contest; they have other, fee-based contests too. Certain sections, like Letter to America and ArTerrain, are open year-round, and other sections have submission periods, or are open periodically.
Value: $500 per genre
Deadline: 30 April 2026
Details here.
Baen Fantasy Adventure Award
“Write and submit a short story of no more than 8,000 words. It must be a work of fantasy, though all fantasy genres are open, e.g. epic fantasy, heroic fantasy, sword and sorcery, contemporary fantasy, etc.” Also see the kind of stories they want to see: “Adventure fantasy with heroes you want to root for. Warriors either modern or medieval, who solve problems with their wits or with their weapons—and we have nothing against dragons, elves, dwarves, castles under siege, urban fantasy, damsels in distress, or damsels who inflict distress.” They offer “industry-standard rates” as well as non-cash prizes. Also, “The winners will be officially announced during the Baen Traveling Roadshow at Dragon Con, in Atlanta, Georgia. (We would prefer the winners attend the convention, but it is not required.)”
Value: “industry standard rates”
Deadline: 30 April 2026
Open for: All writers
Details here (click on contest rules)
Whiting Foundation’s Creative Nonfiction Grants
Up to 10 grants of $40,000 each are awarded to writers of creative non-fiction books. They are for “writers in the process of completing a book-length work of deeply researched and imaginatively composed nonfiction for a general adult readership. It is intended for multiyear book projects requiring large amounts of deep and focused research, thinking, and writing at a crucial point mid-process, after significant work has been accomplished but when an extra infusion of support can make a difference in the ultimate shape and quality of the work. The program’s chief objective is to foster original, ambitious projects brought to the highest possible standard.
Whiting welcomes applications for works of history, cultural or political reportage, biography, memoir, science, philosophy, criticism, graphic nonfiction, and personal essays, among other categories. Again, the work should be intended for a general, not academic, adult reader.” Projects that are under contract with a publisher in the US, UK, or Canada.
Value: $40,000 each
Deadline: 30 April 2026
Open for: Projects that under contract with a publisher in the US, UK, or Canada
Details here.
O’Shaughnessy Fellowships and Grants
The O’Shaughnessy fellowships are for people in various disciplines worldwide, including creative ones; this includes writers and journalists. It is a one-year program. “The Fellowships and Grants empower individuals of the highest caliber whose work positively impacts the world, from scientific breakthroughs and technological innovations to enduring artistic and cultural contributions.” They look for personal agency, exemplary proof-of-work, and resourcefulness in all applicants. “Fellows receive $100,000 to work on any project they choose with and support from OSV’s network of founders, investors, and experts.” They also have a sister grants program, which awards $10,000 each. There is no separate application process for the grants program; winners will be selected on the basis of their fellowship application form. The next steps for shortlisted individuals will be discussions and interviews (see guidelines). There are 10 fellowships and 20 grants each year.
Value: $100,000 each for the fellowships; $10,000 each for the grants
Deadline: 30 April 2026
Open for: Writers and journalists worldwide, as well as people in other disciplines
Preservation Foundation Contest: Non-fictional Animal Stories
This is an international contest for unpublished writers (see guidelines). Their upcoming deadline is for the non-fiction animal stories category: “Stories should be factual and true accounts of an encounter or encounters by the author with a wild animal or animals. These include, but are not limited to, birds, fish, butterflies, snails, lions, bears, turtles, wombats, etc., as long as it is not a pet.” Entries should be 1,000-5,000 words. They want all entries, regardless of whether or not they win, to be on their website as long as the Foundation exists (see guidelines). Also see contests in other genres, which will have deadlines later in the year.
Value: $200, $100
Deadline: 30 April 2026
Open for: Unpublished writers
Details here.
New England Crime Bake: Al Blanchard Award
This is a short story award. Their guidelines say it must be a crime story, of up to 5,000 words, by a New England author or have a New England setting if the author is not from New England (the New England states are Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island). The story may include the following genres: mystery, thriller, suspense, caper, and horror. Apart from the cash award, the winner also gets published in an anthology, and admission to the Crime Bake Conference (conference attendance is not a requirement).
Value: $100Deadline: 30 April 2026
Open for: All writers
Details here.
Waterston Desert Writing PrizeThis prize is for a proposed book of literary non-fiction that illustrates artistic excellence, sensitivity to place, and desert literacy – with the desert both as subject and setting. “It is recommended the writing sample submitted is part of the proposed project or closely represents it in content and style.” Apart from the cash award, there is also a residency at PLAYA in Summer Lake, Oregon, as well as a reading and reception at the High Desert Museum in Bend, Oregon.
Value: $3,000, residency
Deadline: 1 May 2026
Open for: All writers
CINTAS Foundation: Fellowship in Creative Writing
This is a creative writing fellowship for writers having Cuban citizenship or direct lineage (having a Cuban parent or grandparent). Applications can be in English or Spanish. Fellows who are not U.S. citizens and who are living abroad must provide a U.S. taxpayer identification number when they accept the fellowship to receive payment. The foundation also offers fellowships for other disciplines as well. A work sample is part of the submission requirement.
Value: $25,000
Deadline: 1 May 2026
Open for: Writers having Cuban citizenship or direct lineage
A couple of contests with later deadlines:— CNO Naval History Essay Contest – Professional Historian:
This contest is supported by the US Naval Institute. Their website says, “The CNO invites entrants to submit essays that apply lessons from throughout naval history to solving today’s Navy challenges.” See guidelines for details on the theme. Essays have to be up to 3,500 words. This contest is open to: professional historians (including history museum curators, archivists, history teachers/professors, persons with history-related doctoral degrees; authors of books on naval history (not including self-published works); civilians who have published articles in an established historical or naval journal or magazine.
The prizes are $5,000 and $2,500
Deadline: 30 May 2026
Details here and here. (They invite essays for various other prizes as well, with different deadlines – see here.)
The Bicoastal Review
They have a fee for other genres, including general submissions, but do not charge a fee for the non-fiction contest. “Any work of nonfiction – critical, creative, experimental, or cross-genre – that fits the vibe of our journal (we often favor writing about literature, art, culture, politics, ecology, love, the body, feminism, and queer identity). We welcome braided essays, reviews, art writing, cultural critique, lyric essays, and everything in between. What we are NOT looking for: short stories, overly academic writing, rants, comedy, purely family-oriented memoirs, anything using AI, or anything too self-absorbed. Your work should be around 1,000 to 3,000 words and can include any art, visuals, and audio you like (as long as we can publish it).”
Deadline: 1st June 2026
ABA Journal / Ross Writing Contest for Legal Short Fiction
This is a fiction contest for US writers (see guidelines). The ABA Journal is the flagship magazine of the American Bar Association. Send a story of up to 5,000 words that illuminates the role of the law and/or lawyers in modern society.
The award is $5,000
Deadline is 1 June 2026; details here.
FOR WRITERS IN THE US AND CANADA
(Also see the Cave Canem Prize for Black writers, Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism; The Marguerite and Lamar Smith Fellowship for Writers; Whiting Foundation’s Creative Nonfiction Grants; New England Crime Bake: Al Blanchard Award; Waterson Desert Writing Prize; CINTAS Foundation Fellowship in Creative Writing for Cuban writers; CNO Naval History Essay Contest; and ABA Journal / Ross Writing Contest for Legal Short Fiction in the international section, above.)
Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowships
These are fellowships for US poets laureate. They are for poets of literary merit appointed to serve in civic positions and to support them in creating new work, as well as to enable them to undertake projects that enrich the lives of their neighbors, including youth, through poetry activities. There are some eligibility requirements, including: appointed as an official poet laureate of a state, city, county, U.S. territory, or Tribal nation by a Governor, State Arts or Humanities Council, State Poet Laureate Commission, Tribe President, Mayor, City Council, City Poet Laureate Commission, City Arts Board, County Arts Board, or a city’s public library system; provide service as poet laureate in good standing with their community sometime between January 1, 2026 and June 30, 2027; and published one or more full-length poetry collection(s) and/or chapbook(s) or substantial history of public spoken word performances. Some of the submission requirements are a poetry sample, and a description of your proposed civic project(s), including a timeline for the project(s) you would conduct, that engages youth and/or addresses important statewide or local issues.
Value: $50,000, with potential additional $10,000 (see guidelines)
Deadline: 24 March 2026
Open for: US poets laureate
Details here, here, and here. (Also see other awards by the Academy of American Poets that are open now, including fee-free ones; see their Submittable here for details.)
PEN America: US Writers Aid Initiative
This is intended for fiction and non-fiction authors, poets, playwrights, screenwriters, translators, and journalists. To be eligible, applicants must be based in the United States, be professional writers, and be able to demonstrate that this one-time grant will be meaningful in helping them to address an emergency situation. Writers do not have to be Members of PEN America to receive a grant. And, “The U.S. Writers Aid Initiative is NOT intended to subsidize writing-related expenses, such as residencies, sabbaticals, computers, printing, shipping, travel, or publicity services. Writers currently enrolled in degree-granting programs are also not eligible.” There are three application cycles listed for 2026 (subject to change); Spring (March deadline), Summer (June deadline), and Fall (October deadline).
Value: Unspecified
Deadline:31 March 2026
Open for: US writers
Maya Angelou Book Award
This award is for a work has demonstrated a commitment to social justice. It is for books published in 2025, or scheduled to be published until November 2026. The award alternates between poetry and fiction, and for this cycle, books of fiction are eligible. Entrants must be available for a two-week reading tour at partnering educational institutions in Missouri (see guidelines). Entries have to be made by publishers only, not writers.
Value: $10,000
Deadline: 1 April 2026 Open for: US writers
The Great American Think-Off
This is an essay contest for US-based writers. The 2026 question is, Has the pursuit of happiness made Americans unhappy? Their website says, “The Great American Think-Off is an exhibition of civil disagreement between powerful ideas that connect to your life at the gut level. … People of all ages and backgrounds are encouraged to submit an essay of no more than 750 words for a chance to win one of four $500 cash prizes and participate in the live debate to ultimately answer the question, determined by audience vote. … The debate is held each year on the second Saturday in June.Writers are encouraged to ground their essays in personal experience rather than philosophical abstraction. Each year, four writers will be selected as finalists and invited to debate the question on the second Saturday in June in New York Mills, MN. Costs for winners’ travel, food, and lodging will be covered by the Cultural Center.”
Value: $500 for four writers, and other prizes – see above
Deadline: 1 April 2026
Open for: US-based writers
Creative Capital Awards
Theyprovide project grants of 15,000 to $50,000 to individual artists to create new work. They invite professional artists to propose experimental, original, bold new works in Literature (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, plays – playwrights please submit under Performing Arts/Theater), Visual Arts, Performing Arts, and Film. Multidisciplinary, technology, and/or socially engaged projects are welcome in all disciplinary categories. Also see the State of the Art Prize which aims to recognize one artist from each U.S. state and territory, with an artist grant of $10,000.
Value: Up to $50,000
Deadline: 2 April 2026; see guidelines for other key dates
Open for: US creatorsDetails here.
Eugene C. Pulliam Fellowship for Editorial Writing
This award is for an outstanding mid-career editorial writer or columnist (with at least three years of relevant experience) to help broaden his or her journalistic horizons and knowledge of the world. The annual award can be used to cover the cost of study, research and/or travel in any field. The fellowship results in editorials and other writings, including books. One of the eligibility requirements is, the candidate must hold a position as a part-time or full-time editorial writer or columnist at a news publication located in the US; freelance opinion writers who devote a majority of their time, or derive a majority of their income, from that pursuit can also apply. The application also includes past work samples.(There is also the Eugene S. Pulliam First Amendment
Award of $10,000, for a person or persons who have fought to protect and preserve one or more of the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment; entrants need not be journalists.)
Value: $100,000
Deadline: 20 April 2026
Open for: Editorial writer/columnist at a news publication in the US
Details here.
And here's a few more 2026 CREATIVE WRITING CONTESTS AND GRANTS
Fund for Investigative Journalism Grants
They are accepting applications for regular grants for investigative journalism stories based in the U.S./with a strong U.S. angle. The Fund provides grants for print and online articles, television and radio stories, documentary films, podcasts and books. Foreign-based story proposals must come from U.S.-based reporters or have a strong U.S. angle involving American citizens, government or business; all stories must be published in English, in a media outlet in the United States.Value: Up to $10,000
Deadline: 27 April 2026
Open for: Investigative journalism stories based in the U.S./with a strong U.S. angle
Details here.
(Fund for Investigative Journalism is also accepting applications for seed grants, for $1,000-2,000, and the deadline for those too is in April, and journalists must be U.S.-based or working on a story with a very strong U.S. angle; details here.)
League of Canadian Poets: Jessamy Stursberg Poetry Prize
This is a poetry prize for Canadian youth; there are two categories, the Junior (grades 7-9) and Senior (grades 10-12), with three prizes in each category. Writers can submit one poem, up to one page long. Homeschooled students are welcome to submit. Value: CAD450, CAD400, CAD350 (see here)
Deadline: 30 April 2025
Open for: Canadian youth
FOR WRITERS IN THE UK AND IRELAND (Also see Whiting Foundation’s Creative Nonfiction Grants in the international section, above.)
The Orwell Society / NUJ Young Journalist’s Award
This is an opportunity for young UK-based journalists/those studying journalism in the UK (aged between 18 and 25 on the entry deadline date). Send “an arts review on a subject of your choice (e.g. book, film, play, art exhibition, etc) of no fewer than 600 and no more than 700 words. Your review should include a headline and an indication of the target audience/publication.OR a column on a political subject of your choice of no fewer than 600 and no more than 700 words. Your column should include a headline and an indication of the target audience/publication.” Also send “a reflection of no fewer than 250 and no more than 300 words, on how your review or column is informed by Orwell’s influence.” The contest “offers a cash prize for each winner of the two categories: columns and reviews. In addition, each winner will receive an NUJ membership. The runner-up in each category will also receive a prize. Winners and runners-up will also receive a one year free membership of The Orwell Society.”
Value: Unspecified
Deadline: 30th March 2026
Open for: Young UK-based journalists
Details here.
Verity Bargate Award
Launched in 1982, the Verity Bargate Award one of the longest-established playwrighting awards in the UK. It is “Soho Theatre’s flagship new writing award with the winning play produced in a full production on our stages.” Emerging playwrights in the UK or Ireland can enter; you must have had fewer than three professional productions.
Value: £12,000
Deadline: 13th April 2026
Open for: UK/Ireland playwrights
Molly Keane Creative Writing Award
This is an open competition for people resident on the island of Ireland for a short story of up to 2,000 words. There is no age limit (see guidelines).
Value: €500
Deadline: 1 May 2026
Open for: Irish residents
Details here
.Creative Futures Writers’ Award
This is for writers of underrepresented backgrounds (see eligibility here) in the UK. Send one piece of writing – a poem (up to 50 lines), fiction (up to 2,000 words), or creative non-fiction (up to 2,000 words). “The theme for 2026 is ‘Material.’ The theme is a creative prompt, not a requirement.”
Deadline: 5th May) or if submitting by post, your work must reach by 6th May 2026.
Value: £75, £50, £25 in each genre
Open for: Underrepresented writers in the UK
Details here.
The British Society of Magazine Editors: BSME Young Writers’ Prize
This is for UK residents aged 18-25 from across the UK. No previous experience is needed. “Submit a short piece of original writing based on the subject of ‘something you love’. This could be a feature, review, opinion piece, a column, personal essay or a fun piece of creative writing based on your life experience or a news event or a topic that interests you. We are looking for writing that comes from a real place — your experience, your opinion, your obsession with something in the news or just in life. Voice-led, specific, yours.” Apart from a cash prize, winner also gets mentorship and work experience placement with a UK magazine or online publication; top 10 runners-up get work experience opportunity or mentoring; the top 20 runners-up will be invited to an online seminar. Entry is via a form.
Value: £12,000
Deadline: 8 May 2026
Open for: Young UK residents
Details here.
FUNDS FOR WRITERS*
Grants
Grants are the free money everyone wants. Here you’ll find grants that cover a simple conference fee or a six-month retreat to write and get away from it all. Some pay for specifically designed projects and others exercise your ability to match writing with a social cause. No two are alike, so keep coming back to see what might suit your fancy.
These grants are legitimate. But like any market or contest, read the guidelines to make sure you fit the mold. While some of them are for big dreamers who face stiff competition, others provide new talent with opportunity. Find out why FundsforWriters is the specialist on grants available to freelance writers.
PLEASE NOTE: FundsforWriters is headquartered in the United States. We are familiar with grants in the US, Canada, the UK and sometimes Australia. However, we are NOT familiar with grant availability in Africa, the Far East, the Middle East, or the Caribbean. We are not an international grant provider. We do not directly give grants. If asked, we will not find you a list of grants without compensation for the service.
TO POST YOUR GRANT/FELLOWSHIP/SCHOLARSHIP/CROWDFUNDING: Email hope@chopeclark.com with the link for consideration.
AMY LOWELL POETRY TRAVELLING SCHOLARSHIP
Deadline October 15, 2026. Send a sample of your poetry, consisting of either up to 40 typed pages (two copies) or two copies of a printed volume of your poetry and two copies of no more than 20 additional typed pages.
Pay is $78,000. (NOTE: Only 213 applications in the last round of entries.)
MUSES & MELANIN FELLOWSHIP FOR BIPOC CREATIVE WRITERS
$25 APPLICATION FEE.
Deadline June 12, 2026. A supportive, hybrid, fully funded 7-month cohort-based professional development program for talented San Francisco Bay Area creative writers of color who aspire to become professional authors. A few seats are available for ambitious out-of-towners. For 2026, we are accepting applicants working in nonfiction only.
ESSERE RESIDENCY
Deadline June 15, 2026. Join creative people from all over the world at this 2-week residency program in beautiful Tuscany, Italy. Literature including: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Playwriting, Screenwriting, Journalism, Songwriting. We have a few partial fellowships available each year in the amount of €1000 off residency fees. Full price is €3400 to €3900.
WORKING CLASS WRITERS GRANT FOR SPECULATIVE FICTION
https://speculativeliterature.org/grants-3/the-slf-working-class-grant/$1000 awarded annually to speculative fiction writers who are working class, blue-collar, financially disadvantaged, or homeless, who have been historically underrepresented in speculative fiction due to financial barriers which make it hard to access the writing world. Such lack of access might include an inability to purchase a computer, books, and tuition, or to attend conventions or workshops. Often, these writers, many of whom work more than one job, have less time to write. The application form for the Working Class Writers Grant is only active during the open submission period 12:00AM September 1 – 11:59PM September 30 (All times UTC -4).
OLDER WRITERS GRANT FOR SPECULATIVE FICTION
https://speculativeliterature.org/grants-3/slf-older-writers-grant/awarded annually to writers who are at least fifty years of age at the time of application to assist such writers who are just beginning their careers as speculative fiction writers.
The application form for the SLF Older Writers Grant is only active during the open submission period: 12:00AM May 1 – 11:59PM May 31 (All times UTC -4).
MOONSHOT INITIATIVE
$59-$79 ENTRY FEE depending on which deadline.
DEADLINE May 29, 2026.
In this highly competitive virtual accelerator program for TV writers, 6-8 fellows will receive three weeks of industry training before having the opportunity to pitch to major studios, production companies, representatives, and producers. The entire accelerator, including training and pitching, will occur online.
NEBRASKA ARTIST ROSTER
Our roster provides a list of talented Nebraska artists available for hire through grants that assist with the cost of retaining artists for educational residences or performances.
RAUSCHENBERG MEDICAL EMERGENCY GRANTS
Deadline May 12. 2026. The Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants program provides one-time grants of up to $5,000 for recent unexpected medical, dental, and mental health emergencies to artists in financial need who are creating in the visual arts, film/video/electronic/digital arts, and choreography.
RYAN HUDAK LGBTQ+ DRAMATIC WRITING AWARD
Deadline June 16, 2026.
An $8,000 cash grant to a New York State-based playwright or screenwriter who self-identifies as LGBTQ+ including those who live within the five boroughs of New York City.
MISSISSIPPI INDIVIDUAL PROJECT GRANTS
Individual Project Grants provide funding to support community-oriented projects organized by artists in Mississippi. These grants are given to individuals to support innovation, to propel artist’s careers and to encourage collaboration between artists and communities.
Value: Up to $2,000 to individuals.
Activities supported by the grant must take place between July 1 of the current year and June 30 of the following year.
ARTIST TRUST GRANTS FOR ARTISTS
Deadline June 22, 2026.
Unrestricted project-based grants of $2,500 awarded to 65 artists working in all disciplines across Washington State. Literary Arts category includes Creative Nonfiction, Experimental/Hybrid Works, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Poetry, and Zines.
MISSOURI ARTS COUNCIL
The Missouri Arts Council is now accepting applications for FY2027 Express Grants. These grants feature a simpler application and rolling deadlines to fund arts projects, educational initiatives, and community touring taking place between July 1, 2026, and June 30, 2027. $4,000 maximum.
ALAN ANDRES WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM – BOSTON
Deadline June 5, 2026.
Provide an emerging children’s writer with the financial support, editorial assistance, and office space needed to complete one literary work for children or young adults.
A total stipend of $70,000, paid in monthly installments over one year. The opportunity to request up to $2,500 to be paid to an expert of your choice for coaching, editorial assistance, or a critical reading of your manuscript. A private office in the Boston Public Library in Copley Square from October 2026 to September 2027.
ALAN ANDRES PICTURE BOOK WRITER FELLOWSHIP – BOSTON
Deadline June 5, 2026.
Provide an emerging writer of a picture book for children with the financial support and editorial assistance needed to complete one work for children ages 0 to 10. $25,000 stipend, paid in monthly installments over one year. The opportunity to request up to an additional $2,500 to be paid to an expert of your choice for coaching, editorial assistance, a critical reading of your manuscript, or a similar activity that will be helpful to you in completing your manuscript. Completed manuscript will be added to the BPL’s Special Collections (the writer retains all rights to their completed work).
RAGDALE RESIDENCIES
Deadline May 14, 2026. A fellowship award includes an 18-day fee-waived residency for individuals and a stipend of at least $1000. Applicants may be awarded a residency without a fellowship award. For written work: 20 pages of written work (in up to eight files) along with application. Location Lake Forest, IL.
THE STUDIOS OF KEY WEST RESIDENCIES
Deadline May 15, 2026. The Studios of Key West, the premier arts organization at the Southernmost Point of the United States, offers a residency program for emerging and established visual artists, writers, composers, musicians, media artists, performers, and interdisciplinary artists.
MONSON ARTS RESIDENCIES
Deadline May 15, 2026. Monson Arts’ residency program supports emerging and established artists and writers. During each of our 2-week and 4-week programs throughout the year, a cohort of 5 artists and 5 writers immerse themselves in small town life at the edge of Maine’s North Woods and focus on their work. Private studio, private bedroom in shared housing, all meals, and $500 stipend ($250 for 2-week programs).
OAK SPRING GARDEN RESIDENCY
Deadline May 31, 2026. Oak Spring Garden Foundation’s Library, Gardens, and Landscape are incredible resources for practitioners who are serious about developing their work in new and meaningful ways.
Four annual fellowships include a $10,000 individual grant. Applicants can choose to also be considered for interdisciplinary residency programs with a smaller individual grant. Location Upperville, VA.
SOUTH ARTS INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS GRANTS
Deadline April 30, 2026.
Up to $3,000 to support professional development or business enhancement (e.g., marketing materials or branding). Applicants must reside or operate within South Arts’ nine-state region: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, or Tennessee.
EASTERN OREGON UNIVERSITY MFA FELLOWSHIPS
https://www.eou.edu/mfa/tuition/MFA program costs $6,000-$7,000 less per year than most comparable low-residency programs. Merit-based scholarships are available to students who have been accepted into the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program and admitted to the University. The award amount is generally up to $5,000 per year in tuition remission.
CALIFORNIA GRANTS
https://arts.ca.gov/grant_program/individual-artists-fellowship you are an individual artist, apply to the statewide fellowship program through the regional administering organization (AO) that serves your county.
CAC Emerging Artist Fellows – $5,000.CAC Established Artist Fellows – $10,000.CAC Legacy Artist Fellows – $50,000.
MIAMI BOOK FAIR EMERGING WRITER FELLOWSHIPS
Deadline April 30, 2026.
Designed as a 12-month, career-launching experience, the program provides exceptional emerging writers with a $50,000 stipend, professional development opportunities, including teaching creative writing, and sustained engagement within a vibrant literary ecosystem. The Emerging Writer Fellowship for Prose, open to fiction and nonfiction writers, and the Mindich Fellowship for Jewish Fiction. Must have a book-length project to complete during the fellowship year.
NORTH CAROLINA ARTIST SUPPORT GRANTS
Artist Support Grants is a program funded by the N.C. Arts Council to provide the opportunity for regional consortia of local arts councils to award project grants to artists in their regions in North Carolina. These grants support professional artists in any discipline and at any stage in their careers to pursue projects that further their artistic and professional development. Contact the granting local arts council (see website) for details.
HANSE-WISSENSCHAFTSKOLLEG (HWK) FELLOWSHIPS
Deadline: May 15, 2026.
For those writing a work of fiction or creative non-fiction in which science and its practitioners play a major role entails a considerable amount of background research. In this project, we award selected authors fellowships to work on science novels. Residency duration is three to ten months. Pay is a monthly stipend (up to €2,500/month) and travel expenses, plus free accommodation.
INDIANA LEGAL HELP
Pro Bono Indiana’s Lawyers for the Arts project provides legal assistance at no cost to artists and small arts organizations. To obtain help, please call 812.402.6303. Calls from artists and small arts organizations are taken on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. (Central Time). Support for this service is provided by the Indiana Bar Foundation.
COKIE ROBERTS FELLOWSHIP FOR WOMEN’S HISTORY
Deadline April 15, 2026.
The Cokie Roberts Research Fund for Women’s History will support one to three annual fellowships for emerging and established historians, journalists, authors, or graduate students who perform and publish new research to elevate women’s history using the records held by the National Archives. This fellowship is intended to support the cost of travel and time to conduct research and publish works related to original research conducted at the National Archives. Up to $12,500.
DELAWARE ARTIST OPPORTUNITY GRANTS
Four deadlines per year. January 2, April 1, July 15, and October 15.
Awarded on a competitive basis to support unique professional and artistic development and presentation opportunities for artists. Applicants can request up to 80% of the opportunity cost not to exceed $1,000. Must be a Delaware resident and 18 years of age.
MASS MoCA FELLOWSHIPS
The Studios at MASS MoCA will offer multiple full fellowships that do not have geographic or demographic limitations. This means anyone who wishes to can apply for one of these fellowships, regardless of discipline or location. The fellowship funds all residency fees for up to four weeks in residence. To apply, simply select the appropriate box on the fellowships question of the general Studios residency application. There is no separate application for this opportunity. Be sure to also indicate whether you would like to be considered for a regular, partially subsidized residency at the Studios at MASS MoCA if you are not awarded one of these special fellowship residencies. All applicants must first be accepted through the regular jurying process to receive this fellowship. Location Boston.
SOUTHARTS CREATIVE PRACTICE GRANTS
SouthArts offers Artist Creative Practice Grants (formerly Individual Artist Career Opportunity Grants) to ensure that artists from our region can take advantage of a variety of career enhancing opportunities. The Artist Creative Practice Grant supports a variety of professional development opportunities including milestone activities in an artist’s career that will likely lead to substantial career growth. Grants up to $3,000 are available for opportunities taking place between November 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026. Must be a legal resident of the United States and the South Arts region (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, or Tennessee).
ARTIST CREATIVE PRACTICE GRANTS
Deadline: April 30, 2026.
The Artist Creative Practice Grant supports a variety of professional development opportunities including milestone activities in an artist’s career that will likely lead to substantial career growth. Grants up to $3,000 are available for opportunities taking place between November 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026. Must be a legal resident of the United States and the South Arts region (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, or Tennessee).
O’SHAUNGHNESSY FELLOWSHIPS
Deadline April 30, 2026. Twelve Months of pure possibility. No equity. No corporate overlords. No thesis requirements. No committee approvals. Just you, your vision, and the resources to make it real. This is the O’Shaughnessy Fellowships & Grants: a one-year program that unites the world’s bravest souls and brightest minds to manifest the future humanity deserves.
Pay is $100,000. They are also looking to give out $10,000 grants.
ASJA SEMINAR FOR LAID-OFF JOURNALISTS – SCHOLARSHIPS
Join us Tuesday, March 3, at noon Eastern time, to hear from four writers who successfully transitioned to running writing-related small businesses. Long-time Washington Post staff writer and current ASJA member Katie Shaver moderates. She’ll be joined by fellow ASJA member Emily Dalamangas as well as Andy Vasoyan and Tyler Santora. Panelists will share tips for getting started, marketing, finding clients and what they wish they had known starting out. The webinar is free for members; $20 for nonmembers. Scholarships covering the registration fee are available for recently laid-off staff writers and editors on a first come, first serve basis.
ASJA CONFERENCE SCHOLARSHIPS
ASJA is offering at least 12 scholarships to the 2026 conference to support diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion, and ensure that all writers have the opportunity to benefit from the organization’s workshops and professional networking. ASJA has extended the application deadline to March 1 to provide the opportunity for more people to apply. The conference takes place April 20-22, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time each day on the Airmeet platform. Scholarships cover the entire registration fee, and are open to both ASJA members and nonmembers. Recipients will be notified by March 20.
RHODE ISLAND MAKE ART GRANTS
Make Art Grants (MAG) support Rhode Island artists to create or continue specific artwork in any discipline. Projects must have specific goals, though completion and public showing of the art is not required. Projects must be artist instigated and organized, outside of institutional support and structures. Open to projects of all arts disciplines, from artists of all levels, funds can be used to support experimentation, materials, space rental, paying collaborators, documentation, and artist stipends. Award Amount: Up to $5,000.
PETER BULLOUGH FOUNDATION
The Peter Bullough Foundation provides intimate, focused residencies to artists and writers, with diverse backgrounds and interests. The ideal applicant will be self-directed, motivated, able to work independently, and interested in engaging with the local community. The Peter Bullough Foundation offers free accommodations for three artists at a time in Dr. Bullough’s former home, a renovated 1840’s house with private bedrooms and shared bathrooms and common spaces. Location Winchester, Virginia. Fall residencies begin in August, September, and October, and November and spring residencies start in late January, February, March, and April. Applications are open for 5-6 weeks at a time, opening in mid-January for fall residencies and in mid-April for spring residencies.
O’SHAUGHNESSY FELLOWSHIPS AND GRANTS
Deadline April 30, 2026. The O’Shaughnessy Fellowships & Grants program unites the world’s most bold and undiscovered researchers, builders, and creatives from all over the world to discover, build, and spread path-breaking ideas. Fellowships of $100,000 and Grants of $10,000.
NEBRASKA CREATIVE AGING ARTS GRANTS
Rolling deadline. This program provides grants to hire an artist to lead workshops at senior centers, assisted living facilities, libraries and nonprofit organizations serving older adults. Applicants select from a list of teaching artists (see list) trained in best practices of engaging older adults. During a residency, artists will share their expertise through sequential arts lessons, helping participants hone their skills in a variety of disciplines. Programs will also foster intentional social engagement among participants, culminating with a special event to showcase their work with peers and the community.
Maximum $3,000. Go to https://www.artscouncil.nebraska.gov/artist-roster/ to learn how to be an artist on the roster.
US JOURNALISM EMERGENCY FUND
By the United States Journalism Emergency Fund established by the International Women’s Media Foundation and supported by the Luce Foundation and the Ford Foundation. To qualify for this emergency fund, you must be a U.S.-based journalist of any gender targeted as a result of your reporting at events related to the highly charged political unrest and polarization in the U.S., including elections, civil movements and other challenging environments. You may request support for: Immediate needs related to your professional work, such as destroyed or stolen equipment and protective gear; Small grants for medical and psychological care for incidents directly related to threats and crises caused by one’s work as a journalist. Please note that emergency grants are not available to student journalists.
WRITING BETWEEN THE VINES
Writing Between the Vines offers writers a space to work, a place to create, surrounded by the beauty and majesty of vineyards. Funded through application fees and in partnership with wineries, Writing Between the Vines provides writers the time to focus on works in progress or cultivate new ideas in residencies of up to one week in length at no charge. Writing Between the Vines is open to applicants writing fiction, non-fiction, memoir, and poetry. The program also encourages applications from wine, food, and travel writers working on book length manuscripts. A selection committee comprised of writers, poets, publishers and editors review all applications and award the retreats.
GRAND PLAN
Grand Plan is for people of colour, aged over 18, living in the UK, looking to make a leap with their creative practice. In particular, we try to support projects and people that might not easily find funding elsewhere. Our grants can cover: the cost of equipment, courses, your time, materials, travel, or whatever you / your project needs. We fund ideas where £1,000 covers the majority of costs. We don’t want you to stretch £1,000 for a £10,000 project.
AWP WRITER TO WRITER MENTORSHIP
The AWP Writer to Writer Mentorship Program matches emerging writers with established authors for a three-month series of modules on topics such as craft, revision, publishing, and the writing life. Mentors volunteer their time and receive a free one-year AWP individual membership as a token of appreciation. Writer to Writer is free of charge to mentees, though they must be AWP members to apply. Writer to Writer runs twice per year. Mentor applications are open year-round via our online submission portal; if space fills up, we will keep applications on file for future seasons. Applications will reopen February 15–March 15, 2026.
YADDO RESIDENCIES
Generally, those who qualify for Yaddo residencies are either working at the professional level in their fields or are emerging artists whose work shows great professional promise. An abiding principle at Yaddo is that applications for residency are judged solely on the quality of the work. Yaddo places no publication, exhibition or performance requirements on artists in residence. The January 6 deadline is for residencies starting May of the same year, through March of the following year. Applicants receive results by email in mid-March. The August 1 deadline is for residencies starting November of the same year through June of the following year. Applicants receive results by email in early October. Residencies vary in length, from two weeks to two months. Residencies include room, board, a studio and more, granting you the opportunity to work without interruption in a supportive environment.
MIDDLEBURY BREAD LOAF WRITERS’ CONFERENCE GRANTS
Participant applicants are writers with a range of experience who are in the early stages of their literary careers or ongoing learners of the literary arts interested in feedback on work-in-progress. Our admissions board seeks emerging writers whose work shows talent and literary promise as well as those who already have an established literary background including publications in magazines and periodicals and/or an MFA or additional literary or academic training.
TENNESSEE ARTS COMMISSION
The Tennessee Arts Commission is now accepting Fiscal Year 2027 Annual Grant applications as of November 3, 2025, for projects and activities starting July 1, 2026. Grants are available to nonprofit organizations, local governments, schools, and individuals for a variety of arts activities and services taking place in all 95 counties of the state. Grant applications are due on various deadlines in January 2026 in the online grants system.
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S MEDIA FOUNDATION
The Fund for Indigenous Journalists supports reporting related to Missing & Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) with a concentration on women, girls, Two-Spirit and transgender people. Applications are now being accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis. The IWMF is conducting ongoing, targeted outreach to to eligible journalists and teams to solicit proposals. Journalists affiliated with media outlets, as well as freelancers, are invited to apply.
B. Emergency Fund – To qualify for this emergency fund, you must be a U.S.-based journalist of any gender targeted as a result of your reporting at events related to the highly charged political unrest and polarization in the U.S., including elections, civil movements and other challenging environments. You may request support for: Immediate needs related to your professional work, such as destroyed or stolen equipment and protective gear; Small grants for medical and psychological care for incidents directly related to threats and crises caused by one’s work as a journalist. Please note that emergency grants are not available to student journalists.
THE IDA B. WELLS SOCIETY INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING FELLOWSHIP
A no-cost, intensive program designed to sharpen the investigative reporting skills of a select group of journalists under the guidance of some of the most accomplished reporters and editors in the industry, in 2025. The fellowship is intended for journalists not presently assigned to investigative teams. During training, participants will work on projects they have proposed for publication in their respective newsrooms.
SAN FRANCISCO DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND GRANTS
Opens January 2026. Arts & Culture offers Artist Grants to San Antonio-based professional artists working in the following disciplines: literary arts, media arts, multi-disciplinary arts, performing arts, visual arts. Annual grants of $7,500 and $15,000 support artists in their creation of new work. Artists can apply individually or as part of a collective/ensemble.
ELEVATE AUSTIN – Austin, TX
Austin Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment’s Elevate program invests in cultural organizations, groups, and individual artists that create vibrant, publicly accessible artistic experiences. This program sustains and strengthens Austin’s creative ecosystem by supporting the production, operations, and administration of culturally rich programming for both residents, visitors, and tourists. Pays up to $30,000 to individual artists.
SUMMER FISHTRAP SCHOLARSHIPS
The primary benefit of a scholarship is the opportunity to attend the 39th Summer Fishtrap Gathering of Writers, June 23–28, 2026 at Wallowa Lake in Oregon. A Fishtrap Scholarship covers registration for the conference including a five-day creative writing workshop, readings, activities, panel discussions, and special events.
POETS & WRITERS GRANTS (NEW YORK)
New York State and organizations that sponsor readings and workshops may apply for Mini-Grants, Reading Series Grants, and Festival Grants to pay writers for their participation. All grants are paid by P&W directly to the writer. Due to a mandate from our funders, grants for events outside of New York City (i.e. New York, Kings, Queens, Bronx, and Richmond counties) are restricted to writers who are New York State residents. We consider applications from sponsoring or presenting organizations only; nonprofit status is not required. Writers may not apply without a sponsoring organization. However, we encourage writers to initiate events and let organizations know they can apply on their behalf. We make grants for writers’ fees only, up to $3000.
TEXAS COMMISSION FOR THE ARTS
The Texas Commission on the Arts funds a wide variety of arts and cultural activities across the state. This is a list of all the grants approved by the Commission. These grant activities will occur sometime within fiscal year 2026 (Sept 1, 2025 through August 31, 2026). You can search this list by the grantee organization name, by city, or by Texas region.
WE NEED DIVERSE BOOKS EMERGENCY GRANTS
WNDB provides emergency grants to diverse authors and illustrators, publishing workers, and educators who are experiencing dire financial need, whether due to loss of employment, natural disasters, medical emergencies, and more. We aim to bolster the communities we serve by giving grants between $250 and $1,000 each. To be eligible for assistance, applicants must be part of one of these groups. Writers and/or illustrators, must be published. We define ‘published’ as having at least one published or forthcoming book from a traditional publisher, or having at least one short story published in a magazine, journal, or literary website. Publishing professionals must be employed or recently employed by a traditional publisher or literary agency. K-12 educators, must be employed or recently employed by a K-12 school. Applicants must demonstrate a financial need due to any loss of income. Applicants must reside in the United States.
INDEPENDENTLY PUBLISHED PRE-PUBLICATION GRANTS
Open in the month of November. You must be a current SCBWI member when your work is submitted and when the award is announced. Money from the grant must be used to self-publish your book. Provides $2,500 to help off-set costs of self-publishing. A brief cover letter with the name of your proposed book, a 1-2 paragraph synopsis, your publication timeline, a short bio, a 1 page business plan of how the grant money will used, and 2-3 sentences about why you have chosen to self-publish this book.
THE HUGO BURGE FOUNDATION
The Hugo Burge Foundation offers fully-funded Residencies throughout the year at our dedicated studios in the spectacular Scottish Borders. We support the development of new and exciting work across all artforms. See each individual residency for deadlines and requirements.
MISSOURI SCRIPTWRITING FELLOWSHIP
The Missouri Stories Scriptwriting Fellowship is an international competition for screenplays and television pilot scripts with storylines set in Missouri. Three writers’ scripts will be chosen. Winners receive an all-expense-paid trip to the concentrated fellowship experience, held in Missouri.
ECONOMIC HARDSHIP REPORTING PROJECT
Rolling deadline. We give grants to independent journalists reporting on issues related to poverty, economic class, workers’ rights, and income disparity in the U.S., and co-publish their work in partnership with major media outlets. Many of our contributors are journalists struggling to financially sustain themselves in the increasingly low-paying media industry. We encourage people from underrepresented backgrounds to apply.
MISS SARAH FELLOWSHIP
The “Miss Sarah” Fellowship for Black Women Writers aims to provide Black women writers a restful environment conducive to reflection and writing. It also offers uninterrupted, independent time to plant the seed of an idea for a new writing project or to develop or complete a project underway. For 2026 the Fellowship will focus on the genre of Fiction. The selected writer will receive a ten-day solo residency in July 2026 and can choose whether to stay at Trillium Arts’ rural “Firefly Creek” apartment in Mars Hills, NC or at E. Patrick Johnson and Stephen Lewis’ “Montford Manor” residence near downtown Asheville, NC. Participants will receive a $1,000 stipend and transportation to and from Asheville, NC. Black women writers at any stage of their careers are invited to apply.
SOUTHARTS GRANT PANELS
Southarts welcomes professionals and leaders in the arts field from our nine-state region to serve as panelists for our grant program. Panels will be comprised of several panelists who have demonstrated experience or expertise in at least one of the major arts disciplines (music, dance, theater, poetry, fiction literature, creative nonfiction literature, animation, documentary film, experimental film, fictional film, traditional arts, crafts, drawing, experimental visual art, mixed media, painting, photography and sculpture). To nominate yourself as a panelist for the grant program, please complete our online form. No travel involved. Must be a legal resident of the United States and the South Arts region (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, or Tennessee).
NC ARTIST SUPPORT GRANTS
Various deadlines. Artist Support Grants is a program funded by the N.C. Arts Council to provide the opportunity for regional consortia of local arts councils to award project grants to artists in their regions. These grants support professional artists in any discipline and at any stage in their careers to pursue projects that further their artistic and professional development. Contact the granting local arts council in your area to apply. See the website. Grant amounts vary from region to region. Statewide, most grants are between $500 and $2,000.
SILVERS GRANTS FOR WORK IN PROGRESS
Anglophone writers of any nationality may apply for up to $10,000 to support long-form writing in the fields of literary criticism, arts writing, political analysis, and/or social reportage. Grants may not be used to fund translation. Applicants must have an editorial agreement with a publication or publishing house for the work under consideration. The application window for the 2026 Silvers Grants will open on February 1, 2026.
AKRON SOUL TRAIN RESIDENCIES
Akron Soul Train welcomes regional artists from various disciplines, encompassing visual, performing, and written arts, to submit their applications. Residencies are typically granted for a duration of one month, although they can be tailored to accommodate the artist’s preferences and the scope of their proposed project, allowing for a shorter or longer duration for creation. Time, a stipend of $1000, and resources to create a new body of artwork for a public exhibition, performance, reading, or publication. Artists must be regional (close enough to drive to Akron for events or be willing to travel for programming). Akron, Ohio locale.
BOGLIASCO RESIDENCIES
An American nonprofit with a program in Italy, the Bogliasco Center awards one-month residential Fellowships to individuals of all ages and nationalities who are developing significant new work in the arts and humanities. Bogliasco Fellowships include full room and board and a work space. The cost of transportation to and from the Bogliasco Center is the responsibility of Fellows and their accompanying spouses/partners. Opens to applications in September.
MARYLAND CREATIVITY GRANTS
The Creativity Grant for Projects is available to independent artists and arts organizations. There are two options to choose from: the Planning & Development grant is intended to support the early stages of research and development for a proposed project; the Implementation grant is intended to support the execution of a specific arts projects/event/program.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis from July 1, 2025 through March 31, 2026 with a monthly review process.
Grants are $1,000-$4,000.
ART 14
Rolling Deadline. We welcome all types of artists, writers, musicians, etc. of all skill levels, welcome creators to explore new media and techniques, and encourage collaboration but do not require it. We also encourage residents to explore and engage with the local community. As many of our artists’ stays are exploratory, we do not require artists to produce deliverables or final products as part of the residency, though many opt to participate in a small presentation to the L.a. Studio team, their fellow artists, and members of the local community at the end of their stay. The Borough of Patton, Pennsylvania, USA is an old clayworks and timbering town located in the Appalachian Mountains, surrounded by hiking and biking trails and a 10-minute drive from Prince Gallitzin State Park.
LOGHAVEN ARTIST RESIDENCY
Located on ninety wooded acres in Knoxville, Tennessee, Loghaven Artist Residency provides artists the time, space, and resources necessary to cultivate new art and ideas in an extraordinary environment. Practicing artists of all backgrounds and at any stage of their career are eligible to apply. Artists currently enrolled in a degree-seeking program are not eligible. Artists must be at least twenty-one years old and live more than 120 miles away from Knoxville. In addition to underwriting the cost of room and board for the duration of the visit, Loghaven provides an $850 weekly living stipend, travel subsidy on a sliding scale from $400 to $800, and up to $200 in reimbursement for materials shipping. There are six residency sessions each year. Loghaven accepts applications annually from June 1 through July 15 for residencies starting the following February. Application deadlines will always be posted on our website and communicated through social media.
BRECK CREATE
Rolling deadline. Breck Create’s Artist-in-Residence program offers regional and national artists of all disciplines an opportunity to focus on process rather than product while engaging with the local community in a meaningful way. Artists-in-Residence spend 2-4 months in a live/work studio in the Breckenridge Arts District, an intimate campus of historic structures nestled under majestic snow-capped peaks in cozy downtown Breckenridge. During the school year, artists serve as guest instructors in Summit County schools, providing support and supplemental curriculum to teachers. In the summertime, artists identify and collaborate with a community partner or organization on educational programs. Artists have ample time to explore place-based narratives in their own work—whether that means interpreting Breckenridge’s cultural environment, spectacular mountain setting or rich local history. Artists receive a biweekly stipend of $600 to cover expenses and may take classes and open studios at no cost based on availability.
BARBARA DEMING MEMORIAL FUND
Grants from Money for Women give encouragement and recognition to women writers and visual artists whose feminist-centered work is often undervalued by other funding sources. Money for Women especially encourages applications from writers and artists in the early and middle stages of their artistic development. Support grants ($500 – $2000) to individual feminist women in the arts with primary residence in the US and Canada. Fiction & Visual Arts Awards – Apply January 1-31, in even years. Non Fiction and Poetry Awards – Apply January 1-31, in odd years. Does NOT award to film, video, theatre, dance, music, or performance projects. Scripts and musical compositions are also not eligible. We do not award work which is or will be self-published, or work that is generated by AI without acknowledgment or artistic rationale. We do not give loans or provide money for educational assistance, work on dissertations, or research (except research to be used in writing a book). We do not provide funds for the cost of editing services, business projects, or emergency money for people in need.
ARTIST IN RESIDENCE PADUCAH
Rolling deadline. Writers: No more than ten (10) pages of prose (fiction, non-fiction, or creative non- fiction). No more than five (5) poems. Residency Fee is $1000 per month, or $700 for two weeks, inclusive of utilities. For those who plan ahead and want to self-fund their residency you may want to consider a community funding campaign using either: fracturedatlas.org or gofundme.com or indiegogo.com. The residency affords the artist time and space for focused, independent work, the development of new ideas and experimentation. A.I.R. Studio Paducah, now in its 20th year as an artist residency program, is situated in the heart of the LowerTown Arts District, Paducah, Kentucky.
AWESOME FOUNDATION
The Awesome Foundation is an ever-growing worldwide community devoted to forwarding the interest of awesome in the universe. The Foundation distributes $1,000 grants, no strings attached, to projects and their creators. At each fully autonomous chapter, the money is pooled together from the coffers of ten or so self-organizing “micro-trustees” and given up front in cash, check, or gold doubloons. Seven countries and 65 chapters.
ADOBE CREATIVE RESIDENCY FUND
Rolling deadline. If selected, you will receive US$10,000 from the Adobe Creative Residency Community Fund. While applicants can use the money granted to them by the Community Fund in their full and lawful discretion, the purpose of the award is to allow recipients impacted by the invasion of Ukraine to support themselves and their families during this time of conflict. Selection is determined based on your professional portfolio and whether you have been directly impacted by the attacks on Ukraine.
ARTISTS 360 – NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
Artists receive practice-based monetary awards to advance their artistic careers. These practice-based grants allow the individual artists to select how best to use the funding in support of their self-determined goals for success. Funds may be used for any purpose that supports the continued development of their creative practice, including but not limited to equipment, travel, studio space, child care, professional services, research, supplies, and contingency savings.
AMERIND MUSEUM RESIDENCIES
The Amerind Museum, Dragoon, AZ, seeks Artist in Residence applications from emerging Native American artists. The selected artists must be in residence at the Amerind Museum for one month at a time to be determined between the selected artists and Amerind’s staff. The selected artist(s) will receive housing, workspace, and a $3,000/month stipend. The artist will be asked to give a public talk about their work and/or hold some open studio hours. While in residence, the artist is welcome to sell their work directly to the public.
ECONOMIC HARDSHIP REPORTING PROJECT
The Economic Hardship Reporting Project is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that produces compelling journalism on economic inequality in America. We give grants to independent journalists reporting on issues related to poverty, economic class, workers’ rights, and income disparity in the U.S., and co-publish their work in partnership with major media outlets. Many of our contributors are journalists struggling to financially sustain themselves in the increasingly low-paying media industry. We encourage people from underrepresented backgrounds to apply.
A PUBLIC SPACE WRITING FELLOWSHIPS
The Writing Fellowships at A Public Space support writers who embrace risk in their work and their own singular vision. Writers who have not yet published a book are invited to apply. The three Fellows selected annually receive editorial support to prepare a piece for publication in the magazine; a $1,000 honorarium; complimentary access to all A Public Space Master Classes during the fellowship year; the opportunity to meet virtually with members of the publishing community and to participate in a public reading. Writers who have not yet contracted to publish a book are invited to apply. Only writers who have not yet published or been contracted to write a book-length work with a U.S. publisher are eligible. Writers who have self-published, published an academic text, published a book with a publisher outside the U.S., or translated another writer’s work are eligible to apply.
Cully Perlman is author of a novel, The Losses. He can be reached at Cully@novelmasterclass.com
NovelMasterClass is currently open to submissions for writing-related blog posts.
We aren’t able to pay, but you’ll be published on NovelMasterClass.com with your bio, pic (if you so please), and a link to your website.
*ALL contest details were pulled from either the websites themselves or from other websites and blogs that published the details of each opportunity. Any issues are my own. Good luck!
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