Funding Resources

A brief list of resource agencies, funding programs, and other sources of assistance for community-based traditional artists and folklife organizations in the Philadelphia area.

American Composers Forum [individuals, organizations]
PO Box 13507
Philadelphia, PA 19101
Phone: 267.639.2518
Contact: James Falconi
Email: phillycomposers@composersforum.org
Web: composersforum.org
Description: Their Community Partners grant program aims to link composers (of all kinds of music) with communities. Their Subito program offers $500 - $2,000 grants to composers and performers of "new music" in the Philadelphia area, with deadlines (last year) of January 31, March 31 and May 31. More information about the program is available at the website or by calling.

Bread and Roses Community Fund [organizations, workshops]
1500 Walnut Street, Suite 1305
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Phone: 215.731.1107
Fax: 215.731.0453
Web: breadrosesfund.org
Description: Grants and programs are available to a broad spectrum of organizations and individuals working for social change. Racial and Economic Justice fund grants ($5000 - $10,000) are intended to support groups using community organizing to promote racial and economic justice. The Media Justice Fund ($5,000 - $10,000) works to educate the public on media justice issues. The Future Fund ($2,000 - $6,000) supports organizations working on emerging issues, or developing new approaches to social justice activism. All of the above have grant application deadlines of March 1, 2008. Opportunity Fund Grants ($50 - $500) are offered for special projects or emergencies that are not part of an organization’s ongoing work, with deadlines on the firts of every month, from October 2007 through June of 2008. Bread and Roses also offers other grant programs (Lax Scholarships, The Phoebus Criminal Justice Initiative) and offers workshops on a range of topics through their Barbara Smith Community School.

Dance Advance [organizations, individuals]
Philadelphia Center for Arts and Heritage
1608 Walnut Street, 18th floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: 267.350.4970
Fax: 267.350.4998
Email: info@danceadvance.org
Web: danceadvance.org
Contact: Bill Bissell
Description: A funding program for dance artists, companies, and presenters of dance in any genre or cultural tradition in the 5-county Philadelphia area, funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts. Letters of Intent are due September 17, 2008, with an application deadline of December 5th. Applications are available on their website. For more information, please contact the director at the numbers above.

The Allen Hilles Fund [organizations]
PO Box 540
Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462
Phone: 610.828.8145
Email: hilles@grants-info.org
Web: grants-info.org/hilles
Contact: Judith Bardes
Description: The Hilles Fund aims to promote social justice by offering grants (ranging from $3,000 - $10,000) for programs that target children's education, or economic development in disadvantaged communities. Deadlines are February 1, May 1 and October 1.

Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance [organizations, individuals]
1616 Walnut St., #600
Philadelphia, PA 19103-5306
Phone: 215.557.7811x 11
Email: aprilw@philaculture.org
Web: philaculture.org
Contact: April Williamson
Description: This service organization for arts and cultural organizations in the Philadelphia area offers workshops and services. GPCA is now also administering PCA Project Stream (formerly known as the 5-County Arts Fund) funding: non-matching grants of up to $3,000 to individual artists and cultural organizations. The next deadline for this program is June 30, 2008 with applications available on-line. GPCA also offers workshops explaining the 5-County Grant program.

The Leeway Foundation [individuals]
The Philadelphia Building
1315 Walnut Street, #832
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Phone: 215.545.4078
Email: info@leeway.org
Web: leeway.org
Contact: Denise Brown, Director
Description: Offers fellowships and grants to emerging and established Philadelphia-area women artists "creating change." Art and Change grants awards offer up to $2,500 to Philadelphia-area women artists who want to be able to take advantage of concrete opportunities. Applications available on-line. The 2008 deadlines are March 10, June 16 and September 8. The Transformation Award ($15,000) application has two stages, with the first deadline on May 5, and the final deadline (by invitation only) in Mid-July. New deadlines will likely be available in February 2008. Leeway also offers drop-in sessions where applicants can get help or feedback on February 26, April 8, May 20 (at PFP) and August 12, from 2 - 7 PM.

Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation [organizations, individuals]
201 N. Charles Street, #401
Baltimore, MD 21201
Phone: 410.539.6656
Email: krista@midatlanticarts.org
Web: midatlanticarts.org
Contact: Krista Bradley (Program Officer, Performing Arts)
Description: A range of grants programs for artists and presenters in the Mid-Atlantic region, including the Artists & Communities program (last deadline December 3, 2007), Jazz Touring Network (last deadline was August 17, 2007), and the ArtsConnect Touring Fund (next deadline is March 24, 2008). MAAF also administers the USArtists International program, which helps to fund participation of local performing artists in international festivals primarily in the European Union, Russia and the Ukraine. Deadlines are January 7 and May 5, 2008.

National Endowment for the Arts [organizations]
Nancy Hanks Center
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20506-0001
Phone: 202.682.5678
Web: arts.endow.gov
Contact: William Mansfield
Email: mansfieldw@arts.endow.gov
Description: Major categories of grants for folk and traditional arts include Access to Artistic Excellence (March 10 and August 11, 2008 are this year's deadlines), Learning in the Arts (June 9, 2008) and other special initiatives. A Challenge America fast track grant program (June 2, 2008 deadline) offers $10,000 grants for specific projects including community festivals. Applications and guidelines are available on-line. As well, the NEA, in cooperation with the National Council for the Traditional Arts, offers technical assistance support to traditional arts organizations and programs through the NEA TAG (Traditional Arts Growth) Initiative. TAG supports one to three day consultancies on a wide range of topics including but not limited to organizational planning, specialized traditional arts expertise, and audio production. Funds for travel to professional meetings outside the field area are also available. These consultancies are limited to $1,500. (Note that you must apply for major NEA grants through the grants.gov on-line system, which requires considerable advance planning).

New Jersey State Council on the Arts [organizations, individuals]
Folk Arts Apprenticeships
PO Box 306
Trenton, NJ 08625
Phone: 609.292.6130
Web: www.njartscouncil.org
Contact: Kim Nguyen
Description: Offers funding support to New Jersey-based folk arts organizations, and artist fellowships, as well as grants for master artists to work with apprentices. The deadline for apprenticeship applications is April 4, 2008.

Pennsylvania Council on the Arts [organizations, individuals]
Room 216, Finance Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
Phone: 717.787.6883
Web: pacouncilonthearts.org
Description: PCA offers funding both for arts organizations and for artists through various grants programs with deadlines throughout the year. The Preserving Diverse Cultures program offers funding for culturally diverse arts organizations. (March 3, 2008 deadline. Contact Charon Battles.) An Entry track for organizations with projects was December 7, 2007. Accessibility to the arts for individuals with disabilities has a February 16, 2008 deadline. The arts education program funds artists' residencies in schools and community sites (February 1 deadline: contact Michael Faison at PCA for this) as well as an artists in education roster (December 7 deadline) now managed for the Philadelphia 5-county region by the Philadelphia Arts in Education Partnership (215.717.6596). PCA's programs for folk arts are managed by the Institute for Cultural Partnerships (ICP), 3211 North Front Street, #104, Harrisburg, PA 17110-1342. (Contact Amy Skillman: 717.238.1770). These include fellowships (in craft traditions for 2009 with a deadline of August 4, 2008, and in performance for 2010 with a deadline of August 1, 2009), and apprenticeship programs (also with an August 1 deadline). Guidelines for fellowships and apprenticeships are usually available online at ICP's website.

Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission [organizations]
PO Box 1026
Harrisburg, PA 17108
Phone: 1.800.201.3231
Web: artsnet.org/phmc
Description: The PHMC History and Museum grant program funds oral history projects dealing with Pennsylvania's past. A range of other grant programs are available for museums, historical societies, historic preservation, and technical assistance. Technical assistance grant deadlines are ongoing. The last deadline for local history grants is December 3, 2007.

Pennsylvania Humanities Council [organizations; individuals for Commonwealth Speakers]
325 Chestnut Street, #715
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Phone: 215.925.1005
Email: phc@pahumanities.org
Web: pahumanities.org
Contact: Mimi Iijima
Description: Quick (up to $500), Small ($501 to $3,000), and Large grants ($3,000 to $20,000) for humanities-based programs, dealing with issues of importance to Pennsylvania communities. Quick and Small grants have rolling deadlines, respectively 8 and 12 weeks in advance of your project. Large grants are due (new, earlier deadlines) on September 1, with an Intent-to-Apply application due July 1. PHC also manages a Commonwealth Speakers program, offering speakers (including scholars, performers and other presenters) $300 honorarium and travel costs for sharing their knowledge. (Applications for people who are interested in being added to their roster will be made available in the spring of 2009.) Speakers also have the opportunity to be included in Humanities Live, a public television broadcast. Note that non-profit groups can engage speakers for free, for local programs.

Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour [organizations, individuals]
230 South Broad St., #1003
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Phone: 215.496.9424
Email: chrissie@pennpat.org
Web: pennpat.org
Contact: Chrissie N. DiAngelus
Description: A competitive program for Pennsylvania (and some other) presenters with deadlines on October 15, 2007, February 15, 2008, June 16, 2008, and October 15, 2008. PennPAT can fund a percentage of the contracted artist fees and travel costs for a touring engagement or for longer-term "new directions" work with Penn-PAT roster artists. Artists and companies presented must have been approved for the PennPAT roster. Presenters must work with artists outside their home communities. (See website for the list and information, or call for their publication). The next deadline for artists interested in applying to be on the roster for this program is June 2, 2008. Penn-PAT offers workshops for potential applicants. Artists who are accepted are also eligible for up to $5,000 in technical assistance funding support and up to $5,000 in strategic opportunity funding, which can also be used for national or international travel. Both of these grants have deadlines of 6 weeks in advance of the project start date. Workshops to help with applications are offered; please see their website.

The Pew Fellowships in the Arts [individuals]
Philadelphia Center for Arts and Heritage
1608 Walnut Street, 18th floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: 267.350.4920
Email: pfa@pcah.us
Contact: Melissa Franklin, Director
Web: pewarts.org
Description: Offers fellowships in the amount of $60,000 to 5-county Philadelphia-area artists, in disciplines such as folk and traditional arts, crafts, dance, theater, literature. Fellowship categories for 2008 (with a January 7, 2008 deadline) include Folk and Traditional Arts.

Philadelphia Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY) [teachers in schools]
7 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, 6th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: 215.563.5848
Email: gretchenelise@pccy.org
Contact: Gretchen Iverson
Web: pccy.org
Description: The Picasso Project offers grants of $500 to $5000 to teachers working in Philadelphia public and charter schools that lack full-time music or art teachers. The project aims to create access to high quality arts education for students in Philadelphia. Last deadline was November 26, 2007, with grants announced December 21, 2007 and projects required to be completed by June 2008. Applications are available on line.

Philadelphia Cultural Fund [organizations]
One Parkway, 1515 Arch Street, 12th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Phone: 215.731.9820
Email: info@philaculturalfund.org
Contact: June W. O'Neill, manager
Web: philaculturalfund.org
Description: Grants for general operating support in the range of roughly $1,000 to $18,000 to local arts and cultural agencies. A newly revised application and guidelines are online. The deadline was September 21.

Philadelphia Cultural Management Initiative
Philadelphia Center for Arts and Heritage
1608 Walnut Street, 18th floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: 267.350.4910
Email: mcohen@pcah.us
Contact: Martin Cohen, Director
Web: artshelp.org
Description: Two kinds of grants to support organizational development initiatives, for cultural organizations in the five-county Philadelphia metropolitan area. Fund for Action I and II grants are intended to help groups address clearly defined needs (for example financial systems, marketing, governance, fund development). An initial Letter of Interest (LOI) was due September 7 or 14, and complete applications due October 19 and November 9. The Fund for Learning, offered on a rolling basis, provides support for both individuals and organizations for consultancies related to various kinds of planning, strengthening financial, development or marketing systems; issues related to board and governance; strengthening/improving human resource management systems; and other consultancies related to infrastructure, operations, decision-making and governance. Decisions are made within 2 weeks. They offer other special programs (including organizational assessment and workshops) to support cultural organizations.

Philadelphia Foundation [organizations]
1234 Market Street, Suite 1800
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Phone: 215.563.6417
Web: philafound.org
Description: A community foundation that offers grants to non-profit organizations in the 5-county Philadelphia region. About 9% of their funding goes to arts programs. They have revamped their grantmaking to focus on organizational effectiveness, with responsive, or rolling guidelines. They are offering workshops to explain their new processes and priorities. They also provide a page with links and resources for grant-seekers.

Philadelphia Music Project [organizations]
Philadelphia Center for Arts and Heritage
1608 Walnut Street, 18th floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: 267.350.4960
Fax: 267.350.4998
Email: pmp@pcah.us
Contact: Matthew Levy
Web: philadelphiamusicproject.org
Description: Grants and other supports to non-profits in the region which produce or present music. Agency hopes to invest in artistic excellence and innovation, in "adventurous programming" and to thereby contribute to the advancement of participating organizations. Letters of intent were due November 1, with an application due January 15. Professional development grants of up to $3,000 are also available. They also offer, in partnership with the Presser Foundation, the Premiere Recording Grant program to fund the production of first recordings of artistically significant works. The letter of intent was due January 15, with the full application due April 1.

Valentine Foundation [organizations]
c/o Alexandra V.A. Frazier
300 Quarry Lane
Haverford, PA 19041
Phone: 610.642.4887
Email: info@valentinefoundation.org
Contact: Alexandra Frazier
Web: valentinefoundation.org
Description: Grants (generally from $500 to $10,000) to organizations which help women and girls to develop to their full potential, or which work to challenge established attitudes and practices that inhibit that potential. Their grant process requires an initial two-page letter of inquiry, which should be received between May 1 and June 30.