Best Grants for Creative Writing in California

The City of Carlsbad's Community Arts Grants program supports emerging arts organizations in Carlsbad, CA. Aimed at fostering artistic and cultural activities, these grants provide up to $5,000 for projects that engage diverse communities. Applicants must be recognized as nonprofit entities, with a focus on inclusive practices and artistic expression across various mediums. The program emphasizes collaboration and community impact, aligning with the city's cultural values and commitment to enriching local arts.

The City of Carlsbad Community Arts Grants support educational institutions and affiliated groups in enhancing arts education through various programs. Aiming to foster creativity and cultural engagement, this initiative promotes diverse representation and participation in arts. Grants of up to $3,500 are available for projects that prioritize inclusivity and community impact. Applications are open to nonprofit schools and organizations in Carlsbad, adhering to specific guidelines that ensure equitable access to arts funding.

The PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Short Story Collection recognizes an outstanding debut collection of short stories by a talented fiction writer. Awarded by PEN America, this prize highlights the literary achievements of new voices in fiction and offers a $25,000 cash prize to support the winner's future work. Established in memory of Robert W. Bingham, it honors his commitment to nurturing young writers and their contributions to literature.

The PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers, awarded by PEN America, recognizes twelve emerging writers annually for their debut short story published in a literary outlet. Each winner receives a $2,000 cash prize, and their stories are published in an anthology by Catapult. The prize aims to foster new voices in fiction, inspired by Robert J. Dau's legacy, highlighting the importance of literary excellence and encouraging the next generation of writers.

The PEN Open Book Award, presented by PEN America, recognizes literary works by authors of color published in the U.S. during the year. With a focus on diversity, it awards a $10,000 prize and a residency in Italy to authors who have not yet garnered significant media attention. This award promotes underrepresented voices in literature, celebrating fiction, nonfiction, and poetry that challenge the norms and enrich the literary landscape.

The PEN/Voelcker Award for Poetry Collection, established by a bequest from Hunce Voelcker, is presented annually by PEN America to recognize a distinguished collection of poetry published in the calendar year. This award honors the importance of poetry collections as an art form and is open to all U.S. residents or citizens, regardless of age or poetic style, with a cash prize of $5,000. It aims to celebrate and expand the scope of American poetry.

The PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay, established by PEN America, honors a distinguished writer whose collection of essays expands their body of work. This prestigious award, with a cash prize of $15,000, recognizes books of individual essays that can explore a specific theme or a variety of subjects. Eligible candidates must be U.S. residents and cannot be debut authors, ensuring the award celebrates established voices in the literary community.

Science writers with books on physical or biological sciences that explain complex ideas to general readers, and who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, may be eligible for this national award, including those in California. PEN America supports literary science writing through the PEN/E.O. Wilson Award, providing US $10,000 to a single-author book published in the eligible year.

The PEN Prison Writing Awards, initiated after the 1971 Attica Prison Riots, invites incarcerated writers in the U.S. to submit unpublished works across various genres including Poetry, Fiction, and Memoir. Winners receive cash prizes and their works are published in an annual anthology. This program not only recognizes talent within carceral facilities but also supports writers through mentorship, fostering creativity and expression in challenging circumstances.

Literary Arts Fund

Grants Overview

The Literary Arts Fund will award at least $50 million in grants to the nonprofit literary arts field over the next five years, concluding in 2031.

With a short timeline, the fund’s grantmaking has a strategic focus on the areas of the literary arts ecosystem where it determined it could have the greatest impact— that is: supporting independent U.S.-based literary arts nonprofits whose primary mission is directly serving adult writers of creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and hybrid works in making their artistic work and sharing it with readers outside of school and academic settings. Please review the fund’s full eligibility requirements to learn more.

Innovation project grants provide funding to literary arts nonprofits for projects that may be collaborative and that aim to address critical challenges in one or more literary arts nonprofit organizations, presses, or publications that, if improved, would directly benefit creative writers’ artistic work and ability to share it with readers and audiences. These grants are disbursed to nonprofits in a single payment and intended for use during the project period.

RoseLoe-Dix Endowed Scholarship Fund

Attending four-year university, two-year college or trade school in the upcoming semester, majoring in Business, Sciences, Computers, Christian Religion, Literature, Pre-med, Medical Field, or Engineering.

Awards

• (2) $12,000.00

Community Foundation for Muskegon County

At the Community Foundation for Muskegon County, we work with donors, grantees, and advisors to address key community issues.

The mission of the Community Foundation is to engage donors and connect them with opportunities to make a lasting impact, build community endowment, provide leadership on key issues, and make grants that reflect the communities we serve.

Scholarships

Our scholarship funds seek to empower and encourage Muskegon County residents to pursue their dreams, hone in their gifts, and give back to our community.

If you’re a high school or homeschooled senior, current college student, early college senior, or adult learner, the Community Foundation for Muskegon County may have a scholarship for you. We manage one of the largest scholarship programs in our area, with over $1 million committed to students in over 500 new and renewed scholarships awarded each year.

Dorothy Creason Tyler English Scholarship

This scholarship has been made possible by the generosity of the Tyler Family, who established the Dorothy Creason-Tyler English Scholarship of the Community Foundation for Muskegon County. This scholarship is intended for graduating seniors from North Muskegon High School, who have an aptitude and passion for English. The scholarship will be awarded to a student who has demonstrated overall academic achievement with a special interest in and passion for reading, writing and discussing the ideas generated from great literature.

Background & Purpose

The California Arts Council (CAC) is a statewide agency committed to serving California artists, arts organizations, and communities of all sizes and needs. Guided by racial equity principles, the CAC continuously evaluates its grantmaking practices to ensure fair and inclusive funding opportunities that sustain a vibrant, safe, and resilient creative ecosystem across the state.

Through regionally based Administering Organizations (AOs), the Individual Artists Fellowship (IAF) program uplifts and celebrates California artists across all disciplines and traditions, highlights their excellence and acknowledges their leadership in shaping traditional and contemporary cultures. The program includes three fellowship tiers with a different award amount:

CAC Emerging Artist Fellows – $5,000

Emerging artists are those in the beginning stages of making their work public and engaging the larger community in their practice.

CAC Established Artist Fellows – $10,000

Artists in the Established tier regularly make their work public and engage the larger community in their practice.

CAC Legacy Artist Fellows – $50,000

Artists in the Legacy tier can point to a significant body of work, produced over a substantial period of time, that has engaged their communities and that has made significant social impact.

The CAC approved eight regional AOs for the fellowship in September 2025. Each of the AOs has information and  details regarding their Individual Artists Fellowship programs, including application deadlines. If you are an individual artist, apply to the statewide fellowship program through the Regional AO listed below that serves your county. Please note: Individual artists must live in the region they are applying to and may submit an application to only one region.

• Bay Area (Kala Art Institute) - Counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Sonoma

• Central Valley & Sierra (Kern Dance Alliance) - Counties: Amador, Calaveras, Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Mono, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare, Tuolumne

• Inland Empire & South Coast (ArtsOC) - Counties: Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange

• Far South (Commission for Arts and Culture / Cultural Affairs) - Counties: Imperial, San Diego

• Central Coast (Arts Council Santa Cruz County) - Counties: Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Ventura

• Capital (Teatro Nagual) - Counties: Yolo, Solano, Sacramento, El Dorado, Alpine

• Upstate (Nevada County Arts Council (NCArts)) - Counties: Del Norte, Siskiyou, Modoc, Humboldt, Trinity, Shasta, Lassen, Mendocino, Tehama, Butte, Plumas, Lake, Glenn, Sierra, Colusa, Sutter, Yuba, Nevada, Placer

• South (Los Angeles Performance Practice) - County: Los Angeles

Region 4: Central Valley & Eastern Sierra Administered by Kern Dance Alliance (KDA)

California Arts Council (CAC) Individual Artists Fellowship is a statewide initiative; however, the KDA guidelines are specifically designed for artists living and working in the Central Valley and Eastern Sierra Region

KDA is the only Administering Organization awarding fellowship grants to Region 4: Central Valley & Eastern Sierra

KDA IAF Region: Amador, Calaveras, Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Mono, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare and Tuolumne counties

Background & Purpose

The California Arts Council (CAC) is a statewide agency committed to serving California artists, arts organizations, and communities of all sizes and needs. Guided by racial equity principles, the CAC continuously evaluates its grantmaking practices to ensure fair and inclusive funding opportunities that sustain a vibrant, safe, and resilient creative ecosystem across the state.

Through regionally based Administering Organizations (AOs), the Individual Artists Fellowship (IAF) program uplifts and celebrates California artists across all disciplines and traditions, highlights their excellence and acknowledges their leadership in shaping traditional and contemporary cultures. The program includes three fellowship tiers with a different award amount:

CAC Emerging Artist Fellows – $5,000

Emerging artists are those in the beginning stages of making their work public and engaging the larger community in their practice.

CAC Established Artist Fellows – $10,000

Artists in the Established tier regularly make their work public and engage the larger community in their practice.

CAC Legacy Artist Fellows – $50,000

Artists in the Legacy tier can point to a significant body of work, produced over a substantial period of time, that has engaged their communities and that has made significant social impact.

The CAC approved eight regional AOs for the fellowship in September 2025. Each of the AOs has information and  details regarding their Individual Artists Fellowship programs, including application deadlines. If you are an individual artist, apply to the statewide fellowship program through the Regional AO listed below that serves your county. Please note: Individual artists must live in the region they are applying to and may submit an application to only one region.

• Bay Area (Kala Art Institute) - Counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Sonoma

• Central Valley & Sierra (Kern Dance Alliance) - Counties: Amador, Calaveras, Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Mono, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare, Tuolumne

• Inland Empire & South Coast (ArtsOC) - Counties: Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange

• Far South (Commission for Arts and Culture / Cultural Affairs) - Counties: Imperial, San Diego

• Central Coast (Arts Council Santa Cruz County) - Counties: Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Ventura

• Capital (Teatro Nagual) - Counties: Yolo, Solano, Sacramento, El Dorado, Alpine

• Upstate (Nevada County Arts Council (NCArts)) - Counties: Del Norte, Siskiyou, Modoc, Humboldt, Trinity, Shasta, Lassen, Mendocino, Tehama, Butte, Plumas, Lake, Glenn, Sierra, Colusa, Sutter, Yuba, Nevada, Placer

• South (Los Angeles Performance Practice) - County: Los Angeles

Region 7: Inland Empire & South Coast Administered by Arts Orange County (ArtsOC)

Arts Orange County has been engaged by the California Arts Council to administer the application and jurying process for the Region 7 Individual Artist Fellowship, which includes Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. 

Background & Purpose

The California Arts Council (CAC) is a statewide agency committed to serving California artists, arts organizations, and communities of all sizes and needs. Guided by racial equity principles, the CAC continuously evaluates its grantmaking practices to ensure fair and inclusive funding opportunities that sustain a vibrant, safe, and resilient creative ecosystem across the state.

Through regionally based Administering Organizations (AOs), the Individual Artists Fellowship (IAF) program uplifts and celebrates California artists across all disciplines and traditions, highlights their excellence and acknowledges their leadership in shaping traditional and contemporary cultures. The program includes three fellowship tiers with a different award amount:

CAC Emerging Artist Fellows – $5,000

Emerging artists are those in the beginning stages of making their work public and engaging the larger community in their practice.

CAC Established Artist Fellows – $10,000

Artists in the Established tier regularly make their work public and engage the larger community in their practice.

CAC Legacy Artist Fellows – $50,000

Artists in the Legacy tier can point to a significant body of work, produced over a substantial period of time, that has engaged their communities and that has made significant social impact.

The CAC approved eight regional AOs for the fellowship in September 2025. Each of the AOs has information and  details regarding their Individual Artists Fellowship programs, including application deadlines. If you are an individual artist, apply to the statewide fellowship program through the Regional AO listed below that serves your county. Please note: Individual artists must live in the region they are applying to and may submit an application to only one region.

• Bay Area (Kala Art Institute) - Counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Sonoma

• Central Valley & Sierra (Kern Dance Alliance) - Counties: Amador, Calaveras, Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Mono, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare, Tuolumne

• Inland Empire & South Coast (ArtsOC) - Counties: Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange

• Far South (Commission for Arts and Culture / Cultural Affairs) - Counties: Imperial, San Diego

• Central Coast (Arts Council Santa Cruz County) - Counties: Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Ventura

• Capital (Teatro Nagual) - Counties: Yolo, Solano, Sacramento, El Dorado, Alpine

• Upstate (Nevada County Arts Council (NCArts)) - Counties: Del Norte, Siskiyou, Modoc, Humboldt, Trinity, Shasta, Lassen, Mendocino, Tehama, Butte, Plumas, Lake, Glenn, Sierra, Colusa, Sutter, Yuba, Nevada, Placer

• South (Los Angeles Performance Practice) - County: Los Angeles

Region 8: Far South Administered by Commission for Arts and Culture / Cultural Affairs, City of San Diego

The City of San Diego invites applications from eligible individual artists for the Individual Artist Fellowship (IAF), which provides unrestricted awards ranging from $5,000 to $50,000. The California Arts Council (CAC) has selected the City as an Administering Organization for this statewide initiative, supporting a two-year fellowship program for individual artists and culture bearers across all disciplines.

The Individual Artist Fellowship for Region 8 serves San Diego and Imperial Counties, an area spanning 9,008 square miles and home to 3.48 million residents. The program strengthens the regional arts workforce by investing directly in artists whose work contributes to the cultural vitality of their communities.

Background & Purpose

The California Arts Council (CAC) is a statewide agency committed to serving California artists, arts organizations, and communities of all sizes and needs. Guided by racial equity principles, the CAC continuously evaluates its grantmaking practices to ensure fair and inclusive funding opportunities that sustain a vibrant, safe, and resilient creative ecosystem across the state.

Through regionally based Administering Organizations (AOs), the Individual Artists Fellowship (IAF) program uplifts and celebrates California artists across all disciplines and traditions, highlights their excellence and acknowledges their leadership in shaping traditional and contemporary cultures. The program includes three fellowship tiers with a different award amount:

CAC Emerging Artist Fellows – $5,000

Emerging artists are those in the beginning stages of making their work public and engaging the larger community in their practice.

CAC Established Artist Fellows – $10,000

Artists in the Established tier regularly make their work public and engage the larger community in their practice.

CAC Legacy Artist Fellows – $50,000

Artists in the Legacy tier can point to a significant body of work, produced over a substantial period of time, that has engaged their communities and that has made significant social impact.

The CAC approved eight regional AOs for the fellowship in September 2025. Each of the AOs has information and  details regarding their Individual Artists Fellowship programs, including application deadlines. If you are an individual artist, apply to the statewide fellowship program through the Regional AO listed below that serves your county. Please note: Individual artists must live in the region they are applying to and may submit an application to only one region.

• Bay Area (Kala Art Institute) - Counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Sonoma

• Central Valley & Sierra (Kern Dance Alliance) - Counties: Amador, Calaveras, Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Mono, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare, Tuolumne

• Inland Empire & South Coast (ArtsOC) - Counties: Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange

• Far South (Commission for Arts and Culture / Cultural Affairs) - Counties: Imperial, San Diego

• Central Coast (Arts Council Santa Cruz County) - Counties: Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Ventura

• Capital (Teatro Nagual) - Counties: Yolo, Solano, Sacramento, El Dorado, Alpine

• Upstate (Nevada County Arts Council (NCArts)) - Counties: Del Norte, Siskiyou, Modoc, Humboldt, Trinity, Shasta, Lassen, Mendocino, Tehama, Butte, Plumas, Lake, Glenn, Sierra, Colusa, Sutter, Yuba, Nevada, Placer

• South (Los Angeles Performance Practice) - County: Los Angeles

Region 5: Central Coast Administered by Arts Council Santa Cruz County

The City of San Diego invites applications from eligible individual artists for the Individual Artist Fellowship (IAF), which provides unrestricted awards ranging from $5,000 to $50,000. The California Arts Council (CAC) has selected the City as an Administering Organization for this statewide initiative, supporting a two-year fellowship program for individual artists and culture bearers across all disciplines.

The Individual Artist Fellowship for Region 8 serves San Diego and Imperial Counties, an area spanning 9,008 square miles and home to 3.48 million residents. The program strengthens the regional arts workforce by investing directly in artists whose work contributes to the cultural vitality of their communities.

Background & Purpose

The California Arts Council (CAC) is a statewide agency committed to serving California artists, arts organizations, and communities of all sizes and needs. Guided by racial equity principles, the CAC continuously evaluates its grantmaking practices to ensure fair and inclusive funding opportunities that sustain a vibrant, safe, and resilient creative ecosystem across the state.

Through regionally based Administering Organizations (AOs), the Individual Artists Fellowship (IAF) program uplifts and celebrates California artists across all disciplines and traditions, highlights their excellence and acknowledges their leadership in shaping traditional and contemporary cultures. The program includes three fellowship tiers with a different award amount:

CAC Emerging Artist Fellows – $5,000

Emerging artists are those in the beginning stages of making their work public and engaging the larger community in their practice.

CAC Established Artist Fellows – $10,000

Artists in the Established tier regularly make their work public and engage the larger community in their practice.

CAC Legacy Artist Fellows – $50,000

Artists in the Legacy tier can point to a significant body of work, produced over a substantial period of time, that has engaged their communities and that has made significant social impact.

The CAC approved eight regional AOs for the fellowship in September 2025. Each of the AOs has information and  details regarding their Individual Artists Fellowship programs, including application deadlines. If you are an individual artist, apply to the statewide fellowship program through the Regional AO listed below that serves your county. Please note: Individual artists must live in the region they are applying to and may submit an application to only one region.

• Bay Area (Kala Art Institute) - Counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Sonoma

• Central Valley & Sierra (Kern Dance Alliance) - Counties: Amador, Calaveras, Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Mono, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare, Tuolumne

• Inland Empire & South Coast (ArtsOC) - Counties: Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange

• Far South (Commission for Arts and Culture / Cultural Affairs) - Counties: Imperial, San Diego

• Central Coast (Arts Council Santa Cruz County) - Counties: Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Ventura

• Capital (Teatro Nagual) - Counties: Yolo, Solano, Sacramento, El Dorado, Alpine

• Upstate (Nevada County Arts Council (NCArts)) - Counties: Del Norte, Siskiyou, Modoc, Humboldt, Trinity, Shasta, Lassen, Mendocino, Tehama, Butte, Plumas, Lake, Glenn, Sierra, Colusa, Sutter, Yuba, Nevada, Placer

• South (Los Angeles Performance Practice) - County: Los Angeles

Region 2: Capital Administered by Teatro Nagual

The Capital Region Individual Artist Fellowship (IAF), administered by Teatro Nagual, in partnership with the California Arts Council, celebrate and support artists across disciplines who are shaping culture in the counties of Alpine, El Dorado, Sacramento, Solano and Yolo. This program provides unrestricted funding to individual artists at key moments in their careers, empowering them to deepen their practice, expand their impact, and continue contributing to their communities. 

Background & Purpose

The California Arts Council (CAC) is a statewide agency committed to serving California artists, arts organizations, and communities of all sizes and needs. Guided by racial equity principles, the CAC continuously evaluates its grantmaking practices to ensure fair and inclusive funding opportunities that sustain a vibrant, safe, and resilient creative ecosystem across the state.

Through regionally based Administering Organizations (AOs), the Individual Artists Fellowship (IAF) program uplifts and celebrates California artists across all disciplines and traditions, highlights their excellence and acknowledges their leadership in shaping traditional and contemporary cultures. The program includes three fellowship tiers with a different award amount:

CAC Emerging Artist Fellows – $5,000

Emerging artists are those in the beginning stages of making their work public and engaging the larger community in their practice.

CAC Established Artist Fellows – $10,000

Artists in the Established tier regularly make their work public and engage the larger community in their practice.

CAC Legacy Artist Fellows – $50,000

Artists in the Legacy tier can point to a significant body of work, produced over a substantial period of time, that has engaged their communities and that has made significant social impact.

The CAC approved eight regional AOs for the fellowship in September 2025. Each of the AOs has information and  details regarding their Individual Artists Fellowship programs, including application deadlines. If you are an individual artist, apply to the statewide fellowship program through the Regional AO listed below that serves your county. Please note: Individual artists must live in the region they are applying to and may submit an application to only one region.

• Bay Area (Kala Art Institute) - Counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Sonoma

• Central Valley & Sierra (Kern Dance Alliance) - Counties: Amador, Calaveras, Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Mono, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare, Tuolumne

• Inland Empire & South Coast (ArtsOC) - Counties: Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange

• Far South (Commission for Arts and Culture / Cultural Affairs) - Counties: Imperial, San Diego

• Central Coast (Arts Council Santa Cruz County) - Counties: Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Ventura

• Capital (Teatro Nagual) - Counties: Yolo, Solano, Sacramento, El Dorado, Alpine

• Upstate (Nevada County Arts Council (NCArts)) - Counties: Del Norte, Siskiyou, Modoc, Humboldt, Trinity, Shasta, Lassen, Mendocino, Tehama, Butte, Plumas, Lake, Glenn, Sierra, Colusa, Sutter, Yuba, Nevada, Placer

• South (Los Angeles Performance Practice) - County: Los Angeles

Region 1: Upstate Administered by the Nevada County Arts Council (NCArts)

In partnership with California Arts Council, Nevada County Arts & Culture is honored to serve as the Administering Organization for the Upstate Individual Artists Fellowship. The California Arts Council (CAC) has selected Nevada County Arts & Culture to design and implement a fellowship program that supports individual artists and culture bearers across all disciplines. The Upstate Individual Artists Fellowship will provide unrestricted funding in support of the fellows’ artistic practice. 

Background & Purpose

The California Arts Council (CAC) is a statewide agency committed to serving California artists, arts organizations, and communities of all sizes and needs. Guided by racial equity principles, the CAC continuously evaluates its grantmaking practices to ensure fair and inclusive funding opportunities that sustain a vibrant, safe, and resilient creative ecosystem across the state.

Through regionally based Administering Organizations (AOs), the Individual Artists Fellowship (IAF) program uplifts and celebrates California artists across all disciplines and traditions, highlights their excellence and acknowledges their leadership in shaping traditional and contemporary cultures. The program includes three fellowship tiers with a different award amount:

CAC Emerging Artist Fellows – $5,000

Emerging artists are those in the beginning stages of making their work public and engaging the larger community in their practice.

CAC Established Artist Fellows – $10,000

Artists in the Established tier regularly make their work public and engage the larger community in their practice.

CAC Legacy Artist Fellows – $50,000

Artists in the Legacy tier can point to a significant body of work, produced over a substantial period of time, that has engaged their communities and that has made significant social impact.

The CAC approved eight regional AOs for the fellowship in September 2025. Each of the AOs has information and  details regarding their Individual Artists Fellowship programs, including application deadlines. If you are an individual artist, apply to the statewide fellowship program through the Regional AO listed below that serves your county. Please note: Individual artists must live in the region they are applying to and may submit an application to only one region.

• Bay Area (Kala Art Institute) - Counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Sonoma

• Central Valley & Sierra (Kern Dance Alliance) - Counties: Amador, Calaveras, Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Mono, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare, Tuolumne

• Inland Empire & South Coast (ArtsOC) - Counties: Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange

• Far South (Commission for Arts and Culture / Cultural Affairs) - Counties: Imperial, San Diego

• Central Coast (Arts Council Santa Cruz County) - Counties: Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Ventura

• Capital (Teatro Nagual) - Counties: Yolo, Solano, Sacramento, El Dorado, Alpine

• Upstate (Nevada County Arts Council (NCArts)) - Counties: Del Norte, Siskiyou, Modoc, Humboldt, Trinity, Shasta, Lassen, Mendocino, Tehama, Butte, Plumas, Lake, Glenn, Sierra, Colusa, Sutter, Yuba, Nevada, Placer

• South (Los Angeles Performance Practice) - County: Los Angeles

Region 6: South Administered by Los Angeles Performance Practice (Los Angeles County)

In partnership with California Arts Council (CAC), Los Angeles Performance Practice (LAPP) is thrilled to serve as the Administering Organization for the Individual Artist Fellowships in Los Angeles County.

Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation

For more than 50 years, NCCF has been taking on tough problems to improve the quality-of-life in Northwest CT by supporting nonprofits that speak to the charitable passions of our generous donors.

NCCF is a Community Foundation, a tax-exempt public charity that enables donors to establish funds that support the work of local nonprofits through grants and provide scholarships to local students.

Russell F. Bruno Scholarship

For Torrington High School graduating seniors who have excelled in the study of English and are planning to major in writing, literature, journalism or a related field.

The Partnership Agreement Grants for FY 2027, offered by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), support state and regional arts agencies in enhancing community arts accessibility. These grants leverage federal funding to attract significantly more state contributions, fostering a robust federal-state partnership. Each state arts agency develops a tailored arts plan, ensuring that local priorities and goals are effectively addressed. This collaborative approach amplifies the impact of federal arts funding across the nation.

The Alpha Omega Alpha/Pharos Poetry Award

To encourage students to write effective poetry. Winning poems are published in The Pharos.

The Award

Up to 5 poems will receive a $1,500 award. The winning entries will be published in The Pharos.

Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society

Alpha Omega Alpha, founded in 1902, is the national medical honor society. Its mission is:

• Alpha Omega Alpha — dedicated to the belief that in the profession of medicine we will improve care for all by:
• recognizing high educational achievement;
• honoring gifted teaching;
• encouraging the development of leaders in academia and the community;
• supporting the ideals of humanism; and
• promoting service to others.

Helen H. Glaser Student Essay Award

To encourage medical students to write scholarly essays relevant to medicine. Winning essays will be published in an issue of The Pharos.

Only one entry may be submitted per student.

Requirements

• Essays must be written while the student is in medical school, must be the work of a single author, and must be an original work. The essay must not be offered to, or published by, any other journal or entered in any other contest prior to submission or during, the AΩA selection process.
• The essay must be related to medicine.
• Essays should not be fictional or written in first person, but academic/scientific in theme.
• The essay must not exceed 15 double-spaced pages of 12-point type with minimum 1-inch margins, exclusive of reference listing. The author’s name and essay title must be on each page, and all pages must be numbered.
• Unique references, numbered consecutively, should be limited to 20. (Reference citation of a website is not acceptable unless a site is the sole source of the information or has official academic credentials. Examples of acceptable sites are official government web pages such as that of the National Institutes of Health.)
• The Pharos Editorial Board suggests that authors review George Orwell’s “6 Rules for Writing”.
• Essays that are not selected as award recipients may be submitted to other contests/publications after the winners are announced.
• Essays not meeting all requirements will not be considered.

About Community Foundation of Henderson County

• Mission: Helping people who care make lasting contributions to causes that matter.
• Vision: Community Foundation of Henderson County is a highly visible, philanthropic leader directed by an engaged and committed board, staffed by qualified employees, empowering donors at all levels to invest in professionally managed charitable funds that address community needs.

Haddy Harrington Memorial Scholarship

This scholarship is to provide financial assistance for students who have demonstrated a passionate desire for advanced education in art or writing. Applicant must be a graduate of a Henderson County high school with a minimum 3.0 GPA.

This is a renewable scholarship.

The National Writers Series Scholarships, offered by the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation, support aspiring writers in 11th and 12th grades from Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, and Leelanau Counties. Eligible applicants must submit an online application along with a manuscript in one of the following genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Journalism, or Poetry. This initiative encourages local youth to showcase their creativity and talent in writing, fostering a love for literature and expression.

The Lazarus Family Scholarship in Bioethics and Humanities, offered by the AMA Foundation, supports students engaged in bioethics or the humanities, including art, music, and literature. This scholarship aims to foster the next generation of physician leaders by providing financial assistance to those who are committed to advancing health equity and community service. By recognizing diverse fields of study, it emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary approaches in medicine and the humanities.

The American Musicological Society (AMS) offers publication subventions to individuals for music studies-related works. With an annual funding of approximately $80,000, the AMS supports authors and editors in covering costs such as illustrations, translations, and copy-editing. Eligible applicants must be AMS members and can request up to $2,500, provided they haven't received funding in the last three years. This initiative promotes scholarly contributions and embraces innovative projects across all career stages.