Best Arts Access & Participation Grants

The Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne is dedicated to fostering a vibrant culture of classical music and visual arts through substantial funding for innovative projects. It supports international academies, master classes, and culturally significant events, aiming to engage new audiences, particularly underprivileged youth. The foundation prioritizes visionary, sustainable projects that enhance art education and public interest in both music and visual arts, ensuring a long-term impact on the cultural landscape.

The Black Visual Arts Archives initiative, funded by the Getty Foundation, aims to enhance access to collections related to Black artists. This ongoing grant program supports projects that survey, process, and digitize archival materials while promoting public engagement through exhibitions and community events. By fostering awareness of Black contributions to the visual arts, the initiative strengthens the preservation of cultural heritage and encourages collaboration among libraries, universities, and community organizations.

The Glenn W. Bailey Foundation STEM Stars program offers grants up to $25,000 for organizations supporting middle and high school students in advanced STEM education. Applicants should focus on fostering a passion for STEM, developing rigorous curricula, and providing hands-on experiences. Partnerships with local universities and industry are encouraged, along with community and parental engagement. The program aims to prepare students for careers in STEM fields through comprehensive and engaging educational experiences.

The Henry Luce Foundation's American Art Program offers responsive grants to support projects in art museums that encourage creative expression and public dialogue. These grants focus on projects that rejuvenate collections through diverse partnerships, especially in visual arts, including Native American art. The Foundation seeks innovative approaches to documentation and exhibitions while emphasizing ethical practices. Eligible applicants include U.S. not-for-profit organizations, with a history of providing over $1 billion in grants since 1936.

The Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation, established in 1957, promotes social justice and human rights through various initiatives, including education, the arts, health services, and support for international human rights. The foundation primarily funds U.S.-based organizations that address issues such as women's and reproductive rights, refugee protection, and leadership development. With a focus on systemic change and constituent participation, it seeks to foster innovation and effective evaluation processes in its grantees.

The Journalism & Media Grant aims to promote inclusive narratives and accurate media that engage communities in democratic processes. It supports U.S.-based nonprofit organizations focused on professional reporting, multimedia storytelling, and civic media. The grant addresses barriers to media participation and fosters innovation in journalism, providing essential infrastructure for a diverse media landscape. While unsolicited proposals are not accepted, organizations can share ideas through a Letter of Inquiry (LOI).

The OpenAI A People-First AI Fund supports U.S.-based nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status, focusing on AI literacy, community innovation, and economic opportunity. It aims to enhance public understanding of AI, promote participatory design in AI applications by communities, and expand access to meaningful work through inclusive practices. Organizations at all stages of AI adoption are encouraged to apply, especially those addressing the needs of traditionally marginalized populations. This initiative emphasizes equitable distribution of AI benefits.

The FS Foundation Grant: Building for Better Belonging supports 501(c)(3) nonprofits with budgets under $5 million, aiming to enhance the lives of individuals with profound functional limitations. This funding opportunity encourages innovative projects that foster community engagement through access to adaptive resources, artistic creations, career training, and health initiatives. Grants of $50,000 to $100,000 are available to cover up to half of total project costs, ensuring collaboration with other funding sources to maximize impact.

Grants Overview

The Ronald W. Naito MD Foundation supports local, national, and international initiatives in the following categories: climate, health equity, and sustainable communities. We also support Oregon-based arts and cultural* organizations. There is clear overlap between our funding priorities: we embrace that intersectionality and understand that organizations often work across multiple priorities.

We offer unrestricted grants, mostly ranging from $10,000-$40,000. We occasionally fund smaller and larger requests, and we are moving toward more multi-year grants. We try to keep a balance between organizations providing frontline services and organizations working to create and advocate for systemic solutions.

For our nonprofit partners, we try to keep our application and reporting forms straightforward: we don’t want you to be distracted from fulfilling your mission by complicated forms.

Within the capacity of our staff of one, we value partnership and contact: we welcome you to reach out to us with ideas, questions, suggestions, and opportunities. We hope to have the chance to meet with you and thank you for your work.

Current Funding Trends

Before you apply, please read about our funding trends and grant eligibility below, as well as our pages for relevant funding priorities:

ClimateHealth EquitySustainable CommunitiesOregon Arts & Culture

Funding Area: Health Equity

Our founder Dr. Ron Naito devoted his career to treating the whole patient. Accordingly, we embrace the World Health Organization’s definition of health: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

We see significant intersection between this funding priority and our other priorities – all connected by healing. For our health equity funding area, we seek applications from organizations or initiatives that work to improve health outcomes, decrease health inequities, and increase individual and social well-being.

This includes (but isn’t limited to) organizations that:

• Increase historically marginalized communities’ access to sustained health care either internationally or domestically, including both frontline service providers and initiatives that advocate for policy or market reforms.
• Focus on lasting health outcomes, such as eyesight restoration, disability supports, reproductive justice, and other health interventions that impact individuals’ long-term health and capacity to thrive.
• Increase equitable, sustainable access to healthy foods, including sustained nutritional interventions, nutritional policy, and food sovereignty and systems initiatives.
• Improve health outcomes through clean air, water, hygiene, and anti-toxin/-pollutant advocacy, policy, and frontlines interventions.
• Provide ongoing support and empowerment to people experiencing violence, displacement, poverty, and other traumas.
• Combat misinformation contributing to adverse health outcomes.
• Diversify participation in health research, policy, and medical care to advance more equitable health outcomes.

About Wallace

Our mission is to help all communities build a more vibrant and just future by fostering advances in the arts, education leadership, and youth development.

Request For Research Proposals:

Advancing Well-Being in the Arts Arts and Economic Mobility

As a part of its Advancing Well-Being in the Arts initiative’s Field Studies program, Wallace is interested in funding a small set of research studies that investigate aspects of how community-based arts organizations contribute to the economic mobility of their communities. “Communities” may include organizational staff, artists, audiences, program participants, local constituents served, and/or others as defined in proposals.

For this RFP, we broadly define and understand economic mobility, and pathways to economic mobility, as emerging through access to training and preparation, expanded social and professional networks, high quality jobs, as well as to basic needs such as safe neighborhoods, housing, health care, and food. However, we are eager to learn, through the studies to be funded, how arts organizations themselves conceptualize, define, and support economic mobility in their communities.

To that end, we invite letters of interest for studies related to the arts and economic mobility that would be of use and benefit to community-based arts organizations by, for example:

• Producing compelling new evidence, including quantitative indicators, of impact on the economic mobility of particular community groups (e.g., working artists, local families, staff, et al.);
• Generating new tools that can measure impact of arts organizations on economic mobility, including those that use quantitative approaches and methods;
• Developing testable theories of the relationship between arts organizations and economic mobility;
• Other ideas, to be proposed by the field.

The Civic Science Media Project Grants, offered by Montclair State University's Center for Cooperative Media, aim to enhance local journalism and foster collaboration between scientists and media. With up to $15,000 available for each of the 10 awards, projects should promote community engagement in scientific discourse, focusing on pressing issues like climate change and public health. This initiative encourages diverse participation, ensuring that local voices shape the narrative and enhance public understanding of science.

The Green Family Foundation Grants support initiatives that enhance access to the arts, culture, education, and healthcare. Through a competitive RFP process, they prioritize community-driven solutions that foster equity, innovation, and collaboration in key areas such as Global Health, Community Empowerment, The Arts, and Education. Grants range from $1,500 to $30,000, with a preference for organizations based in Miami-Dade County. Eligible applicants must be 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations aligned with the foundation's mission.

The Career Enhancement Fellowship, offered by Citizens & Scholars, supports junior faculty from diverse backgrounds in the humanities and humanistic social sciences. With stipends up to $35,000, funding for research, and travel support, this program nurtures academic diversity and enhances campus perspectives. Since 2001, over 400 fellows have advanced their careers while fostering a rich academic community. The fellowship promotes innovative scholarship and leadership roles, contributing to a more inclusive academic environment.

The Asian Cultural Council (ACC) offers Organization Grants to arts and culture organizations in Asia and the U.S., promoting cultural exchange through travel and collaborative activities. These grants support immersive experiences, research, and access to artistic communities, fostering international dialogue and relationship-building. Organizations must be nonprofit or educational institutions, legally registered in eligible regions, and demonstrate a minimum of five years of relevant programming. ACC provides additional support to enhance project feasibility.

The Craig H. Neilsen Foundation's Creating Opportunity & Independence Grant supports programs and research that enhance the quality of life for individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCI). It welcomes applications from nonprofit organizations and rehabilitation facilities in the U.S. and Canada, focusing on projects that foster independence, community participation, and capacity-building. Priority is given to initiatives that demonstrate broad impact and involve individuals with SCI, ensuring their needs and perspectives shape the proposed activities.

The Holloway Family Foundation, established in North Central Texas, aims to enhance community quality of life regardless of race, gender, or religion. Their mission focuses on financial security, creative expression for under-resourced youth, and mentorship for personal development. The foundation supports organizations that provide workforce training, artistic opportunities for children, and guidance for youth in need. By fostering individual growth and economic stability, they empower families and strengthen communities, staying true to the founders' core values and personal experiences.

The John Ben Snow Memorial Trust Grant supports educational programs and initiatives that assist individuals demonstrating financial need. Founded in 1975, it prioritizes funding for organizations that enhance educational opportunities, arts, culture, and community initiatives, particularly for youth and disadvantaged populations. The Trust encourages proposals from 501(c)(3) organizations, with grants typically ranging from $10,000 to $20,000. It also considers limited proposals in disabilities, environmental protection, and historic preservation, focusing on educational impact.

The Peggy Barber Tribute Grant, offered by the American Library Association, supports libraries facing budget constraints by providing $2,500 to three selected libraries. The 2025-2026 cycle focuses on programming that strengthens community ties through libraries as third spaces, promoting gatherings and connections among individuals. Eligible proposals may include intergenerational gardening programs, play-based activities for adults, or visual arts performances. Applicants must have ALA or ARSL membership and demonstrate how their program will foster community engagement.

The Music Man Foundation invites eligible organizations to apply for Advocacy and Research Grants aimed at supporting systemic change in the arts sector. Organizations must demonstrate their impact on music-related systems, showcase their priorities in the field, and outline their achievements. Grants will assist with research, advocacy training, and cross-sector initiatives to enhance community vitality and promote sustainable solutions, reflecting the Foundation's commitment to fostering positive arts engagement.

The Tri-M Foundation's Performing Arts Grant Program aims to support innovative and high-quality performing arts projects by regional non-profit organizations. The program prioritizes projects that align with the organization's mission, engage audiences, and provoke important discussions. Grants range from $3,000 to $10,000, intended for diverse artistic expressions, including theatre and dance. Applications are encouraged from eligible organizations that demonstrate detailed project planning, inclusivity, and a commitment to addressing sensitive topics.

The Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts offers grants to organizations focused on architecture and its role in society. Established in 1956, the Foundation promotes innovative projects that encourage public dialogue, raise awareness, and foster experimentation in the field. Grants, not exceeding $30,000, support diverse practitioners and initiatives, enhancing discourse in architecture, design, visual arts, and related fields. The Foundation encourages projects that demonstrate originality, feasibility, and potential for meaningful impact.

The Citizens' Institute on Rural Design (CIRD), a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and the Housing Assistance Council, invites rural communities to apply for design support. CIRD aims to enhance rural life and economic viability through planning and creative placemaking, empowering local citizens to address unique community challenges. Opportunities include Local Design Workshops and a Design Learning Cohort, providing resources, training, and support to foster community-driven solutions.

The American Art Program by the Henry Luce Foundation supports scholarly loan exhibitions that enhance the understanding of U.S. art, including Native American art. With a focus on cultural significance, intellectual originality, and organizational capacity, the program invites institutions to submit proposals that empower diverse voices and encourage critical dialogue. Eligibility criteria include submission by the originating institution and a significant representation of U.S. art. The program aims to foster public knowledge and understanding through innovative exhibitions.

The Huo Junior Faculty Research Grants, provided by the Huo Family Foundation, aim to support early career researchers investigating the impact of digital technology on brain development, social behavior, and mental health in youth aged 7-24. With a grant of up to £200,000 per year for three years, applicants are encouraged to explore causal pathways and engage young people in design and execution. The foundation seeks to advance multi-disciplinary research to foster the next generation of scientists in this critical area.

The Creation & Development Fund, administered by the National Performance Network, supports the creation and mobility of artistic works that promote racial and cultural justice. It fosters collaboration between artists and communities through financial support, enabling artists to develop meaningful relationships and present their work. The fund emphasizes equity, access, and the importance of public engagement, ensuring that diverse voices are represented while addressing systemic injustices in the arts.

The Disability Inclusion Fund Grant, managed by Borealis Philanthropy, aims to support organizations advocating for disability inclusion, rights, and justice. As a partner in philanthropy, Borealis facilitates donor collaboratives to maximize impact across various communities and movements. Organizations interested in applying for this grant are encouraged to review the detailed FAQ for further information. This initiative is a vital step towards fostering inclusivity and promoting the rights of individuals with disabilities.

Hydro Flask's Parks for All Grants offer product donations to U.S. non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations dedicated to enhancing public green spaces and recreational areas. Since its founding in 2009, Hydro Flask has supported initiatives that promote inclusivity and active lifestyles. Organizations can apply for donations in specified quantities, with applications reviewed in January and notifications sent in February. This initiative aims to foster healthier and happier communities through improved access to parks.