Best Grants for Creative Writing in Missouri

Missouri Arts Council

The Missouri Arts Council supports the arts that strengthen the cultural, educational, and economic vitality of our state.

Established as a state agency in 1965, the Missouri Arts Council is a division of the Office of the Lieutenant Governor. The Council is funded through the Missouri General Assembly, Missouri Cultural Trust, and National Endowment for the Arts.

The Missouri Arts Council is the state agency dedicated—as public leader, partner, and catalyst—to broadening the growth, availability, and appreciation of the arts in Missouri and fostering the diversity, vitality, and excellence of Missouri’s communities, economy, and cultural heritage. The grants we award make possible quality arts programming to communities both large and small throughout the state. We provide grants to arts projects that meet our strategic goals:

• Engage people in meaningful arts experiences
• Grow Missouri’s economy using the arts
• Strengthen Missouri education through the arts

In addition to funding, we provide technical assistance in community development, fundraising, marketing, grant writing, arts education, artistic disciplines (visual arts, music, literature, theater, dance, festivals, and film/media) and more.

Annual Grants

Annual Grants are designed for experienced Missouri Arts Council applicants with large budget arts projects. The annual application is extensive and more demanding with a rigid deadline schedule, a more competitive review process, and a longer turnaround. While the request amount is higher, organizations receive a smaller percentage of their request based on our funding. 

Annual Grants: Organizations of Color

Organizations must meet the following criteria:

• Organizations where a majority of the board and staff (combined) are American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander (as reflected in the Demographic section of the application).
• The mission of the organization has historically served people of color. Supports arts projects created by and/or targeted to African-American, Asian-American, Latino/Hispanic, and Native American communities. 

Mid-America Arts Alliance

Mid-America Arts Alliance (M-AAA) believes art can be a catalyst for expression, connection, collaboration, and community. This philosophy is reflected in our mission and values.

M-AAA is a nonprofit, regional arts organization representing Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, and beyond. We focus on strengthening communities and improving lives by supporting artists, elevating arts organizations, and connecting people to extraordinary cultural experiences.

Artistic Innovations Grants for Individual Artists

Program Objectives

The Artistic Innovations program supports the development of new or original works of art across all disciplines, created exclusively by in-region individual artists and art-based organizations in M-AAA’s six-state region (Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, and the Native Nations in this geography). Eligible applicants include individual artists and nonprofit 501(c)(3) arts organizations in the region.

Individual Artist Grant Considerations

The Artistic Innovations grant program supports direct project expenses incurred in the art-making process and production of public-facing engagements to individuals through private funds. These grants are funded through private support and, unlike Artistic Innovations grants to organizations, are not supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Ella T. Grasso Literary Scholarship, provided by the UNICO Foundation, offers two $1,000 awards to college students of Italian descent. Candidates must submit an original essay or short story celebrating their heritage while being enrolled in a full-time, accredited U.S. college for the 2026-2027 academic year. This initiative highlights UNICO's commitment to supporting educational endeavors and preserving Italian culture within America.

Missouri 501(c)(3) organizations working in writing, literature, education, science, religion, or community services can seek funding to support their charitable programs. The Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation requires applicants to contact its office at least 30 days before submitting a grant request to discuss eligibility and initiate the Letter of Inquiry process.

Missouri 501(c)(3) nonprofits presenting public arts projects, including writing and literature programs, can apply for Missouri Arts Council annual grants. Focused on broad arts programming, this state funder invites Missouri organizations to support performances, festivals, exhibitions, literary journals, film screenings, and arts education, with awards up to US $40,000 for project-related costs.

Literary Arts Project Grants

As part of its Literary Arts Initiative, South Arts is pleased to announce Literary Arts Project Grants supporting literary arts organizations and small presses that focus on contemporary literary arts.

These grants advance South Arts’ commitment to amplifying the literary traditions and artistic practices of the American South by directly supporting the development, production, and public engagement of high-quality literary projects.

Literary Arts Project Grants support projects in poetry, fiction, creative or literary nonfiction, young readers’ literature, and drama (scriptwriting). Projects must demonstrate artistic excellence, editorial rigor, and meaningful public or community impact.

Award Amount

South Arts will award up to $5,000 per project to eligible literary arts organizations and small presses.

Early-career Native writers and poets in Missouri and across the U.S. can access funding to create new work and advance their artistic practice. Missouri creative writing applicants may be eligible for Native Arts & Cultures Foundation’s LIFT program, which offers US $10,000 one-year awards plus professional development, evaluation support, and communications/marketing assistance.

Missouri creative writers working in fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry can access funding through PEN America’s Emerging Voices Fellowship, which offers US $1,500 and a five-month virtual mentorship program. Early-career writers from underrepresented communities receive one-on-one mentoring, craft workshops, industry panels, and professional development to support their path to publication while residing in the U.S.

Publishers of book-length poetry translations in Missouri can access funding through PEN America for works originally published in another language and released by a U.S. trade publisher; awards US $3,000 to the translator. This national award may benefit creative writing and poetry projects that involve translation into English.

Translators of original, book-length literary prose published by a U.S. trade publisher can receive US $3,000 for outstanding English translations through the PEN Translation Prize. Focused on writing and literature, PEN America invites eligible translators, including those working with Missouri publishers or authors, to submit qualifying works first published in a language other than English.

Nonprofit and academic projects fostering Shakespeare-related writing, performance, or public engagement in Missouri and beyond may be eligible for the SAA Shakespeare Publics Award. Shakespeare Association of America recognizes pioneering efforts that build broad, diverse publics through teaching, scholarship, performance, and activism, with at least one primary collaborator an SAA member in good standing.

Missouri creative writing scholars with a first monograph on Shakespeare may be eligible for the SAA First Book Award, which recognizes a significant Shakespeare component in a debut book. Grants from Shakespeare Association of America help current members in good standing gain national recognition, with the prize presented at the association’s Annual Luncheon.

Doctoral candidates whose dissertations feature a significant Shakespeare component can seek recognition and support through the J. Leeds Barroll Dissertation Prize, including those based in Missouri. Focused on writing and literature, the Shakespeare Association of America invites eligible SAA members to submit dissertations approved between September 1, 2024 and September 1, 2025.

Missouri scholars in creative writing and performance who are SAA members in good standing can seek recognition for outstanding Shakespeare and performance scholarship through the Barbara Hodgdon Award. Grants from Shakespeare Association of America help support innovative articles on Shakespeare’s works or adaptations across media, geographies, and time periods, published within the specified eligibility window.

Early-career pediatric infectious diseases physicians interested in academic writing and editing can apply for the JPIDS Feigin Apprenticeship, a more than US $5,000 professional development award open to U.S. applicants, including those in Missouri. With a mission to support pediatric infectious diseases education, PIDS Foundation provides intensive editorial training and manuscript review experience for junior faculty within three years of fellowship.

The ISF Media Scholarship Program, established by the Islamic Scholarship Fund, supports American Muslim students pursuing degrees in media-related fields. With scholarships ranging from $3,000 to $5,000, the program aims to enhance Muslim representation in media and policy, counter negative portrayals, and foster positive narratives. Eligible applicants must be full-time students or working professionals in supported majors like media studies and journalism, maintaining a minimum GPA of 3.0.

The RWA Perseverance Fund, administered by the Romance Writers of America (RWA), supports members in financial need for their annual national dues. RWA, a nonprofit organization, is dedicated to advancing the interests of romance writers through advocacy and networking. The fund is available to applicants who can demonstrate financial need and commitment to a career in romance writing. Eligibility includes submitting proof of work, while ensuring a respectful and inclusive environment for all members.

The Sundance Collab's Cultural Impact Residency, honoring Michael Latt, is a six-month online program supporting early-career, underrepresented storytellers focused on social impact. Running from March to August 2026, it offers mentorship, feedback sessions, and resources to eight selected fellows in screenwriting, directing, and documentary filmmaking. This opportunity is designed for works-in-progress, fostering a supportive creative community to inspire and develop impactful narratives.

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.

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.

Authors of intellectually rigorous nonfiction books published by a U.S. trade publisher can receive US $10,000 for work that illuminates contemporary issues. Grants from PEN America help Missouri and other writers in creative nonfiction and memoir gain recognition for distinguished, single-author titles released in the previous calendar year.

Authors of single‑author biographies published by a U.S. trade publisher can apply for PEN America’s PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography, awarding US $5,000 for exceptional literary, narrative, and artistic merit. Missouri and other writers of biography, including those working in creative nonfiction, may be eligible if their work meets the publication and genre requirements.

Science writers with books on physical or biological sciences that engage general readers, and whose authors are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, may be eligible for the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award. PEN America supports writing and literature in Missouri and nationwide with a US $10,000 prize for a single-author, traditionally published book.

Missouri creative nonfiction authors with essay collections published by a U.S. trade publisher can access funding through PEN America’s PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay. Permanent U.S. residents or American citizens with at least one prior essay collection may receive US $15,000 for a single-author book of essays, including previously published pieces.

With a mission to celebrate literary excellence, PEN America provides Missouri creative writers with the PEN/Voelcker Award for Poetry Collection, offering US $5,000 for an outstanding poetry collection. Eligible applicants are single-author poets who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents with a collection published by a U.S. trade publisher in the award year.

Authors of color with English-language books of fiction, literary nonfiction, biography, memoir, poetry, or similar literary work published by a U.S. trade publisher can apply for PEN America’s PEN Open Book Award; awards US $10,000 and a residency for emerging writers. Missouri creative writers meeting these criteria may be eligible.

Editors of literary magazines, journals, or cultural websites publishing debut short fiction in English, including those featuring Missouri writers, can apply for PEN America's PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize; awards US $2,000 per winning story. Twelve emerging writers are selected annually, with winning stories published in Catapult’s Best Debut Short Stories anthology.