New York Wants to Give You $15K

There are two exciting grants opportunities open to artists in New York.  One is for all state residents, the other only for NYC residents. They have relatively short deadlines and one requires a fiscal sponsor. 

New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) FY2022 Round 3 – Support for Artists

$10,000

Deadline September 1

Program Overview

The New York State Council on the Arts recognizes that artists are at the center of creative endeavor. NYSCA is committed to providing opportunities for artists, at all stages in their careers, to continue to develop and present their work.

NYSCA Support for Artists:

For FY 2022 artists may apply for a creative grant to NYSCA, via a sponsoring organization (fiscal sponsor), by selecting from the following artistic areas via a drop-down menu in the application portal.

• Choreography Commissions

• Composer Compositions

• Film, Media, and New Technology

• Folk and Traditional Arts

• Interdisciplinary

• Literature

• Theater Commissions

• Visual Arts

City Artist Corps Grants

$5,000

Deadline August 10

Program Overview

City Artist Corps Grants are intended to support NYC-based working artists who havebeen disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. The program will distribute one-time $5,000 grants to over 3000 artists to help sustain their practice and engage the public across New York City’s five boroughs this summer beginning July. Artists working in any discipline are eligible to apply. (From their website)

Grant applications are accepted in three cycles, two of which are over. 

Application Cycle 3

CAC Grants - Program Overview (updated 06/07/21)

Engagements from September 3 to October 31

Open: Tuesday, July 27, at 10:00AM

Close: Tuesday, August 10 at 10:00AM

Recipients notified: Wednesday, August 25

Four Reasons to Apply 

1. Writing a grant proposal gives you the opportunity to step back and get an overview of your work and were you are headed. 

2. You need to hone in one a project you want to create and think about how it can be accomplished.

3. Communicate your distinctive, creative vision in a compelling narrative that explains why the project you want to fund is important and worthy of funding.

4. You may get money and the prestige of having received a grant.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Please Consider, but Proceed with Caution

This post is intended as a heads up. You MUST read all the official documentation very carefully. There are lots of resources online for assistance. I watched a webinar about the NYSCA grant you can find here. 

The real catch on the NYSCA grant is you can only apply through a fiscal sponsor. A fiscal sponsor  being a non-profit registered in NYS who accepts the funds on your behalf and administers them. The upside for this grant is no matching funds required.

I am applying for both.

I applied for the Cycle 2 of the City Arts Corp Grants and was informed that if I was not funded, my proposal would automatically be advanced to Cycle 3 for another shot at it. My proposal for the City Arts Corp Grant is fine art related and the events would be in my neighborhood in Bay Ridge.

My project for the NYSCA grant is a new animated film. I am a member of New York Women in Film & Television and they will be my fiscal sponsor. This grant deadline in September 1 and with this caveat about the fiscal sponsor, it’s important to get moving now if you aren’t already working on your proposal.

Good luck to all of us.