/

Learn about grants for creative writing by browsing our curated list of top writing funders below. Members can also research funding opportunities by using the search tool for GrantFinder. Become a member.

Funding Trends

Nonprofits, and the philanthropic dollars that support them, are critical to a vibrant literary culture. However, philanthropic giving for writing and literature is minuscule when compared to other artistic disciplines (and even smaller as a whole).

The importance of philanthropy that supports writers and literary pursuits is only likely to grow as the publishing industry continues to consolidate, narrowing the number of titles and the types of books published commercially. Despite the need and potential for growth, funding for writing and literature is constrained.

One reason is that funders often assume that literature is commercially viable. Another is that other artistic disciplines have a denser network of nonprofits, and nonprofit literary organizations tend to be smaller and less visible within their communities than other art nonprofits.

Like many fields of philanthropy, giving is dominated by private foundations, although community foundations are major players at the local level. Recipients of philanthropic funding are broadly classified as individual writers, nonprofit literary arts organizations, and education organizations. Philanthropy plays a larger role for education organizations, which are also more likely to receive support from community foundations and corporations, than for literary nonprofits, which tend to have fewer grant opportunities available to them.

Funders have historically followed a traditional model of awards for writers and project-specific grants for organizations, but they are slowly adopting new strategies such as collaborative funding and a greater emphasis on infrastructure. Even so, emergency funding for writers and nonprofit literary organizations became a priority in the COVID-19 era, as has donor interest in writing pursuits that advance social justice and promote civic engagement.

Foundations for Creative Writing Funding

ACADEMY OF MOTION PICTURE ARTS AND SCIENCES

This funder supports projects that encourage filmmaking, promote the film industry, and contribute to an understanding and appreciation of motion pictures.

AMERICAN ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY

AAS funds fellowships that improve the American people’s understanding of pre-twentieth century history.

THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN

This funder makes grants to women academics and supports women and girls through activism and empowerment. The AAUW funds varies projects related to the arts and writing.

ANDY WARHOL FOUNDATION

The Andy Warhol Foundation’s Arts Writers grants support established and emerging writers who write about visual art.

ASTRAEA LESBIAN FOUNDATION FOR JUSTICE

Astraea funds grants for lesbians and queer women, trans and gender non-conforming people, intersex people, and people of color. The foundation also supports rights organizations that advance racial, economic, and gender-related justice.

AUTHORS GUILD

The Authors Guild Foundation is the philanthropic vehicle Authors Guild, a membership organizations of authors in U.S. The foundation’s purpose is “sustaining the literary life of our country through education and advocacy.”

BARD COLLEGE

The Bard Fiction Prize supports published emerging writers with a grant and a one-semester residency.

BOGLIASCO FOUNDATION

The Bogliasco Foundation, near Genoa in Italy, provides short residencies to scholars and creative artists from all over the world.

WITTER BYNNER FOUNDATION FOR POETRY

Bynner supports a variety of grant programs to support poetry, including its translation and proliferation. 

AMON G. CARTER FOUNDATION

This funder makes grants to promote and strengthen Tarrant County, Texas, which includes Fort Worth; however, it funds writing nationwide.

CINTAS FOUNDATION

The Cintas foundation prioritizes grantmaking for creative artists with Cuban citizenship or who have a Cuban parent or grandparent. Its funding areas include architecture and design, music composition, the visual arts, and writing.

CREATIVE CAPITAL

Creative Capital awards grants of up to $50,000 for individual writers and artists while also offering career development services like professional development workshops, industry contact development, marketing and public relations services and fundraising workshops.

COMPTON FOUNDATION

This funder supports creative writing focused on the intersection of art and social or environmental change. It is open to creative journalistic approaches, new ways of sharing data, and training organizations in strategic ways to tell their stories.

BARBARA DEMING MEMORIAL FUND

Deming is one of the oldest grantmakers for feminist artists. Most grants fund writers and visual artists who live in the U.S. and Canada.

MAX AND VICTORIA DREYFUS FOUNDATION

The foundation was established after the death of famed music publisher Max Dreyfus, who worked with American greats like George Gershwin and Cole Porter. This funder is interested in providing smaller grants that can make a big difference. 

FORD FOUNDATION

With more than $11 billion in assets, the Ford Foundation is one of the largest private foundations in the United States. It prioritizes addressing inequality and fostering social change across its programs, including writing.

FOUNDATION FOR CONTEMPORARY ARTS

Creative writing grants from FCA go to poets. The organization doesn't shy away from provocative or controversial material.

FOUNDATION FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE

The Foundation for Middle East Peace supports educational, humanitarian, public affairs, and civil rights organizations seeking to contribute peaceful solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

JOHN SIMON GUGGENHEIM MEMORIAL FOUNDATION

One of the most prestigious awards in its field, the Guggenheim Fellowship is considered a mid-career award for those who are well established in their area of expertise.

THE YIP HARBURG FOUNDATION

The Yip Harburg Foundation makes grants in support of social and political activism in keeping with its founder’s legacy.

HAVEN FOUNDATION

Established by author Stephen King after he was hit by a car and couldn't work for nearly a year, Haven provides grants to writers, audio readers and other freelance artists in need.

DAVID CHARLES HORN FOUNDATION

The David Charles Horn Foundation supports unpublished works of playwrights around the world.

RONA JAFFE FOUNDATION

This funder supports women writers in the early stages of their careers who are working on literary fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. Unsolicited applications and nominations are not accepted.

JEROME FOUNDATION

The Jerome Foundation supports literary organizations with ongoing programs and services for early career artists.

KRESGE FOUNDATION

No specific creative writing grant program here, but Kresge supports community development through the arts, with focus on disenfranchised communities. Grants go to organizations, not individuals.

JAPAN-UNITED STATES FRIENDSHIP COMMISSION

This funder is an independent federal government agency that supports projects that highlight the cultural, educational, and intellectual exchange between the United States and Japan. The commission conducts grantmaking to support creative writing across the United States.

LANNAN FOUNDATION

Grants range between $50,000 and $150,000 and are awarded to organizations and tribes. However, the foundation also grants fellowships and awards to individual scribes ranging from $25,000 to $150,000.

LOFT LITERARY CENTER

The Minneapolis-based Loft Literary Center is one of the country's most respected literary arts centers.

MAURER FAMILY FOUNDATION

Maurer Foundation grants generally fall into two categories: supporting programs designed to broaden access to the arts, including scholarships, and supporting programs that raise artistic standards, including competitions and masterclasses.

ANDREW W. MELLON FOUNDATION

Mellon’s grantmaking for writing is conducted primarily through its Publishing subprogram of the foundation’s Public Knowledge funding area. However, the foundation also conducts grantmaking for adjacent programs, as through its grants for the humanities.

MIDWEST WRITING CENTER

Midwest Writing Center supports writers and literary projects within the region.

NATIONAL BOOK FOUNDATION

The National Book Foundation oversees the prestigious National Book Awards and funds various programs, honors, and awards related in some way to books, reading, and writing.

NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS

NEA is an independent government organization that funds art projects that celebrate artistic American excellence.

NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES

NEH is an independent government organization that funds projects to promote research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. NEH supports writing across several programs.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF AMERICAN PEN WOMEN

National League of American Pen Women seeks to increase the visibility of women artists in the art world. Its funding priorities include music, visual arts, and writing.

NATIONAL YOUNGARTS FOUNDATION

The National YoungArts Foundation (NYAF) seeks to nurture accomplished 15- to 18-year-old emerging artists in cinema, dance, design, music, photography, writing, theater, and the visual arts. The NYAF provides a variety of mentorship and scholarship programs, master classes, national recognition, and other opportunities in order to further learning and encourage pursuit of careers in the arts.

OHIANA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION

The Ohioana Library Association prioritizes the work of Ohio creators.

OPEN MEADOWS FOUNDATION

Open Meadows grants support women and girls leading and benefitting from projects that address activism and social justice.

PEN AMERICA

One of the most well-known and respected literary organizations in the country. It gives over $150,000 each year to writers in the fields of fiction, science writing, essays, sports writing, biography, children’s literature, translation, drama, and poetry.

PPENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE FOUNDATION

The Penguin Random House Foundation, a champion of literature, makes grants to support writers and readers, as well as libraries and teachers.

PEW CENTER FOR ARTS AND HERITAGE

The Pew Center for Arts and Heritage awards grants exclusively to organizations and individuals in the five-county Southeastern Pennsylvania region. It supports artists and organizations with ambitious, imaginative projects.

PLAYWRIGHTS’ CENTER

The Playwrights’ Center supports playwrights in all stages of their career in Minnesota and beyond.

POETRY FOUNDATION

Many of the Poetry Foundation's awards and prizes aren't actually open to the poetic public at large, but several opportunities exist.

PUFFIN FOUNDATION

Puffin’s written word grants support writers working in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, journalism and hybrid/multimedia genres.

ROCKEFELLER FOUNDATION

Rockefeller doesn’t offer traditional literary grants in the form of cash; instead, it offers a two- to four-week writers' residence at its Bellagio Center. 

ROSENTHAL FAMILY FOUNDATION

The foundation offers grants to novelists publishing their first work.

SISTERS IN CRIME

Sisters in Crime supports female writers of crime and mystery fiction, and seeks to increase the visibility of women in the genre.

SOCIETY OF CHILDREN'S BOOK WRITERS AND ILLUSTRATORS

Members of SCBWI are eligible for support here. Awards go to authors and illustrators as community grants, diversity grants, and grants for students.

SPECULATIVE LITERATURE FOUNDATION

This funder has several grant opportunities within the realm of science fiction, fantasy, and horror creative writing.

SUSTAINABLE ARTS FOUNDATION

The Sustainable Arts Foundation awards annual grants to writers, poets, and playwrights with children under the age of 18 in order to support artists who are continuing their creative pursuits while raising a family. 

UNITED STATES ARTISTS

Gives out as many as 50 unrestricted $50,000 grants directly to artists each year, with creative writing at the forefront. These are competitive and elusive grants; you must be nominated for them, and the nominators are anonymous.

ANDY WARHOL FOUNDATION

Warhol’s Arts Writers Grant Program and other initiatives award grants from between $3,000 and $50,000 to authors who write about the visual arts. 

WHITING FOUNDATION

Whiting provides $40,000 to $50,000 grants to promising emerging writers to enable them to concentrate on literary work. Writers don't apply; they're nominated by a changing group of literature professionals and influencers.

HELENE WURLITZER FOUNDATION

This funder supports literary artists as part of its artist resident program in Taos, New Mexico. It provides residence grants to writers without any expectation or requirement of creative output.

Additional Resources

Grantmakers in the Arts. While there is no funder affinity group that is specific to writing and literature, many of the private foundations operating in the space are members of this funder group. 

The Academy of American Poets and Community of Literary Magazines and Presses separately administers annual grants that are funded by Amazon Literary Partnerships. 

PEN America. Administers an emergency fund for writers that was largely funded by Lannan Foundation and the Haven Foundation.

LitNet is a coalition of literary organizations that provides resources to its members but that operates on a smaller scale.