Sisters in Crime
/OVERVIEW: Sisters in Crime is a membership organization of women crime writers with more than 50 local chapters in the U.S., Canada and Europe. The organization awards grants, scholarships and awards to individual women writers, and small grants to libraries and bookstores to support their role in inspiring readers and writers.
IP TAKE: This funder awards small grants and awards to women crime writers for research, professional development and other activities related to the writer’s career. Sisters in Crime is an accessible funder that runs open application programs for each of its programs, although guidelines and due dates vary by program. For additional information, see individual award pages at the organization’s website.
PROFILE: Sisters in Crime was established in 1987, when a group of women crime writers gathered in New York City to discuss the mistreatment of women in the world of mystery and crime writing. A membership organization, Sisters in Crime is dedicated to the “ongoing advancement, recognition and professional development of women crime writers” and is composed of more than 70 local chapters across the U.S., Canada and Europe. Sisters in Crime engages in “advocacy, programming and leadership” including grants and awards programs for women crime writers at every stage of their careers.
Grants for Writing, Women and LGBTQ
Sisters in Crime offers several grants and awards for women crime writers:
The Dorothy Cannell Scholarship is a $1,000 award for a published or unpublished member of Sisters in Crime’s international Guppies chapter. The award is intended to enable the recipient to attend the annual Malice Domestic mystery writing conference and workshop in Bethesda, Maryland.
The Pride Award for Emerging LGBTQIA+ Crime Writers is a $2,000 grant awarded annually to an applicant who is a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, although the organization respects the need for some applicants to remain anonymous or use pen names in promotional materials and announcements. Unpublished writers are preferred for this award, but authors who have published up to ten short works of fiction or up to two books will also be considered.
The Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award is a $2,000 award for an emerging writer of color. The award is intended to support “activities that include workshops, seminars, conferences, and retreats, online courses, and research activities required for completion of the work.”
Sisters in Crime’s Academic Research Grants are awarded in the amount of $500 for the purchase of books related to “ research projects that contribute to our understanding of the role of women or underrepresented groups in the crime fiction genre.”
We Love Libraries grants are awarded in the amount of $500 to six school or public libraries in the U.S. and Canada to support their role in inspiring “lifelong learning and love of reading” in their communities.
We Love Bookstores grants, similarly, are awarded in the amount of $500 to six independent bookstores “in recognition of the role they play in introducing authors to readers and building a community of booklovers.”
The Dorothy Salisbury Davis Emergency Fund supports writers experiencing an economic emergency. Grant amounts range between $100 and $1,000. Apply here.
In addition to the above awards, Sisters in Crime runs several advocacy, discount, publicity and networking programs for its members, including a Self-Publishing Discussion Group, SinC Write-In discussion groups, Frankie’s List of Diverse Authors, the Sisters in Crime Monitoring Project, Publishing Summit Reports, podcasts and webinars.
Important Grant Details:
Sisters in Crime makes about $50,000 a year in grants and awards in set amounts according to its various programs. Its awards for individual writers generally support women, writers of color and members of the LGBTQIA+ community. It also makes small grants to libraries and bookstores.
Sisters in Crime runs open applications for all grant and award programs. Guidelines and due dates are specific to each program. For additional information about applications and past recipients, see the links on the organization’s Connect and Advocate pages.
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