Reference Guide for Writers

If you are a writer and are looking for information on grants, this reference guide will help you in your search. We have selected a few of the most important print and electronic resources for you to begin your search.

Because most private foundations make grants only to incorporated nonprofit organizations, individual grantseekers must follow a different funding path than organizations with tax-exempt status. Some private foundations currently offer support for individual projects; it is up to you to determine which foundations might be interested in your particular subject area or project.

The Foundation Center has identified a range of materials useful to writers seeking funding for the support of their own creative pursuits. Feel free to refer to them, read introductions, scan indexes, and think of all the subjects and terms by which you can identify your project. A knowledge of support available from local writers' organizations will also be to your benefit. You need to be both creative and flexible in your approach to seeking funding.

If you are unfamiliar with the process of grantseeking, you may want to start with the Individual Grantseekers area of the Foundation Center's Web site. Information on proposal writing for individual grantseekers can be found in our FAQ "Where can I find information on proposal writing for individual grantseekers?".

Electronic Resources for Writers

Foundation Grants to Individuals Online (http://gtionline.fdncenter.org)
The Foundation Center's online database of more than 6,500 grantmakers that provide support to individuals. Available at a low monthly subscription rate.

Dow Jones Newspaper Fund – The Journalist's Road to Success (http://djnewspaperfund.dowjones.com/fund/cg_js_min_scholarships.asp)
A directory listing journalism schools, jobs, internships, scholarships, and fellowships.

Michigan State University Libraries – Grants for Individuals: Writing and Translation (http://www.lib.msu.edu/harris23/grants/3writing.htm)
A comprehensive listing of funding opportunities including Web sites, databases, books, and announcments.

National Endowment for the Arts (http://arts.endow.gov)
Provides information on fellowships in the areas of poetry and prose.

Newswise (http://www.newswise.com/resources/j_grants)
Includes descriptions, deadlines, and contact information for upcoming awards and grants for journalists.

New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) – For Artists (http://www.nyfa.org/level1.asp?id=1)
Provides information on fellowships and fiscal sponsorship for artists, including NYFA Source a national database of awards, services, and publications for artists of all disciplines.

PEN American Center (http://www.pen.org/page.php/prmID/1351)
Sponsors a number of literary awards. Includes press releases and a listing of past winners.

Poets & Writers Online (http://www.pw.org/mag/grantsawards.htm)
Contains an extensive list of upcoming deadlines for future poetry and fiction prizes. Also includes a submission calendar, a list of recent winners, and listings of conferences and residencies.

PoynterOnline (http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=1241)
Offers a list of foundations, awards, and fellowships available for journalistic writers and editors.

Recommended Books for Individual Writers

Edelson, Phyllis, ed. FOUNDATION GRANTS TO INDIVIDUALS. New York, NY: The Foundation Center, biennial. Profiles more than 6,500 foundation programs that make grants to individuals for education, arts and culture, general welfare, and more.

Billot, Diane, ed. MONEY FOR WRITERS. Rev. ed. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company, Inc., 1997. Contains over 800 cash awards, grants, prizes, contests, scholarships, retreats, and more, specifically geared to writers.

Breen, Nancy, ed. POET'S MARKET: Where and How to Publish Your Poetry. Cincinnati, OH: Writer's Digest Books, annual. Entries include contact information and submission instructions for periodicals, book publishers, and other outlets for poetry.

Brogan, Kathryn S. and Robert Lee Brewer, eds. WRITER'S MARKET. Cincinnati, OH: Writer's Digest Books, annual. Covers fiction and nonfiction, books, articles, greeting cards, screenplays, and other media. Entries include contact information, how to query the publisher, typical fees paid, and other specifications for aspiring and professional writers.

Middleton, Robyn, et. al. ARTISTS AND WRITERS COLONIES: Retreats, Residencies, and Respites for The Creative Mind. Portland, OR: Blue Heron Publishing, Inc., 2000. Contains entries for over 175 residencies, retreats, and fellowships for artists and writers. Entries provide the colony's name, address, telephone number, history, application information, provisos, and deadline.

Morrone, John, ed. GRANTS AND AWARDS AVAILABLE TO AMERICAN WRITERS. 22nd ed. New York, NY: PEN American Center, 2002. Comprehensive list of more than 1,000 awards available to North American writers for use in the U.S., Canada, and abroad.

Obalil, Deborah and Caitlin S. Glass, eds. ARTISTS COMMUNITIES: A Directory of Residencies That Offer Time and Space for Creativity. 3rd ed. New York, NY: Allworth Press. 2005. Profiles 95 communities that provide studios and housing for artists in a communal environment.

Sova, Kathy, Gretchen Van Lente, and Todd Miller. DRAMATISTS SOURCEBOOK: Complete Opportunities for Playwrights, Translators, Composers, Lyricists and Librettists. 2004 ed. New York, NY: Theatre Communications Group, 2004. Contains a "Fellowships and Grants" section listing foundations and organizations that offer funding to playwrights, composers, translators, librettists, and lyricists. Notes guidelines, application procedures, deadlines, remuneration, and frequency of these funding sources. Includes a listing of sources of emergency funds for writers in severe temporary financial difficulties, the addresses and phone numbers of state arts agencies, and artists colonies and residencies.

Wright, Michael and Christi Pyland. THE STUDENT'S GUIDE TO PLAYWRITING OPPORTUNITIES. 3rd ed. Dorset, VT: American Theatre Works, 2002. Written for student playwrights in search of training and experience, the directory lists and describes undergraduate and graduate theater writing programs at colleges and universities. Also includes developmental programs that may have internships, fellowships, summer employment, and other opportunities of interest to student playwrights.

For other articles and books for writers, check under the subject headings "Arts--directories", "Arts--grants--directories", "Individual grants and grantseekers", or "Writing" in the Catalog of Nonprofit Literature.