We're pleased to share new information about the Center's 2025 grant cycle, including available funding opportunities and the first steps for prospective grant applicants. Application guidelines for the Center’s 2025 grant cycle in Creative Projects and Evolving Futures will be available on our website on April 1. An initial inquiry form for interested applicants is available online now. You'll find details and a link to the form below.
We have made several changes this year to make our grantmaking process more inclusive and expansive. Outlined below, they include:
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A more streamlined application process
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New opportunities for fiscally sponsored organizations
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A new category for Evolving Futures grants
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Capacity-building funds to support travel, research, and technical assistance in preparing applications.
More information can be found on our How to Apply page.
The application process has been streamlined
Our 2025 grant application process will reflect feedback from recent surveys of our constituents. We heard your feedback.
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We’ve designed an Initial Inquiry Form to make our eligibility requirements easier to understand. Complete this form as your first step to express interest in applying for a grant. The form only takes a few minutes to complete and does not require an online account.
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Both the Letter of Intent to Apply (LOI) and full Application will ask applicants to answer fewer, more direct questions. By requiring less writing, we hope to reduce the time applicants will spend on our process.
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For Creative Project grant applicants: Only organizations new to our process will need to meet with Center staff before the LOI is due. These early meetings are optional for returning applicants. (Please note: Creative Project grants were formerly called Project grants. Meetings are required for all Evolving Futures applicants and will begin in the spring.)
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Returning applicants can get a head start on finding out if they meet the Center’s financial eligibility requirements sooner than in past years. Log in to the Center’s online application system for more information and to get started.
New! Fiscally sponsored organizations may apply for Creative Project grants
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Fiscally sponsored applicants must operate as a year-round programming organization and have a minimum annual budget of $150,000.
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Fiscal sponsors must be located in the 5-county Philadelphia area.
New! Evolving Futures grants will now include Planning Grants
This year, two types of Evolving Futures grants will be offered:
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Planning grants are designed to help you increase readiness to make a change to your core business model. These grants support preparatory research, consultations, and feasibility studies.
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Implementation grants are designed for organizations that have identified a critical operational challenge that exists for the organization and have structured plans in place to enact operational change.
Evolving Futures grants are only available to constituents who have received Project grants since 2014.
Capacity-building funds will be available in 2025
These grants are available to past grantees and current Creative Project and Evolving Futures applicants.
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Funds for research and travel are offered to help applicants research, develop, and deepen their professional and programmatic capacities in contemporary art and public history. Grants will be made to support exploratory phases of curatorial work that may lead to future Center funding, as well as travel to consult with potential collaborators.
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Funds for technical assistance will be offered to assist organizations that have been invited to submit a full application with managing and completing our application process. Transcription, translation, and grantwriting assistance are among eligible expenses; additional need-based expenditures will also be considered. Priority will be given to applicants with operating budgets under $500,000, those with no dedicated development staff, and to first-time applicants.
Visit our How to Apply page more details.
What are the first steps for all applicants?
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Read our How to Apply page for information on this year’s grant offerings and eligibility criteria. The full Application Guidelines for Creative Project and Evolving Futures Grants will be published to the Center’s website on April 1.
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Complete our Initial Inquiry Form, available now, both to confirm your eligibility and to alert Center staff that you’re interested in applying so we can be ready to help.