Foundation for Contemporary Arts — Emergency Grants
Foundation for Contemporary Arts (FCA)
$500–$3,000
Fast grants for working artists
A rolling, direct-application grant from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts providing fast funding to individual artists (and individuals representing a collective or ensemble) who make innovative, experimental contemporary work and face unanticipated costs or opportunities tied to a specific, scheduled public presentation. Grants range from $500 to $3,000 (the average is around $2,200). Disciplines include dance, music/sound, performance art and theater, poetry, and the visual arts. Applicants must be US-based with a US Tax ID and must have a committed performance, exhibition, screening, or reading with specific dates. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and artists should apply roughly 8–10 weeks before their presentation.
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- Foundation
- Amount range
- $500 – $3,000
- Realistic amount
- A typical award is around $2,200 — partial funding of the requested amount is common, applie…
- Deadline
- Rolling — reviewed on an ongoing basis year-round. Apply roughly 8–10 weeks before your scheduled presentation date.
- Status
- active
- States
- Nationwide
- Payment model
- advance
Who qualifies
- Individual artist (or an individual representing an artist collective, ensemble, or group) making innovative, experimental contemporary work
- Living in the United States or US territories and holding a US Tax ID (SSN, EIN, ITIN, or other)
- Has a committed performance, exhibition, screening, or reading with specific dates at the time of application
- Not enrolled in a degree-granting program
- Not a curator, producer, workshop organizer, organization, or arts presenter
- Has not received an FCA Emergency Grant in the prior 36 months
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Artists' fees
- Airfare and travel
- Accommodations
- Materials and supplies
- Shipping and transport of work
- Fabrication and production costs for presenting completed work publicly
Ineligible expenses
- General living expenses (rent, food, medical)
- Costs incurred before the application is submitted
- Residency fees
- Participation deposits or artist-paid presentation opportunities
- Expenses of curators, producers, organizations, or presenters
How to apply
-
1
Confirm a committed, dated presentation
You must have a scheduled public presentation (performance, exhibition, screening, poetry reading, installation) with specific confirmed dates. The grant covers unanticipated costs tied to presenting work publicly — not general life expenses or speculative projects.
~1 hrs
-
2
Identify eligible costs and amount
Determine the unanticipated, project-specific costs (artists' fees, travel, accommodations, materials, shipping/transport, fabrication, production) and request an amount between $500 and $3,000.
~1 hrs
-
3
Submit via Submittable, 8–10 weeks ahead
Complete the Emergency Grants application on FCA's Submittable portal, ideally 8–10 weeks before the presentation. Include the presentation details/dates, work description, work samples, and the budget.
~3 hrs
-
4
Rolling review and decision
FCA reviews applications on a rolling basis. Applying close to the event risks a decision arriving after the project, so earlier submission is strongly advised.
~0.5 hrs
Eligibility hinges on a committed, dated public presentation — vague or speculative projects are screened out, so lock in confirmed dates before you apply. Apply 8–10 weeks ahead: the rolling review means a late application can land a decision after your event, which defeats the purpose. Frame the request around genuinely unanticipated, presentation-specific costs (a sudden shipping bill, a fabrication overrun), not routine project budgeting.
Deadline & timing
Applications are accepted and reviewed continuously. FCA recommends applying 8–10 weeks ahead of the presentation; applications received less than 6 weeks before the event may not receive a decision until the project is underway or completed. Recipients must wait 36 months before reapplying (with a limited federal-funding-emergency exception).
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Last reviewed 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.