Grants for Creative Writing

Last updated October 10, 2026

Grantable tracks 283 active grants for creative writing in its free grants database, drawn from foundation sources and updated daily. 166 list an award amount, with a median of $5,000.

Grants tracked: 283; from 181 funders
Median award: $5,000; middle half $2,575–$25K
Total listed funding: $12.3M; across 166 grants that list an amount
Rolling deadlines: 4; 13 with a published date

On this page: Foundation · Updated daily

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Grant	Deadline ▲	Amount
PEN/Nabokov Award for Achievement in International Literature (Multigenre) Grant Pen American Center Inc · Foundation Not published · $50K The PEN/Nabokov Award for Achievement in International Literature, established in 2016, honors a living author whose work—either in English or translated—demonstrates exceptional originality and craftsmanship.	Not published	$50K
Literary Arts Grants: For Publishers South Arts Inc · Foundation Not published · Up to $5K South Arts, Inc. offers Literary Arts Grants to support Southern independent publishers and small presses with funding up to $5,000.	Not published	Up to $5K
Radical Imagination Grant NDN Foundation Inc · Foundation Not published · Varies Supports Indigenous artists, culture bearers, and storytellers to imagine, design, and create projects that propose solutions to societal problems and envision a new, just future.	Not published	Varies
Architecture + Design Independent Projects Grants The Architectural League of New York · Foundation Not published · Varies The Independent Projects grant program is a partnership between the New York State Council on the Arts and The Architectural League of New York, awarding grants for New York State-based individuals and teams to explore a design topic…	Not published	Varies
Van Lier New Voices Fellowship Lark Theatre Company Inc · Foundation Not published · Varies A fellowship program offered by The Lark that supports emerging playwrights of color. Supports playwrights of color in early stages of their careers, providing both financial and artistic resources.	Not published	Varies
Elizabeth Furber Scholarship Grant Native Forward Scholars Fund · Foundation Not published · $100 – $30K The Elizabeth Furber Scholarship honors the legacy of Elizabeth Furber by providing financial assistance to American Indian and Alaska Native female graduate students.	Not published	$100 – $30K
Literary Competition Assoc of Program Directors in Surgery · Foundation Not published · $1K Annual competition inviting undergraduates and alumni from Alpha Delta Phi Fraternity and Alpha Delta Phi Society to submit original literary compositions. Address: 2242 N. Baldwin Way #5B, Palatine, IL 60074	Not published	$1K
Sundance Ignite X Adobe Fellowship Grant Sundance Institute · Foundation Not published · $5K The Sundance Ignite X Adobe Fellowship seeks emerging filmmakers aged 18 to 25 to share their unique voices through a one- to 15-minute short film.	Not published	$5K
FAWC Summer Workshops Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown Inc · Foundation Not published · $400 – $900	Not published	$400 – $900
The Ashley Bryan Fellowships Grant Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance · Foundation Not published · Varies The Ashley Bryan Fellowships, offered by the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance, provide crucial support to emerging Maine writers facing barriers in professional literary spaces.	Not published	Varies
Bridge Grants The Dramatists Guild Fund Inc · Foundation Not published · Varies A grant program offered by the Dramatists Guild Foundation. Specific details limited in provided materials.	Not published	Varies
Rick Lang Music Songwriter Scholarship Grant The Ibma Foundation Inc · Foundation Not published · $2K The IBMA Foundation is pleased to announce the permanent endowment of the Rick Lang Music Songwriter Scholarship, funded by a $50,000 gift from Rick and Wendy Lang of New Hampshire.	Not published	$2K
PEN Prison Writing Awards Grant Pen American Center Inc · Foundation Not published · $75 – $300 The PEN Prison Writing Awards, initiated after the 1971 Attica Prison Riots, invites incarcerated writers in the U.S. to submit unpublished works across various genres including Poetry, Fiction, and Memoir.	Not published	$75 – $300
Arts Fund: Specialty Field Scholarships - Art Journalism- The Beverley Art Writers Travel Grant (The Beverley) American Australian Association · Foundation Not published · Varies The Arts Fund supports emerging or early career artists pursuing or planning to pursue artistic development in the Australia to USA and USA to Australia direction.	Not published	Varies
The Hodder Fellowship Grant Lewis Center for the Arts · Foundation Not published · $93K The Hodder Fellowship at Princeton University's Lewis Center for the Arts supports artists and writers of exceptional promise through independent projects.	Not published	$93K
Christina Chiu AAPI Writers Fellowship Grant Virginia Center for the Creative Arts · Foundation Not published · Varies The Christina Chiu AAPI Writers Fellowship, established in 2022 by the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts (VCCA), aims to support AAPI writers by providing a free two-week residency at Mt. San Angelo.	Not published	Varies
DREAMing Out Loud Grant Pen American Center Inc · Foundation Not published · Varies DREAMing Out Loud is a tuition-free creative writing workshop series by PEN America for immigrant writers. It offers vital community support, empowering participants to craft original works while amplifying marginalized voices.	Not published	Varies
PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay Pen American Center Inc · Foundation Not published · Varies Founded in 1922, PEN America is the largest of the more than 100 centers worldwide that make up the PEN International network.	Not published	Varies
The Big Questions Request for Proposals - Level I Grants National Geographic Society · Foundation Not published · Up to $20K The National Geographic Society's Level I Grants invite innovative storytelling projects that explore profound questions about human existence, curiosity, and the connection between humans and nature.	Not published	Up to $20K
PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers (Fiction) Grant Pen American Center Inc · Foundation Not published · $2K The PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers, awarded by PEN America, recognizes twelve emerging writers annually for their debut short story published in a literary outlet.	Not published	$2K
The Historical Fiction Writing Fellowship Grant The Newberry Library · Foundation Not published · $3K The Historical Fiction Writing Fellowship at The Newberry Library offers one month of financial support to writers focusing on historical fiction, including novels, short stories, plays, and poetry.	Not published	$3K
Arts & Humanities Grants Maine Humanities Council · Foundation Not published · $655 – $2K The Arts & Humanities Grants program supports arts and humanities projects across Maine. Based on award history from 2022-2024, grants typically range from $655 to $2,000.	Not published	$655 – $2K
Mississippi Delta Film Academy Emmett Till Interpretive Center · Foundation Not published · Varies A two-week summer program led by Dr. Davis Houck and Dr. Pablo Correa for highly motivated high school students from the Mississippi Delta.	Not published	Varies
American Library in Paris Visiting Fellowship Grant The American Library in Paris · Foundation Not published · Varies The American Library in Paris Visiting Fellowship, established in 2013, aims to deepen French-American understanding by offering writers and researchers a chance to pursue creative projects in Paris.	Not published	Varies

Showing 241–264 of 282

About grants for creative writing

Grants for creative writing support fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction through fellowships, residencies, and project funding. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Creative Writing Fellowships award funds to published writers in prose and poetry on an alternating-year cycle, judged anonymously on artistic merit. State arts councils, literary foundations, and writing organizations provide additional fellowships, awards, and residency support for writers at all career stages.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much money do grants for creative writing award?

Of the 283 grants for creative writing Grantable lists as of October 10, 2026, 166 publish an award amount. The median listed award is $5,000, and the middle half fall between $2,575 and $25K. The largest is $7.5M. Amounts are each grant's stated maximum, so a typical award can be smaller.

Which funders offer the most grants for creative writing?

By number of active listings, the leading funders are Pen American Center Inc (20), The Dramatists Guild Fund Inc (10), Moving Picture Institute (7), South Arts Inc (7), and Virginia Center for the Creative Arts (6). In all, 181 funders have at least one active grant in this category.

When are grants for creative writing due?

Of 283 grants listed, 4 accept applications on a rolling basis, 13 have a published upcoming deadline, 81 run on a stated cycle (such as annual or quarterly) without a published date, and 185 don't publish a deadline, so check the funder's site.

What grants are available for creative writers?

Creative writers can apply for fellowships and grants that provide time and resources for writing, research, travel, and career development. The NEA Creative Writing Fellowships support published writers in prose and poetry, and state arts councils, literary nonprofits, and private foundations offer additional fellowships, project grants, and residencies for fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction.

Who funds individual writers?

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is a leading federal source of fellowships for individual creative writers, awarding support based on the artistic excellence of a writing sample. State arts agencies, regional arts organizations, university programs, and private literary foundations also fund writers directly through fellowships, prizes, and residencies.

Do I need to be published to apply for writing fellowships?

Many competitive fellowships, including the NEA Creative Writing Fellowships, require a record of publication to demonstrate that an applicant is a working writer. That said, opportunities exist for writers at all stages, including emerging-writer awards, residencies, and project grants with lighter eligibility requirements, so it is worth checking each program's guidelines carefully.

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