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
Moving Image Fund: Production / Post Production Grants The LEF Foundation · Foundation Not published · $15K – $25K The Moving Image Fund, established by LEF New England, supports independent documentary filmmakers in the region with grants for production and post-production phases.	Not published	$15K – $25K
PEN/Bare Life Review Grants Pen American Center Inc · Foundation Not published · Varies PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world.	Not published	Varies
The Commonwealth Short Story Prize Grant Commonwealth Foundation · Foundation Not published · £2,500 - £5,000 The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is an esteemed award open to citizens of Commonwealth countries aged 18 and over. This free-entry competition seeks the best unpublished short fiction, between 2,000 to 5,000 words.	Not published	£2,500 - £5,000
Arts Alive Awards Summit Artspace · Foundation Not published · Varies Summit Artspace's Arts Alive Awards celebrate and recognize contributions to local arts and culture, honoring gifted artists, art educators, and change-making advocates and volunteers.	Not published	Varies
Caxton Club Undergraduate Grant - Book Arts Project Caxton Club · Foundation Not published · Varies	Not published	Varies
Fiction Feature Lab Independent Feature Project Inc · Foundation Not published · Varies Annually supports first-time feature filmmakers as they prepare to finish and premiere their debut fiction features. The Lab provides creative teams with key support through completion, marketing, and distribution of their work.	Not published	Varies
Narrative Short Film Grant - Saul Zaentz Awards Berkeley Film Foundation · Foundation Not published · $25K The Berkeley Film Foundation is proud to announce the Narrative Short Film Grant, providing vital funding for local filmmakers. This prestigious grant supports projects that creatively explore themes of social and environmental justice.	Not published	$25K
Southern Arts Recovery Fund Grant South Arts Inc · Foundation Not published · $2K The Southern Arts Recovery Fund Grant, coordinated by South Arts, offers $2,000 to individual artists impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.	Not published	$2K
Louisiana's World Makers Awards Foundation for Louisiana · Foundation Not published · $5K – $320K FFL believes that artists, cultural workers, and tradition bearers offer communities new and expanded ways of seeing, being, and creating.	Not published	$5K – $320K
Nevada Arts Council Artist Fellowship Award Grant Nevada Arts Council (NAC) · Foundation Not published · $5K The Nevada Arts Council Artist Fellowship Award offers financial support to artists residing in Nevada, acknowledging their exceptional contributions to the arts.	Not published	$5K
Alan & Marilyn Bergman Lyric Award Ascap Foundation · Foundation Not published · Varies We are a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, supported by contributions from ASCAP members and music fans throughout the United States.	Not published	Varies
Film and Media Career Development Program Independent Feature Project Inc · Foundation Not published · Varies An 8-week virtual program that allows students from across the country to learn from industry professionals and provides resources for navigating career choices in film and media.	Not published	Varies
The Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant Creative Capital Foundation · Foundation Not published · $15K – $50K The Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant supports emerging and established writers who write about contemporary visual art. Grants range from $15,000 to $50,000 in three categories — articles, books, and short-form writing.	Not published	$15K – $50K
IMI Awards Independent Media Initiative Inc · Foundation Not published · $50K The IMI Awards are the first annual prestige prizes awarded specifically to independent creators, established in 2023.	Not published	$50K
Emerging Artist Award Grant Kentucky Arts Council · Foundation Not published · $1K The Emerging Artist Award offers a $1,000 grant to Kentucky artists in the early stages of their careers, typically within ten years of their professional artistic journey.	Not published	$1K
South Arts Southern Prize Grant South Arts Inc · Foundation Not published · $10K – $25K The South Arts Southern Prize provides a unique opportunity for individual artists in the Southern region of the U.S. to showcase their scriptwriting talents.	Not published	$10K – $25K
Core Writer Grant Program Playwrights' Center · Foundation Not published · Varies The Core Writer Grant Program is a prestigious initiative by the Playwrights' Center that supports a diverse group of professional playwrights over a three-year term.	Not published	Varies
Sally Menke Editing Fellowship Grant Sundance Institute · Foundation Not published · Varies The Sundance Institute is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the discovery and development of independent artists and audiences.	Not published	Varies
Wilson Rawls Scholarship Grant Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin Inc · Foundation Not published · Varies The Wilson Rawls Scholarship, offered by The Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin, supports literary-minded students graduating from local high schools.	Not published	Varies
Westchester County Poet Laureate Artswestchester Inc · Foundation Not published · $10K	Not published	$10K
Kurt Weill Foundation Grant Program: Publication Assistance The Kurt Weill Foundation for Music · Foundation Not published · Varies The Kurt Weill Foundation Grant Program for Publication Assistance supports authors and not-for-profit publishers in covering expenses related to preparing manuscripts for publication in respected scholarly mediums.	Not published	Varies
Doris Betts Fiction Prize Grant North Carolina Writers’ Network · Foundation Not published · $50 – $250 The Doris Betts Fiction Prize, administered by the North Carolina Writers’ Network, fosters literary talent by awarding a $250 prize and publication in the North Carolina Literary Review.	Not published	$50 – $250
R2AC Artist Support Grant Program - Individuals Region 2 Arts Council · Foundation Not published · Up to $2K The R2AC Artist Support Grant Program, funded by the McKnight Foundation, offers essential financial assistance to artists and culture bearers at any stage of their creative journey.	Not published	Up to $2K
Caxton Club Grant for SAIC Undergraduate with a Project in Book Arts Caxton Club · Foundation Not published · Varies The Caxton Club offers an annual grant for a SAIC undergraduate working on a book-arts project; 2024-25 and 2025-26 recipients were announced. Kept per the thin-row convention.	Not published	Varies

Showing 25–48 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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