Graham Foundation: Grants To Individuals

It offers grants to individuals for production and presentation, as well as research and development, focusing on diverse ideas that provoke critical dialogue. The foundation prioritizes first-time applicants and seeks to amplify underrepresented perspectives while fostering collaboration across various disciplines in the arts and education.

The Graham realizes this vision through making project-based grants to individuals and organizations and producing exhibitions, events, and publications.
Grantmaking Focus
Architecture and related spatial practices engage a wide range of cultural, social, political, technological, environmental, and aesthetic issues. We are interested in projects that investigate the contemporary condition, expand historical perspectives, or explore the future of architecture and the designed environment.
In an effort to bridge communities and different fields of knowledge, we support a wide range of practitioners (such as architects, scholars, critics, writers, artists, curators, and educators) and organizations (such as non-profit galleries, colleges and universities, publishers, and museums).
Open discourse is essential to advance study and understanding, therefore our grantmaking focuses on the public dissemination of ideas. With our support, the work of individuals and organizations reaches new audiences, from specialized to general, and creates opportunities for critical dialogue between various publics.
Priorities and Criteria
For individuals, Graham Foundation grant priorities are to:
Provide opportunities to create, develop, and communicate challenging ideas about architecture and the designed environmentSupport efforts to take positions, develop new forms of expression, engage debate around architecture and related fields, and reach new and broader audiences
Contribute to an applicant’s creative, intellectual, and professional growth at a  crucial or potentially transformative career stageAmplify emerging and underrecognized perspectives in architecture and design by giving priority to first-time applicants
Criteria for Evaluation
Originality: the project demonstrates an innovative, challenging idea; critical, independent thinking; advanced scholarship; a new or experimental approach Potential for impact: the project makes a meaningful contribution to discourse and/or to the field; expands knowledge; is a catalyst for future inquiry; raises awareness of an understudied issue; promotes diversity in subject matter, participants, and audience
Feasibility: the project has clear and realistic goals, timeframe, work plan, and budget
Capacity: applicant possesses strong qualifications and/or knowledge; demonstrates ability to carry out the project successfully; has access to necessary resources outside of the grant request.
Grant Types
The Graham Foundation offers two types of grants to individuals: Production and Presentation Grants and Research and Development Grants.
Production and Presentation Grants
These grants assist individuals with the production-related expenses that are necessary to take a project from conceptualization to realization and public presentation. These projects include, but are not limited to, publications, exhibitions, installations, films, and new media projects.
Projects must have clearly defined goals, work plans, budgets, and production and dissemination plans.
Grant amount
Production and Presentation Grants to individuals do not exceed $20,000 and are likely to be less. Given the demand for funding, the Graham Foundation is not always able to fund projects at the full request amount.
Grant period
Production and Presentation Grants must be completed within two years. Applicants should allow sufficient time to plan, implement, close out their project, and, if funded, acknowledge Graham Foundation support in all published media.
Research and Development Grants
Though the majority of our grantmaking focuses on Production and Presentation Grants, we recognize that projects may require support at early stages of formation. Research and Development Grants assist individuals with seed money for research-related expenses such as travel, documentation, materials, supplies, and other development costs. Projects must have clearly defined goals, work plans, and budgets.
Upon completion of research projects, recipients of Research and Development Grants must complete a research report and provide documentation that can be archived at the Graham Foundation and/or presented on our website.
Grant amount
Research and Development Grants do not exceed $10,000 and are likely to be less. Given the demand for funding, the Graham Foundation is not always able to fund grantees at the full request amount.
Grant period
Research and Development Grants must be completed within one year. Applicants should allow sufficient time to plan, implement, close out their project, and, if funded, acknowledge Graham Foundation support in all published media.

Eligibility

Individuals applying for Production and Presentation Grants should have a Committed Producer(s) for the project, that is, an entity committed to producing and/or presenting the project with the individual, such as a publisher, exhibition venue, etc. A recipient of a Research and Development Grant is eligible to apply for a Production and Presentation Grant for the same project once the first grant has been satisfied, however, future funding is not guaranteed. Our grantmaking focuses on individuals in the United States, however, we do make a small percentage of international grants. Please note we require that final projects be disseminated in English.
Individuals are eligible to apply for Production and Presentation Grants and Research and Development Grants. Collaborative projects by individuals are eligible for funding. A collaborator is defined as a co-author of the project. A collaborator is not a participant who is providing contracted services for the project.
Individuals may only apply for one grant per year.
Applicants who have received prior Graham Foundation support must have satisfied all grant requirements before applying again.
Individuals working on independent projects who are required by their organizations to apply for and receive funding under the aegis of the organization (e.g., a faculty member of an academic institution) may use a fiscal agent.
Fiscal Agent:

The Graham Foundation does not require individuals to have a fiscal agent. However, in the event that an organization requires an individual employee working on an independent project to apply for and receive funding under the aegis of the organization (e.g., a faculty member of an academic institution), the organization may serve as a fiscal agent. Individuals that require a fiscal agent must follow all guidelines, eligibility requirements, and deadlines for Grants to Individuals. Applicants must indicate on the Inquiry Form that they have a fiscal agent.

Ineligibility

Ineligible Costs:

Capital projects
Scholarship aid or work in pursuit of an academic degree (advanced doctoral candidates are eligible to apply for the Carter Manny Award)
Work focused on K-12 curriculum or learning and/or intended for K-12 audiences
Debt or expenses incurred prior to the date of grant request