Grants & Fellowships / Verified 2 September 2026
The Foundation for Contemporary Arts offers $500–$3,000 emergency grants to individual artists in the U.S. for sudden, unbudgeted costs tied to confirmed presentations. No application fee. Applicants must have U.S. residency, a U.S. tax ID, confirmed performance or exhibition dates, and cannot be enrolled in degree programs; a three-year waiting period applies after receiving a prior FCA grant.
Every fact, with its receipt
What the organizer actually says
Cost to apply. Free to apply
“Free”On file — not confirmed on a public page
What you get. $500-$3,000 for unanticipated, sudden opportunities or unexpected/unbudgeted expenses tied to imminent presentations (~15-20 grants/month from ~100 applications)
“Project-related expenses including artists' fees, airfare, accommodations, materials, shipping/transport, fabrication, and production.”✓ Checked on the organizer’s site
Who can apply. Individual artists making innovative, experimental work; living in the United States or U.S. territories with a U.S. Tax ID Number (SSN, EIN, ITIN, or other); must have committed performance or exhibition opportunities with specific dates;
“living in the United States or U.S. territories”✓ Checked on the organizer’s site
How they choose.
“FCA staff and panelists review work samples, project description, experimental nature of approach, presentation venues, and applicant's community context to determine alignment with FCA's mission of supporting experimental practices.”✓ Checked on the organizer’s site
Members only
Whether this is worth your entry fee, your shipping, and the weeks it takes to put an application together depends on work only you have…
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One free read per artist. It doesn’t expire.