Funding Opportunities
View funding opportunities currently available to creatives in Illinois. Our list regularly includes opportunities from local, state, and national funders and agencies.
Deadline: Ongoing
Is a loan right for your creative business or nonprofit? Check out a recording of our April webinar with lenders and creatives talking you through the process of thinking through and applying for a loan.
Individual artists and arts educators, nonprofit organizations, and local government entities, such as park districts, libraries, and municipalities are eligible for up to $12,000 in funding.
Applications open: July 1. Open until funding is expended.
This program provides funding to train Illinois high school graduates (or equivalent) in entry-level film and television production positions, to meet the increased demand for more workers to staff the growing number of productions in Illinois.
Deadline: July 30
The NEA Grants for Arts Projects (GAP) provides funding for public engagement with the arts and arts education, for the integration of the arts with strategies promoting the health and well-being of people and communities, and for the improvement of overall capacity and capabilities within the arts sector.
Deadline: Part 1: July 10; Part 2: July 22
The National Endowment for the Humanities has issued a call for proposals for Celebrate America!, a new initiative to recognize the nation’s semiquincentennial on July 4, 2026. NEH will award 250 challenge grants of up to $25,000 each for projects that focus on the founding of the American nation, key historical figures, and milestones that reflect the exceptional achievements of the United States.
Deadline: Rolling; projects can start between August 1, 2025, and July 2, 2026
The 2026 Public Scholars competition is focusing on projects that promote a deeper understanding of our nation’s extraordinary heritage.
Deadline: August 6
The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) is encouraging Illinois filmmakers to enter the DCEO Illinois Film Office’s Shortcuts Short Film Contest dedicated to promoting the best short films from Illinois students or residents 22 years old or younger. The Shortcuts winner will receive $250 and be screened at the 815HORTS festival, a short film festival based in Rockford scheduled November 14-15, 2025.
Early entry deadline: August 31
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Support this work
If you’re a funder interested in helping the Alliance provide funding navigation services to the creative sector, we’d love to talk! Reach out to our Senior Director of Development, Kaitlin Donnelly, at donnelly@artsalliance.org.
