GrantSift for artists and arts organizations: find arts funding in one search
GrantSift is live for artists and arts organizations in Canada and the US. Search arts and culture funding from official sources, with deadlines.
GrantSift is live, and artists, arts organizations, festivals and cultural groups are part of the community we built it for. Arts funding is competitive and deadline-driven, and the opportunities are spread across national, regional and local funders. GrantSift brings them into one place.
The arts funding landscape
In Canada, key public arts funders include:
- The Canada Council for the Arts, which funds artists, groups and organizations. Its funding page lists core programs, which it updated in 2025, along with Application Assistance for applicants who face barriers.
- Canadian Heritage, which runs programs for festivals, cultural spaces, heritage and official languages.
- For screen-based work, Telefilm Canada and the Canada Media Fund.
- Provincial arts councils and municipal arts funding.
In the US, key public arts funders include:
- The National Endowment for the Arts, with programs such as Grants for Arts Projects, Our Town and Challenge America. The NEA describes Challenge America as $10,000 grants for small organizations with less than $250,000 in prior-year operating expenses.
- The National Endowment for the Humanities for humanities projects.
- State arts agencies and regional arts organizations. The National Assembly of State Arts Agencies keeps a directory.
- Local arts councils and community foundations.
How GrantSift helps
One search for arts and culture. Browse arts programs across the US and Canada, then narrow by region.
Funders at a glance. The funder directory helps you see which organizations fund your discipline and region.
Deadlines by month. Arts funders often have fixed deadlines once or twice a year. Browse deadlines by month and plan your season.
Official links. Every listing points to the official guidelines, where you confirm eligibility and requirements.
Tips for stronger arts applications
- Read the guidelines closely. Arts funders often care about specific outcomes, such as community engagement, reaching underserved audiences or developing new work.
- Choose work samples carefully. Samples should relate directly to the project and meet the funder's format rules.
- Write a clear project description. What you will create or present, with whom, when and where.
- Build a realistic budget. Include artist fees at fair rates, production, venue, marketing and accessibility costs. Show other revenue and in-kind support.
- Plan your match. Many organizational grants require matching funds. See cost share and matching funds.
- Ask for help. Program officers can clarify fit. Some funders offer application assistance.
Guides for artists and arts organizations
- Arts grants in Canada
- Film and TV funding in Canada
- NEA grants explained
- How to write a letter of inquiry
- What to do after a grant rejection
Individual artists vs organizations
Many large public programs fund organizations. Individual artists should look at:
- Canada Council programs open to individual artists.
- Provincial and municipal arts councils, which often fund individuals.
- In the US, state arts agencies and regional arts organizations, which may offer individual artist grants or fellowships.
- Residencies and private foundations.
GrantSift lets you browse by sector and region to find programs open to you, and links to official eligibility rules.
Frequently asked questions
Does GrantSift cover film and media funding? Yes, GrantSift covers arts and culture broadly. See our film and TV guide for screen-based funders.
Can GrantSift help with festivals? Festivals can search arts and community programs, as well as tourism and regional development funding.
Does GrantSift cover private foundations? GrantSift includes a funder directory and continues to expand coverage.
Your time belongs to your art. GrantSift is live to help you find arts funding faster and plan your year around the deadlines that matter.
How we keep GrantSift trustworthy
A funding database is only useful if you can trust it, so we hold ourselves to a few simple rules.
- Every listing points to its source. We link to the official funder page so you can check eligibility, amounts and deadlines yourself before you apply.
- Official sources first. We build from public sources such as Grants.gov and Government of Canada open data rather than copying third-party lists.
- No promises we cannot keep. We never guarantee that you will receive funding, and we never charge a fee to receive a grant. Funders make their own decisions.
- Plain language. Our guides explain programs in everyday words and link to the official rules for the details.
- Your search stays yours. Searching GrantSift does not send your details to funders.
If you ever spot an outdated detail or a broken link, tell us and we will fix it. Program terms change often, and the official page is always the final word.
Your first 20 minutes on GrantSift
- Write one sentence about your project: what you will do, where, and roughly what it costs.
- Pick your country and region, then the sector that best describes the work.
- Scan eligibility first. Skip anything your organization type cannot apply to.
- Save three to five programs that fit closely, and open each official page.
- Note the deadlines and any registrations you will need, then add them to your calendar.
- Contact one program officer with a short, specific question.
That short routine turns a vague search into a working shortlist you can act on this week.
Come back each month, because new opportunities open and old ones close throughout the year. A regular check, even fifteen minutes, keeps your pipeline full and stops a good deadline from slipping past unnoticed.
Keep exploring on GrantSift
Find the programs that fit you
Official program pages are the source of truth, but finding them is the slow part. GrantSift pulls grants and funders from official sources such as Grants.gov and Government of Canada open data into one searchable database covering the US and Canada across every sector. Each listing links back to the official page, and paid plans unlock funder contacts, deadlines you can track, and filters that match programs to your business or organization. Search grants on GrantSift or see plans and pricing.