Programs That Matter is a curated monthly newsletter sharing grants, residencies, and fellowships for working artists and collectives, with a focus on non-extractive, accessible opportunities.

This newsletter is your portal into the broader world of Run Artist Run: a growing suite of tools to help artists fund their vision — from a searchable funding database and artist spotlight series to one-on-one consultations with grant writers, and a quarterly micro-grant.

Want to take it further? Subscribe, submit a program, or talk to a grant writer.

If someone forwarded you this, subscribe for free here.

For the best experience, click the icon below to view this month’s featured programs in a searchable, interactive gallery view. Detailed information and direct application links can be found here. A number of select programs are featured in the body of the newsletter, too.

With any questions, reach out to ready@runartistrun.com and happy funding!

GRANTS & AWARDS (77)

FUNDED RESIDENCIES & OPEN CALLS (40)

FELLOWSHIPS & WORKSHOPS (20)

Thanks so much for reading. We’re glad you’re here. If you found this newsletter helpful, consider forwarding it to another artist—it helps us grow and liberate more creatives from their extractive 9-5s — or leave a comment so we know you care!

If you’re planning a submission or need funding and want some guidance (for free):

Are you a granter or organization with a program for artists that you’d like featured?

Found a program through Programs That Matter and received it? Send us your success story — we’d love to celebrate you in a future issue or feature.

Wishing you clarity, courage, and funding!

Want more access to Programs That Matter?

For practically the price of a cappuccino per month, supporting subscribers keep this work going—and get access to our 2200+ recurring Opportunity Database, a Community Lottery Micro-Grant announced quarterly, and exclusive consult discounts!

Read more

I think of a grant strategy as a tool of creative liberation — from the cycle of reactive, haphazard applications fueled by anxiety or uncertainty; from the feelings of defeat that come with a cascading series of impersonal email rejections; from starting your grant fundraising plan from scratch each year, or with each project, or worse — not having one at all. A grant strategy is a way out of the riptides of random applications, and into a sense of intentionality and control over the outcomes.

I tell all of the artists I work with: grants are often not enough to sustain a practice. Even a well designed strategy is dependent on too many external factors (jurors, shifting funding priorities, and the subjective nature of art) to be reliable. However, if applications are systematized, and you maintain a way of approaching them that combines practical (“match”) and aspirational (“reach”) programs in the correct balance, then you may be able to count grants among your several income streams as an artist.

I’m here to help you get there. This article breaks down the U.S. arts funding ecosystem, so that you can build that knowledge into a repeatable grant strategy that can actually generate income. Let’s start by talking about the components of a good grant strategy, and then get you the information you need to build your own.

What is a grant strategy, and how do I build one?

A grant strategy is a living document, not a one-time list. You’re building something to return to and update as your practice develops: adding new programs, removing ones that have closed or that you’ve outgrown, tracking deadlines and results.

A grant strategy operates on a 6-9 month horizon minimum. Most grants (with a few exceptions) are not short-term funding mechanisms. The application you submit today is funding work that’s three, six, and sometimes twelve months out. Build accordingly.

A resilient grant strategy balances career-aligned (“match”) programs — ones you’re well-positioned to win right now — with aspirational (“reach”) programs you’re actively building toward. The small wins compound. Collecting them early makes you more competitive for larger opportunities down the line.

Your strategy should be shaped like a pyramid, with a strong foundation in local and regional programs, building towards national and international funders. The following Funder Pyramid outlines the seven core funder types you need to know, organized from most accessible at the base to most aspirational at the top.

This pyramid is a map, not a mandatory path. You don’t have to climb every tier in order. What’s really important to take from this outline is that each funder type funds differently, and represents a different tier of competitiveness. Before you begin funder prospecting, let’s get you clear on the different roles of each funder type. The goal here is to ground your funder prospecting in an understanding of which funders fit your current project, career, or organizational stage. Here is a breakdown of all seven categories, from bottom to top.

🌿 Local Arts Councils & Regional Regranters

These are the least competitive programs available. Eligibility is geographically restricted to a specific county or borough, which shrinks the competition pool dramatically. Many run multiple cycles per year, and most are first-grant friendly — explicitly designed for or prioritizing artists with limited grant history. They are juried anonymously, meaning they are not relationship-based. Start here.

📍 State Arts Agencies (Arts & Humanities Councils)

The first major institutional funding tier. The competition pool is wider — statewide rather than local — but the grants are larger and the credibility signal is stronger. State councils administer both direct and regranting programs across multiple eligibility categories. Fiscal sponsorship or 501c3 status is typically required at this level.

🗺️ Regional Arts Organizations

Multi-state organizations serve specific geographic regions — Mid-Atlantic Arts, South Arts, and Creative West are a few examples. They are the core funders for regional touring, presenting, and professional development. Their programs primarily serve organizations, but most include at least a few pathways for individual artists and fiscally sponsored projects.

🏢 Small & Mid-Size Foundations

More relevant for 501c3s and fiscally sponsored projects, foundations vary enormously in focus: discipline-specific, identity-focused, geographically oriented, issue-driven. A few have open calls, but most require letters of intent (LOIs), existing relationships, or nominations to access funding. This is where the long game of networking and relationship building matters.

🏫 Universities & Public Institutions

More relevant for individual mid-career artists seeking fellowships, funded residencies, and institutional commissions. These programs are less about funding a specific project and more about investing in an artist’s career potential — welcoming them into the institution’s network, community, and visibility. Incredible opportunities when the alignment is right.

🇺🇸 Federal Agencies (NEA & NEH)

These agencies offer the largest grants in the public arts sector. Eligibility typically requires organizational infrastructure — established 501c3 status, demonstrated budget scale, multi-year track records. Fiscal sponsorship is mostly non-qualifying. Applications are more competitive when they relate to the agency’s thematic priorities at the time of application.

🏆 Large National/International Foundations

The apex of the pyramid for a reason — large foundations offer the largest and most sustaining grants in the private arts sector, often through multi-year relationships. Highly competitive, deeply relationship-dependent, and often effectively closed to artists and organizations who haven’t built notoriety at the lower tiers first. Watch for their open calls. Attend their public events. Build towards them — but don’t build a strategy around them.

By maintaining an intentionally diverse funding strategy, we operate from a higher plane — knowing which programs we can rely on, which require us to leverage rejections into relationships over time, and which are outright aspirational but place our work in front of influential parties.

Now that we know the funder types, let’s get clear on the types of programs they run.

There’s a grant category for every specific funding gap. A project grant solves a different problem than a fellowship. An emergency grant solves a different problem than a capital grant. Strategic funding means matching your need to the right tool. Here is the breakdown of the eight categories, from common to complex.

🔍 Micro-Grants offer small dollar amounts, simplified applications, and quicker turnarounds. They function as entry points into the funding ecosystem. Don’t overlook them.

🦺 Project Grants are the workhorse of the ecosystem — the most common grant type, especially for individual artists. They fund a specific body of work, event, or initiative with a defined start and end date. Every funder type offers them.

🚨 Emergency Grants support artists or organizations facing unexpected financial hardship: medical emergencies, housing crisis, studio fires, natural disasters, sudden income loss. Rapid application and decision timelines, often on a rolling basis. Primarily offered by small and mid-size foundations. Know where they are before you need them.

🛞 Travel & Touring Grants are most relevant when work is moving, less when it’s being made. They fund expenses related to presenting, exhibiting, or sharing existing work across state or international lines. Competitive applications showcase confirmed invitations or venue partnerships. Apply when the opportunity becomes real.

🧮 Unrestricted & Merit Awards are career-based recognition — flexible funds tied to the merit of your practice rather than a specific project. Sometimes framed as fellowships, but unlike fellowships, they carry no contractual engagement or institutional partnership. A signal that the field is paying attention.

🧑‍🎨 Career Fellowships fund the artist, not the project. They live somewhere between a merit award and a residency — structured like a contractual position within an institution, often requiring engagement through speaking, teaching, researching, or exhibiting. Applications are evaluated significantly on the merits of the artist, not just the proposed work.

💰 General Operating Support (GOS) primarily serves organizations with multi-year programming and a clear, ongoing impact aligned with the funder’s mission. It provides flexible support across organizational needs — staff, administration, property, program continuity. Think of it as a relationship grant: a funder acknowledging and investing in your organization at large, not just a single project.

🪙 Capital Grants fund long-term physical or infrastructural investments: building renovation, equipment purchases, tech upgrades, accessibility improvements. Reserved for established organizations with demonstrated operational capacity and public-facing facilities. Often require match funds.

By harnessing a clearer understanding of these categories, you avoid applying to grants that don’t match who you are and what you’re making. Without that alignment, the creative concept and the writing can be excellent, but your application is still likely to be set aside. The closest thing to the secret of successful grant writing is ensuring this alignment — where the funder, program type, and your project or organization all point to the same intentions.

What are the next steps?

As you prepare to research relevant funders using existing tools like Run Artist Run’s Programs That Matter, you can now approach this process with an understanding of the types of funders most relevant to you and the types of programs that solve the particular funding gap you’re faced with.

Build your grant strategy by starting at the base of the funder pyramid. Make sure your strategy includes your local arts council, state arts commission, and the multi-state arts organization serving your region. From there, get more aspirational — find aligned programs from local, regional, and/or national small and mid-size foundations, and find out if your local universities and public institutions offer any funded programs for artists. Look aspirationally towards the open calls made available by the federal agencies and the nation’s largest arts foundations, and include a few in your strategy for the long game.

Play each funder differently. Understand the different degrees of competition the higher you go on the funder pyramid. And build yourself a diverse grant strategy that you can lean into, revise regularly, and repeat annually.

Dear artists — remember this: funder prospecting is less about where to look, and more about knowing what you’re looking for. Take the time to understand the ecosystem, and then run, artist, run.

Interesting in receiving additional guidance?

Learn more about Run Artist Run’s grant strategy and consulting services by signing up for a free consultation here, or via the button below.

About the Author

Harrison Nir is a multi-disciplinary artist, documentary producer, and social entrepreneur with a decade of experience advancing community-driven arts initiatives through funding, storytelling, and impact strategy. He founded Run Artist Run in 2022 to fill a critical gap in strategic funding support for individual artists and artist-run initiatives. To date, he has supported hundreds of artists in refining their stories, building tailored grant strategies, and seeing their projects through realization.

As co-founder of the geolocation-based social app CUPE, Xie transforms her experiences with missed encounters, cultural displacement, and social anxiety into opportunities for meaningful interaction. Drawing from her Chinese heritage and life across the Midwest, New York, Paris, and London, she creates work rooted in movement, change, and chance.

Across Borders spoke with Xie about finding expression beyond language, taking ownership of her Chinese identity, and the invisible pressure of building a creative career as an international artist in the United States.

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The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Across Borders: How do you describe yourself as an artist? Has that definition shifted over time?

Xie: I see myself as a creative director and artist. I was always creative because my dad is really creative, and when I was younger, he always taught me how to draw, and he took me to the museums when I was in China. I was always really into art. I go to the galleries a lot, and I’m really obsessed with the philosophy of conceptual arts, which really inspired me a lot. Art doesn’t have to be a painting; it can be anything.

Across Borders: How has moving across places, geographically or culturally, shaped your work?

Xie: I get inspired by a lot of traditional Chinese elements. That’s who I am. I feel really privileged that this is what my people give me and that I can really take ownership of my “Chinese-ness”. When I came to New York, I was really inspired by this boldness of the style, more chic, avant-garde, and just really conceptual. London is posh and elegant. All those are different places that really add to the layers of me being an artist, and it’s through my experiences that I get inspired and make that art.

Across Borders: What does it mean to be an immigrant artist from China in America for you?

Xie:. I hate to say it, but when I first moved here, I was really insecure about being the odd person in the room. I was just a little Chinese girl who didn’t even speak English, I learned English in Michigan and Ohio, and I was the only Chinese international student. I tried really hard to fit into the culture and just separate myself from my Chinese side as much as possible. Now, 8 years have passed. Only recently have I started taking pride.

Across Borders: Why do you think that shift happened?

Xie: When I was in Ohio, we had a small community, and it was really local-based. I had a group of artists. I was the only international person within the artist friend group. They were always really interested in my perspective. Everybody just gave me so much love and support, and I went from having this insecurity to people loving the Chinese side of me. My friends really give me the confidence that being Chinese is something I should be proud of, and it’s something beautiful.

Across Borders: Reflecting on your arts, do you have specific references, values, or experiences that you consistently show up in your work?

Xie: As an immigrant, I didn’t speak the language. So fashion was the first medium that I grabbed because I don’t really need to speak for myself. It spoke for me. I’m really a maximalist. Everything that I create is sort of in relation to myself. For example, Missed Encounter: I was timid when I was in high school because I was from a different country, and I let so many moments slip away. That’s why I created Missed Encounter to help other people. Through this process, I’m also able to open myself up and inspire other people.

Across Borders: What has been the hardest thing to navigate, structurally, as an artist working across borders?

Xie: At the end of job applications, there’s this question: “Would you need sponsorship in the future?” When you check that, you already know you’re not gonna get it. It’s really brutal. Sometimes I wish I could just take on a shift in a coffee shop, but we cannot even get that kind of job because under OPT, jobs have to be relevant to all your studies. It’s just really difficult for you to pursue your career like everybody else, and especially in the creative industry, the budget is so thin. It’s not a tech company. They can just pour money in. As an independent artist, it’s just hard to even apply for the O-1 visa, which would be $10,000.

Across Borders: Are you on OPT right now?

Xie: I’ve been waiting for my card for a long time, but it’s still not here. I applied in April. It’s already July 12th. So it’s been 3 months, and I think I put the start date on June 1st. It’s still processing.

Across Borders: You take on a lot of different jobs and different sectors of the creative industry? Do you think it’s because you felt you had to do double the work that everyone does to fill a resume?

Xie: Nobody else can really understand if they’re not in our shoes. I always know that there’s a time crunch and the pressure is invisible. I wake up every day and I just know I have to do whatever I can to get this visa. I cannot just sit around.

Across Borders: What kind of other compromises, if any, have you felt you’ve had to make to practice and live across borders as an artist?

Xie: I don’t like AI, but the compromise is that I have to take on work that doesn’t really purely align with my values. I got that because CUPE is a social app, but I made that app to encourage people to hang out in real life. The app landed me jobs in the top companies in AI, which is super contradictory to what I do. What I love doing is analog, hands-on processes of creating art.

Across Borders: Why is it important to allow artists to move across borders?

Xie: For me, art is the highest form of hope. Science and art are all extremely fundamental things for us to move forward. If you are somebody who’s able to say something, make something, and bridge the gap between different countries, I think you should be given more chances.

About the Author: Rosella Nguyễn

Rosella (Thùy An) Nguyễn (she/her) is a Vietnamese creative strategist, cultural producer, and arts journalist based between New York and London. She is a recent graduate of NYU Gallatin, where she developed an individualized concentration in Cultural Innovation: Performing Arts, Global Media, and Social Psychology, with a minor in the Business of Entertainment, Media, and Technology. She is currently pursuing a dual MA/MSc in Media, Culture, and Global Cities through the London School of Economics and NYU Steinhardt.

Drawing from her own experience as an international arts student, Rose is the co-creator and program lead of Run Artist Run’s Across Borders s, an editorial arts column and advocacy initiative aimed to support immigrant artists and creatives navigating visibility, access, and belonging.

Across Borders is an international arts column spotlights immigrant and transnational artists working across countries, disciplines, and systems of belonging. The series expands RAR’s mission to consider artists as they move through borders, creative industries, institutions, and the structural realities of building a creative life across geographies. Through artist interviews, the series explores visibility as advocacy, access, and support.

Programs That Matter is a curated monthly newsletter sharing grants, residencies, and fellowships for working artists and collectives, with a focus on non-extractive, accessible opportunities.

This newsletter is your portal into the broader world of Run Artist Run: a growing suite of tools to help artists fund their vision — from a searchable funding database and artist spotlight series to one-on-one consultations with grant writers, and a quarterly micro-grant.

Want to take it further? Subscribe, submit a program, or talk to a grant writer.

If someone forwarded you this, subscribe for free here.

For the best experience, click the icon below to view this month’s featured programs in a searchable, interactive gallery view. Detailed information and direct application links can be found here. A number of select programs are featured in the body of the newsletter, too.

With any questions, reach out to ready@runartistrun.com and happy funding!

GRANTS & AWARDS (56)

FELLOWSHIPS & WORKSHOPS (17)

FUNDED RESIDENCIES & OPEN CALLS (21)

Thanks so much for reading. We’re glad you’re here. If you found this newsletter helpful, consider forwarding it to another artist—it helps us grow and liberate more creatives from their extractive 9-5s — or leave a comment so we know you care!

If you’re planning a submission or need funding and want some guidance (for free):

Are you a granter or organization with a program for artists that you’d like featured?

Found a program through Programs That Matter and received it? Send us your success story — we’d love to celebrate you in a future issue or feature.

Wishing you clarity, courage, and funding!

Want more access to Programs That Matter?

For practically the price of a cappuccino per month, supporting subscribers keep this work going—and get access to our 2200+ recurring Opportunity Database, a Community Lottery Micro-Grant announced quarterly, and exclusive consult discounts!

Read more

It’s also, if you know what to do next, a key strategic step towards acquiring funding.

Most artists close the email, sigh or sulk, and move on. To do this, however, is to throw out the baby with the bathwater, so to speak. You’ve just spent countless hours on an application. You might have even consulted a grant writer. You put forward your best application possible. Still, that familiar email arrived.

I’m here to tell you, dear artists, that this is not bad news. It’s one step closer.

Every rejection is a doorway. The open call is often the only public entry point into a funder’s ecosystem. Regardless of the results, you’ve cracked the door. Your job now is to stay in the room. Here’s what that looks like in practice.

Step 1: Ask For Feedback

Before you do anything else, read the rejection email and the program guidelines one more time. Do they explicitly say they don’t offer feedback?

If not — ask for it.

Not to argue. Not to ask for a second chance. Just this:

Why does this matter? Two reasons.

First, the feedback itself is useful. You learn how your application was actually read, which is often different from how you intended it.

Second, and more importantly: asking for feedback keeps the conversation open. A program officer who spends fifteen minutes with your application and writes you a note now knows your name. They recognize your seriousness, your kindness, or your ability to communicate effectively. They have a reason to remember you.

When you apply again the following cycle—and you explicitly implement the feedback you received—you are no longer a stranger to that organization. That is a real competitive advantage.

If they do say they don’t offer feedback, thank them and ask something else: Do they plan to offer the program again? How can you stay in touch? Send a link to your newsletter or social media. Make clear you intend to try again.

Every touchpoint counts.

Step 2: Stay Visible Through Communications

This path is available to you whether or not feedback is. Think of it as the long game.

In applying to this program, you likely have received the program officer’s email. They know your name and something about your work. That’s a crack in the door. Your job now is to keep it open.

A few simple ways to do that:

• Add them to your newsletter. Your newsletter is a living document of your developing practice. They now have a reason to care about it. Offer the link in your thank-you email—then go ahead and add them.

• Follow the organization on Instagram. The organization, the program officer, the program director if they have a public account. Comment on their posts. Participate in their community.

• Go to their public events when you can. Invite them to yours—via email or DM.

Let your work speak over time. If this program genuinely aligned with your practice, your work will continue to develop in ways that align with their priorities. Show that publicly. Not in a calculated way—just by doing your work and letting your communications tell that story.

Step 3: Incorporate the Rejection Into Storytelling

This is the strategy most artists don’t think of — and one of the most effective.

→ Screenshot the rejection. Tally up your numbers for the year. Post about it.

Some of the most resonant artist content online is when artists are honest about rejection—not bitterly, not as a grievance, but as part of the real story of sustaining a creative practice.

Done well, this kind of transparency does three things at once:

• It normalizes rejection for other artists who are watching and experiencing the same thing.

• It keeps your audience inside your process, not just seeing the wins.

• It often generates direct support—people who feel connected to your story and your resilience are more likely to show up for you.

A few caveats worth naming:

Tone matters everything here. This works when it’s generous and forward-looking. It doesn’t work when it reads as bitter or accusatory. Don’t tag the funder. This isn’t about calling anyone out — it’s about the honest truth of what it takes to maintain an artistic practice, which includes a lot of rejection.

A real example.

In April 2026, visual artist John Sproul, like so many others, received a rejection letter from the Guggenheim Fellowship. John has been keeping track of his “career stats” since 1991.

The season of Guggenheim Fellowship notifications gave him the perfect opportunity to seek community online, and share transparently about what it takes to pursue art professionally. The result was over 200 supportive and grateful comments, and expanded visibility for his practice.

The Through-Line

These three paths are not mutually exclusive. They work together.

Ask for feedback. Stay visible. Tell the story honestly.

A rejection is not the end of a relationship with a funder. For most artists, it’s the beginning of one—if you know what to do next.

Want help building a grant strategy that accounts for the long game — rejections included? Book a free 30-minute consultation with a RAR grant writer, subscribe to the Programs That Matter, or share this article with a fellow artist.

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Across Borders spoke with the designer about cultural translation, navigating different creative ecosystems, and why artistic mobility allows both identity and imagination to deepen.

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This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Images courtesy of Ray Park 박래이.

Across Borders: How do you describe yourself as an artist? Has that definition shifted over time?

Park: Fashion is the language I speak most fluently. Before I fully understood clothing as a form of expression, I was fascinated by movement. I borrow from the rhythm of music, the movement of the body, and the visual language of other art forms. I don’t see mediums as boundaries but as different ways of asking the same question. Whether I’m working with fabric, movement, or narrative, I’m interested in how ideas change as they pass through different forms. My work is less about mastering a single discipline than about understanding how they can speak to one another. I realized that what drew me to art in the first place was its openness: the fact that there isn’t one right answer, only different ways of seeing.

Across Borders: How has moving across places, geographically or culturally, shaped your work?

Park: Living between Korea and the United States has fundamentally changed the way I think about creativity. I have also been fortunate to travel extensively, and every place has offered a different perspective on beauty, craftsmanship, history, and daily life. Rather than feeling pulled between cultures, I’ve always felt like I was collecting pieces of each one. Every place I’ve lived or visited has expanded the way I solve problems as a designer. At the same time, the further I traveled, the more I found myself returning to Korea as my greatest source of inspiration. Distance made me appreciate my own culture more deeply. Instead of viewing Korean history, folklore, and traditional craftsmanship as something ordinary, I began seeing how incredibly rich and under-explored they are within contemporary fashion. Living across cultures hasn’t made me feel less Korean; it has helped me understand my identity with much greater clarity.

Across Borders: We become an immigrant artist the moment we arrive in America. From this perspective, what does it mean to you to be an artist from where you emigrated?

Park: Being a Korean artist in America has made me more conscious of representation, not in the sense of obligation, but in terms of possibility. I feel incredibly fortunate to come from a culture with thousands of years of history, mythology, craftsmanship, and artistic traditions. At the same time, I recognize that many international audiences only encounter a very small portion of Korean culture, which naturally shapes how they understand it. Because of that, I see my work as an opportunity to expand and discover Korea beyond what they already know. Whether I intend it or not, my work can influence how people perceive where I come from. At the same time, I don’t believe cultural identity should become a limitation. I hope my work reflects both where I come from and where I am going. Ultimately, being an immigrant artist means constantly translating: not only language, but ideas, values, and perspectives.

Across Borders: What has been the hardest thing to navigate structurally as an artist working across borders?

Park: As a fashion designer, something as simple as sourcing materials becomes completely different depending on where I am. In New York, the Garment District operates through one system of vendors, relationships, and production timelines. In Seoul, markets like Dongdaemun function in a completely different way, with different business cultures, working hours, communication styles, and expectations. Neither system is better: they simply require different ways of thinking. Learning to move between those systems takes time. It often feels like you’re constantly being reset, even when you’ve already developed expertise elsewhere. Beyond logistics, there are also differences in artistic culture. Expectations around originality, collaboration, critique, and professionalism vary significantly across countries. As someone who hopes to build an international career, I’ve had to learn how to adapt without losing my own creative voice. Although these differences can be challenging, they’ve ultimately made me a stronger artist. They have taught me flexibility, resilience, and the ability to approach problems from multiple perspectives.

Across Borders: Why is it important to allow artists to move across borders?

Park: Art has always evolved through movement and identity, but I think what makes that movement so powerful is how deeply personal it is. When artists cross borders, they don’t just bring techniques or aesthetics; they carry their memories, their upbringing, their cultural instincts, and the way they’ve learned to see the world. Some of the most influential artistic movements in history exist because different cultures encountered one another. Innovation rarely happens in isolation. It happens when different ways of thinking collide, overlap, and reshape each other. That exchange creates space for something that couldn’t have existed in just one place. Being exposed to other cultures has made me more aware of my own. I don’t believe artists should ever have to choose between honoring their roots and exploring new possibilities. The freedom to move allows both to exist at the same time. Ultimately, empathy is my greatest tool. The ability to understand people, their cultures, their personal emotions, and their lived experiences is what allows art to resonate beyond borders.

Image courtesy of Ray Park.

About the Author: Rosella Nguyễn

Rosella (Thùy An) Nguyễn (she/her) is a Vietnamese creative strategist, cultural producer, and arts journalist based between New York and London. She is a recent graduate of NYU Gallatin, where she developed an individualized concentration in Cultural Innovation: Performing Arts, Global Media, and Social Psychology, with a minor in the Business of Entertainment, Media, and Technology. She is currently pursuing a dual MA/MSc in Media, Culture, and Global Cities through the London School of Economics and NYU Steinhardt.

Drawing from her own experience as an international arts student, Rose is the co-creator and program lead of Run Artist Run’s Across Borders s, an editorial arts column and advocacy initiative aimed to support immigrant artists and creatives navigating visibility, access, and belonging.

Across Borders is an international arts column spotlights immigrant and transnational artists working across countries, disciplines, and systems of belonging. The series expands RAR’s mission to consider artists as they move through borders, creative industries, institutions, and the structural realities of building a creative life across geographies. Through artist interviews, the series explores visibility as advocacy, access, and support.

Programs That Matter is a curated monthly newsletter sharing grants, residencies, and fellowships for working artists and collectives, with a focus on non-extractive, accessible opportunities.

This newsletter is your portal into the broader world of Run Artist Run: a growing suite of tools to help artists fund their vision — from a searchable funding database and artist spotlight series to one-on-one consultations with grant writers, and a quarterly micro-grant.

Want to take it further? Subscribe, submit a program, or talk to a grant writer.

If someone forwarded you this, subscribe for free here.

For the best experience, click the icon below to view this month’s featured programs in a searchable, interactive gallery view. Detailed information and direct application links can be found here. A number of select programs are featured in the body of the newsletter, too.

With any questions, reach out to ready@runartistrun.com and happy funding!

GRANTS, AWARDS, & SERVICES (53)

FELLOWSHIPS & WORKSHOPS (16)

FUNDED RESIDENCIES & OPEN CALLS (23)

Thanks so much for reading. We’re glad you’re here. If you found this newsletter helpful, consider forwarding it to another artist—it helps us grow and liberate more creatives from their extractive 9-5s — or leave a comment so we know you care!

If you’re planning a submission or need funding and want some guidance (for free):

Are you a granter or organization with a program for artists that you’d like featured?

Found a program through Programs That Matter and received it? Send us your success story — we’d love to celebrate you in a future issue or feature.

Wishing you clarity, courage, and funding!

Want more access to Programs That Matter?

For practically the price of a cappuccino per month, supporting subscribers keep this work going—and get access to our 2000+ recurring Opportunity Database, a Community Lottery Micro-Grant announced quarterly, and exclusive consult discounts!

Read more

For our second edition, RAR sat down with Lee Heinemann, Program Director at A Blade of Grass, alongside two Field Funds recipients: Kennedy McDaniel and Momo Mullings of Blackberry Zine Collective, and multidisciplinary disabled dance artist Vanessa Hernández Cruz.

A Blade of Grass is an artist-run organization dedicated to nurturing socially engaged art. Field Funds is their bi-monthly $500 grant program supporting the often-underfunded aspects of socially engaged practice — artist-led gatherings, accessibility and translation, collective work, and documentation. Every eligible applicant has the same chance of being selected. Recipients are chosen at random.

That’s not an accident. It’s a philosophy.

As Lee explains in the video below, the random selection process was born from years of watching deserving artists fall through the cracks of merit-based award programs — not because their work wasn’t extraordinary, but because there simply weren’t enough resources to go around. Field Funds removes the jury, reduces the barriers, and gets money to artists quickly and efficiently.

Field Funds cycles run every other month while resources last. If you’re a socially engaged artist, the next cycle may be open now or opening soon.

And if you’re in a position to support the program, A Blade of Grass is actively fundraising to keep Field Funds going. Every dollar raised scales directly into more grants for more artists.

Learn more, apply, and support Field Funds at abladeofgrass.org/field-funds

Growing up in Latvia, she entered music education early, then trained through one of the country’s first school-level musical theater programs at Riga Cathedral Choir School. A brief trip to London’s West End transformed curiosity into conviction: after three shows, workshops, and what she recalls as laughing, crying, and wanting to understand the form more fully, Pavlovska knew she wanted to pursue musical theater seriously.

That pursuit brought her to the United States, where the genre carries a longer institutional history and a different artistic vocabulary. Her path has also been shaped by the realities of being an international art student: visa timelines, legal uncertainty, distance from family, and the need to explain her identity in rooms where she is foremost trying to be seen as a performer.

Across Borders sat down with Pavlovska to discuss training between Latvia and the U.S., finding freedom in multiple artistic identities, and why it is important that artists are able to move freely.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Image courtesy of .

Across Borders: How would you describe yourself as an artist, and has that definition shifted over time?

Pavlovska: I would say I’m primarily a musical theater performer, but I also identify as an actor, vocalist, and musician. That has shifted mostly since I came to the U.S. Before college, I was in a musical theater program, but it felt more like I was a singer who specialized in musical theater. Here, it feels much more like I’m an actor, and singing is part of the job. It’s been very freeing. I always tell people back home that I don’t have to be one thing. I can do multiple things and exist in art.

Across Borders: How has moving across places, and being from Latvia, shaped your work?

Pavlovska: I’ve gained so much more perspective on what musical theater is because it’s such an American genre. I expected to gain more theoretical knowledge about the genre, but in reality, just being in this environment and around people who have done it for generations has taught me so much about how to approach it through feeling and habit.

Across Borders: We become an immigrant artist the moment we arrive in America. From this perspective, what does it mean to you to be an artist from Latvia in America?

Pavlovska: Musical theater really isn’t a thing in Latvia. There is a lot of trailblazing you have to do, not because you want to, but because you have to if you want to pursue the genre. I know for sure that I’m the first Latvian musical theater graduate at Manhattan School of Music, and in my five years here, I have not come across anyone from Latvia who has pursued musical theater at this level. So immediately, you have no one to ask what this is like, or to ask for tips. As for existing in the genre, I think a lot of it is about being open-minded and humble, and listening to what is going on around you. You’re aware that this is not a genre you grew up with. But that is not necessarily a bad thing. I’ve always gone into it with the mindset that I need to have the foundation of knowledge and skill that everybody here has. Then I can stand out with everything I have from back home.

Across Borders: Are there any specific references, values, or experiences that consistently show up in your work?

Pavlovska: I think musical theater can be deep, fulfilling, and educational, or it can be shallow and based in stereotypes. I’ve tried to keep that in mind. A lot of people gravitate toward their cultural roots and find themselves in characters who come from a similar place. I never really had the chance to do that because, as far as I know, there are exactly two shows that mention Latvia. But that is not something I’m going to get stuck in. I can find myself in characters who are not defined only by their cultural background. It’s exciting to be whomever.

Across Borders: What has been the hardest thing to navigate structurally as an artist working across borders?

Pavlovska: A lot of the time, it feels like we, as international students, have to figure it out ourselves and then present it to other people. There is fear around the word “immigrant,” around visas, and around legal processes. That uncertainty has always been in the back of my mind. You think, “Okay, I have a student visa right now, and it ends on this date.” Then, “I have my OPT, and that ends on this date.” There is a constant reminder that you are running out of time. That is the main thing people try to teach you not to feel in theater school. They tell you, “You have so much time.” But when you have an expiration date, you are very aware of time.

Across Borders: Why is it important to allow artists to move across borders?

Pavlovska: To learn more. To understand more people. Theater, music, and the arts have always been about understanding other circumstances, having empathy, and bringing color to life. Art can become so bland or stuck in our little boxes. You need to gain perspective. Art is better when there are more people, more opinions, and more differences involved.

Image courtesy of .

About the Author: Rosella Nguyễn

Rosella (Thùy An) Nguyễn (she/her) is a Vietnamese creative strategist, cultural producer, and arts journalist based between New York and London. She is a recent graduate of NYU Gallatin, where she developed an individualized concentration in Cultural Innovation: Performing Arts, Global Media, and Social Psychology, with a minor in the Business of Entertainment, Media, and Technology. She is currently pursuing a dual MA/MSc in Media, Culture, and Global Cities through the London School of Economics and NYU Steinhardt.

Drawing from her own experience as an international arts student, Rose is the co-creator and program lead of Run Artist Run’s Across Borders s, an editorial arts column and advocacy initiative aimed to support immigrant artists and creatives navigating visibility, access, and belonging.

Across Borders is an international arts column spotlights immigrant and transnational artists working across countries, disciplines, and systems of belonging. The series expands RAR’s mission to consider artists as they move through borders, creative industries, institutions, and the structural realities of building a creative life across geographies. Through artist interviews, the series explores visibility as advocacy, access, and support.

Programs That Matter is a curated monthly newsletter sharing grants, residencies, and fellowships for working artists and collectives, with a focus on non-extractive, accessible opportunities.

This newsletter is your portal into the broader world of Run Artist Run: a growing suite of tools to help artists fund their vision—from a searchable funding database and artist spotlight series to one-on-one consultations with grant writers, and a quarterly micro-grant.

Want to take it further? Subscribe, submit a program, or talk to a grant writer.

If someone forwarded you this, subscribe for free here.

For the best experience, click the icon below to view this month’s featured programs in a searchable, interactive gallery view. Detailed information and direct application links can be found here. A number of select programs are featured in the body of the newsletter, too.

With any questions, reach out to ready@runartistrun.com and happy funding!

GRANTS, AWARDS, & SERVICES (50)

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FUNDED RESIDENCIES & OPEN CALLS (30)

Thanks so much for reading. We’re glad you’re here. If you found this newsletter helpful, consider forwarding it to another artist—it helps us grow and liberate more creatives from their extractive 9-5s—or leave a comment so we know you care!

If you’re planning a submission or need funding and want some guidance (for free):

Are you a granter or organization with a program for artists that you’d like featured?

Found a program through Programs That Matter and received it? Send us your success story—we’d love to celebrate you in a future issue or feature.

Wishing you clarity, courage, and funding!

Want more access to Programs That Matter?

For practically the price of a cappuccino per month, supporting subscribers keep this work going—and get access to our 1900+ recurring Opportunity Database, a Quarterly Micro-Grant (launching at 100 subs), and exclusive consult discounts.

Read more

Programs That Matter is a curated monthly newsletter sharing grants, residencies, and fellowships for working artists and collectives, with a focus on non-extractive, accessible opportunities.

This newsletter is your portal into the broader world of Run Artist Run: a growing suite of tools to help artists fund their vision—from a searchable funding database and artist spotlight series to one-on-one consultations with grant writers, and a quarterly micro-grant.

Want to take it further? Subscribe, submit a program, or talk to a grant writer.

If someone forwarded you this, subscribe for free here.

For the best experience, click the icon below to view this month’s featured programs in a searchable, interactive gallery view. Detailed information and direct application links can be found here. A number of select programs are featured in the body of the newsletter, too.

With any questions, reach out to ready@runartistrun.com and happy funding!

GRANTS, AWARDS, & SERVICES (59)

FELLOWSHIPS & WORKSHOPS (24)

FUNDED RESIDENCIES & OPEN CALLS (30)

Thanks so much for reading. We’re glad you’re here. If you found this newsletter helpful, consider forwarding it to another artist—it helps us grow and liberate more creatives from their extractive 9-5s—or leave a comment so we know you care!

If you’re planning a submission or need funding and want some guidance (for free):

Are you a granter or organization with a program for artists that you’d like featured?

Found a program through Programs That Matter and received it? Send us your success story—we’d love to celebrate you in a future issue or feature.

Wishing you clarity, courage, and funding!

Want more access to Programs That Matter?

For practically the price of a cappuccino per month, supporting subscribers keep this work going—and get access to our 1900+ recurring Opportunity Database, a Quarterly Micro-Grant (launching at 100 subs), and exclusive consult discounts.

Read more

Programs That Matter is a curated monthly newsletter sharing grants, residencies, and fellowships for working artists and collectives, with a focus on non-extractive, accessible opportunities.

This newsletter is your portal into the broader world of Run Artist Run: a growing suite of tools to help artists fund their vision—from a searchable funding database and artist spotlight series to one-on-one consultations with grant writers and a quarterly micro-grant.

Want to take it further? Subscribe, submit a program, or talk to a grant writer.

If someone forwarded you this, subscribe for free here.

For the best experience, click the icon below to view this month’s featured programs in a searchable, interactive gallery view. Detailed information and direct application links can be found here. A number of select programs are featured in the body of the newsletter, too.

With any questions, reach out to ready@runartistrun.com and happy funding!

GRANTS, AWARDS, & SERVICES (86)

FELLOWSHIPS & WORKSHOPS (13)

FUNDED RESIDENCIES & OPEN CALLS (36)

Thanks so much for reading. We’re glad you’re here. If you found this newsletter helpful, consider forwarding it to another artist—it helps us grow and liberate more creatives from their extractive 9-5s—or leave a comment so we know you care!

If you’re planning a submission or need funding and want some guidance (for free):

Are you a granter or organization with a program for artists that you’d like featured?

Found a program through Programs That Matter and received it? Send us your success story—we’d love to celebrate you in a future issue or feature.

Wishing you clarity, courage, and funding!

Want more access to Programs That Matter?

For practically the price of a cappuccino per month, supporting subscribers keep this work going—and get access to our 1900+ recurring Opportunity Database, a Quarterly Micro-Grant (launching at 100 subs), and exclusive consult discounts.

Read more

The response has been truly moving. One participant wrote to us afterward:

“They don’t teach us this stuff, and yet without it, none of what we are taught about our craft as artists can ever come to fruition.”

That's exactly why we built this. And we want to make sure as many artists as possible can access it.

WATCH THE WEBINAR

The full recording is now available via the link below.

60 minutes · 6 chapters · 7 take-home assets*

Password: GrantsPlease

*These assets are available in full below — exclusively for RAR paid subscribers, as a thank you for helping us sustain this work.

RAR is growing. We now have several grant writers across disciplines working with artists at all career stages and emerging artist-run organizations — bringing the same strategic approach to funding that informed every minute of this webinar.

If you’d like to learn more or discuss working with us directly, you can schedule a free 30-minute consultation through our Conversation with a Grant Writer form.

Throughout the webinar, we shared seven take-home assets — rubrics, matrices, and templates designed to make the frameworks from the lecture immediately actionable. Among these, there is the Career Stage Rubric for figuring out exactly where you sit in the funding landscape, the Funding Ecosystem Matrix for understanding which funders support which types of work, and the Application Fee Evaluation Rubric for protecting your time and money from extractive opportunities.

We also introduced the RAR Opportunities Database — a live, searchable index of 1,800+ funding programs representing over $45 million in recurring support for artists and organizations — as the foundational research tool for building a repeatable grant strategy. Access to the database is included below for paid subscribers, alongside all seven assets from the webinar, as a thank you for helping us sustain this work.

With care,

Harrison Nir
Founder, Run Artist Run

Instagram | Website | Conversation with a Grant Writer

Subscribe For Full Access

Read more

Programs That Matter is a curated monthly newsletter sharing grants, residencies, and fellowships for working artists and collectives, with a focus on non-extractive, accessible opportunities.

This newsletter is your portal into the broader world of Run Artist Run: a growing suite of tools to help artists fund their vision—from a searchable funding database and artist spotlight series to one-on-one consultations with grant writers and a quarterly micro-grant.

Want to take it further? Subscribe, submit a program, or talk to a grant writer.

If someone forwarded you this, subscribe for free here.

For the best experience, click the icon below to view this month’s featured programs in a searchable, interactive gallery view. Detailed information and direct application links can be found here. A number of select programs are featured in the body of the newsletter, too.

With any questions, reach out to ready@runartistrun.com and happy funding!

GRANTS, AWARDS, & SERVICES (80)

FELLOWSHIPS & WORKSHOPS (24)

FUNDED RESIDENCIES & OPEN CALLS (38)

Thanks so much for reading. We’re glad you’re here. If you found this newsletter helpful, consider forwarding it to another artist—it helps us grow and liberate more creatives from their extractive 9-5s—or leave a comment so we know you care!

If you’re planning a submission or need funding and want some guidance (for free):

Are you a granter or organization with a program for artists that you’d like featured?

Found a program through Programs That Matter and received it? Send us your success story—we’d love to celebrate you in a future issue or feature.

Wishing you clarity, courage, and funding!

Want more access to Programs That Matter?

For practically the price of a cappuccino per month, supporting subscribers keep this work going—and get access to our 1600+ recurring Opportunity Database, a Quarterly Micro-Grant (launching at 100 subs), and exclusive consult discounts.

Read more

Programs That Matter is a curated monthly newsletter sharing grants, residencies, and fellowships for working artists and collectives, with a focus on non-extractive, accessible opportunities.

This newsletter is your portal into the broader world of Run Artist Run: a growing suite of tools to help artists fund their vision—from a searchable funding database and artist spotlight series to one-on-one consultations with grant writers and a quarterly micro-grant.

Want to take it further? Subscribe, submit a program, or talk to a grant writer.

If someone forwarded you this, subscribe for free here.

For the best experience, click the icon below to view this month’s featured programs in a searchable, interactive gallery view. Detailed information and direct application links can be found here. A number of select programs are featured in the body of the newsletter, too.

With any questions, reach out to ready@runartistrun.com and happy funding!

GRANTS, AWARDS, & SERVICES (54)

FELLOWSHIPS & WORKSHOPS (16)

FUNDED RESIDENCIES & OPEN CALLS (28)

Thanks so much for reading. We’re glad you’re here. If you found this newsletter helpful, consider forwarding it to another artist—it helps us grow and liberate more creatives from their extractive 9-5s—or leave a comment so we know you care!

If you’re planning a submission or need funding and want some guidance (for free):

Are you a granter or organization with a program for artists that you’d like featured?

Found a program through Programs That Matter and received it? Send us your success story—we’d love to celebrate you in a future issue or feature.

Wishing you clarity, courage, and funding!

Want more access to Programs That Matter?

For practically the price of a cappuccino per month, supporting subscribers keep this work going—and get access to our 1600+ recurring Opportunity Database, a Quarterly Micro-Grant (launching at 100 subs), and exclusive consult discounts.

Read more

Programs That Matter is a curated monthly newsletter sharing grants, residencies, and fellowships for working artists and collectives, with a focus on non-extractive, accessible opportunities.

This newsletter is your portal into the broader world of Run Artist Run: a growing suite of tools to help artists fund their vision—from a searchable funding database and artist spotlight series to one-on-one consultations with grant writers and a quarterly micro-grant.

Want to take it further? Subscribe, submit a program, or talk to a grant writer.

If someone forwarded you this, subscribe for free here.

For the best experience, click the icon below to view this month’s featured programs in a searchable, interactive gallery view. Detailed information and direct application links can be found here. A number of select programs are featured in the body of the newsletter, too.

With any questions, reach out to ready@runartistrun.com and happy funding!

GRANTS, AWARDS, & SERVICES (68)

FELLOWSHIPS & WORKSHOPS (25)

FUNDED RESIDENCIES (25)

Thanks so much for reading. We’re glad you’re here. If you found this newsletter helpful, consider forwarding it to another artist—it helps us grow and liberate more creatives from their extractive 9-5s—or leave a comment so we know you care!

If you’re planning a submission or need funding and want some guidance (for free):

Are you a granter or organization with a program for artists that you’d like featured?

Found a program through Programs That Matter and received it? Send us your success story—we’d love to celebrate you in a future issue or feature.

Wishing you clarity, courage, and funding!

Want more access to Programs That Matter?

For practically the price of a cappuccino per month, supporting subscribers keep this work going—and get access to our 1600+ recurring Opportunity Database, a Quarterly Micro-Grant (launching at 100 subs), and exclusive consult discounts.

Read more

Programs That Matter is a curated monthly newsletter sharing grants, residencies, and fellowships for working artists and collectives, with a focus on non-extractive, accessible opportunities.

This newsletter is your portal into the broader world of Run Artist Run: a growing suite of tools to help artists fund their vision—from a searchable funding database and artist spotlight series to one-on-one consultations with grant writers and a quarterly micro-grant.

Want to take it further? Subscribe, submit a program, or talk to a grant writer.

If someone forwarded you this, subscribe for free here.

For the best experience, click the icon below to view this month’s featured programs in a searchable, interactive gallery view. Detailed information and direct application links can be found here. A number of select programs are featured in the body of the newsletter, too.

With any questions, reach out to ready@runartistrun.com and happy funding!

GRANTS, AWARDS, & SERVICES (42)

FELLOWSHIPS (22)

FUNDED RESIDENCIES (20)

Thanks so much for reading. We’re glad you’re here. If you found this newsletter helpful, consider forwarding it to another artist—it helps us grow and liberate more creatives from their extractive 9-5s—or leave a comment so we know you care!

If you’re planning a submission or need funding and want some guidance (for free):

Are you a granter or organization with a program for artists that you’d like featured?

Found a program through Programs That Matter and received it? Send us your success story—we’d love to celebrate you in a future issue or feature.

Wishing you clarity, courage, and funding!

Want more access to Programs That Matter?

For practically the price of a cappuccino per month, supporting subscribers keep this work going—and get access to our 1400+ recurring Opportunity Database, a Quarterly Micro-Grant (launching at 100 subs), and exclusive consult discounts.

Read more

Programs That Matter is a curated monthly newsletter sharing grants, residencies, and fellowships for working artists and collectives, with a focus on non-extractive, accessible opportunities.

This newsletter is your portal into the broader world of Run Artist Run: a growing suite of tools to help artists fund their vision—from a searchable funding database and artist spotlight series to one-on-one consultations with grant writers and a quarterly micro-grant.

Want to take it further? Subscribe, submit a program, or talk to a grant writer.

If someone forwarded you this, subscribe for free here.

For the best experience, click the icon below to view this month’s featured programs in a searchable, interactive gallery view. Detailed information and direct application links can be found here. A number of select programs are featured in the body of the newsletter, too.

With any questions, reach out to ready@runartistrun.com and happy funding!

GRANTS, AWARDS, & SERVICES (36)

FELLOWSHIPS (17)

FUNDED RESIDENCIES (13)

Thanks so much for reading. We’re glad you’re here. If you found this newsletter helpful, consider forwarding it to another artist—it helps us grow and liberate more creatives from their extractive 9-5s—or leave a comment so we know you care!

If you’re planning a submission or need funding and want some guidance (for free):

Are you a granter or organization with a program for artists that you’d like featured?

Found a program through Programs That Matter and received it? Send us your success story—we’d love to celebrate you in a future issue or feature.

Wishing you clarity, courage, and funding!

Want more access to Programs That Matter?

For practically the price of a cappuccino per month, supporting subscribers keep this work going—and get access to our 1400+ recurring Opportunity Database, a Quarterly Micro-Grant (launching at 100 subs), and exclusive consult discounts.

Read more