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Applications accepted July 1, 2025 through March 31, 2026 with monthly review. Stored deadline was null.
Creativity Grants for Projects is a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) that funds arts projects and collaborations that strengthen the vitality and sustainability of artists and small organizations across Maryland communities. The program offers two options: a Planning & Development grant for early-stage project development, and a larger implementation grant for projects ready to move forward.
Eligible applicants include independent artists, Maryland-incorporated 501(c)(3) nonprofits in operation for at least one year, units of Maryland local government, and Maryland colleges and universities. Awards range from $1,000 to $4,000. The application deadline is March 31, 2026.
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Creativity Grants for Projects | MSAC Close the sitewide search Creativity Grants for Projects Creativity Grants for Projects strengthen the vitality and sustainability of artists and small organizations and provide opportunities to serve the growing needs of relevant arts projects and collaborations within Maryland communities. The Creativity Grant for Projects is available to independent artists and arts organizations.
There are two options to choose from: the Planning & Development grant is intended to support the early stages of research and development for a proposed project; the Implementation grant is intended to support the execution of a specific arts projects/event/program. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis from July 1, 2025 through March 31, 2026 with a monthly review process.
Be an Independent Artist, or Be a Maryland-incorporated 501(c)3 nonprofit organization in operation for one year or more and within grant income requirements, a unit of Maryland local government, or a Maryland college/university/school. Organizations applying through fiscal sponsorships can be funded if the Fiscal Agency and the Organization operate within a Model A sponsorship.
(Note: in a “Model A” sponsorship, the assets, liabilities, and exempt activities collectively referred to as the project are housed within the fiscal sponsor.) Identify a specific event, activity or project to occur within the application time frame. Reference the program’s Guidelines for more specific details on eligibility requirements Please note that application forms in Smart Simple have been updated for FY 2026.
Your application ID # should begin with '2026.' If it does not, you are working off a draft started from a previous year and will not be able to submit it. Please open a new FY 2026 application under the "Opportunities" menu to begin a new application.
The Creativity Grant for Projects is only available to eligible independent artists and arts organizations. Please carefully review the different options available for project-based support. An applicant is only eligible for one Creativity Grant per fiscal year.
For detailed eligibility requirements and other important information, please see the FY 2026 Grant Guidelines. Please note that if you are an organization that receives funding through general operating programs (Grants for Organizations, County Arts Agencies, Arts & Entertainment Districts, Folklife Network, or Creativity Grant for General Operating), you are not eligible for project-based support.
In addition to reviewing the guidelines document in the "Quick Resources" box, please review the following resources that are available to assist you during the application process: Access the meeting slides. Access the meeting slides. For additional support, you can find the FY 2026 scoring rubric, and other relevant documents in the "Resources" section below.
Arts Services Program Directors Emily Sollenberger and Laura Weiss are available to review a draft of your application prior to submission. If you are interested in this, please contact them directly ( emily. sollenberger@maryland.
gov or laura. weiss@maryland. gov ) for assistance.
Please allow for several weeks for processing. If your application was declined for funding, you can complete the Arts Services feedback form . Please allow for several weeks for processing.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis from July 2025 through March 2026. Applications are reviewed monthly, and Creativity Grants are awarded throughout the fiscal year. For awarded activities, payment may take up to 90 days.
Creativity Grant applications submitted by the last day of the month will be reviewed by the panel in the following month, with notifications to follow early the following month. Refer to the Guidelines document in the Quick Resources section for a detailed schedule.
MSAC convenes a group of panelists, composed of members of the public statewide representing a range of discipline expertise, to electronically review and score all applications according to the review criteria above. Applications must be completed in SmartSimple.
Information for Awardees/Grantees After the monthly panel review, applicants will be notified of the grant status as soon as possible, and, if approved, receive a formal grant agreement form to process the grant payment (100% of award amount). Upon execution of the grant agreement, payment will be processed for receipt in 6-8 weeks All MSAC grants are paid on the same timeline. To learn more, click here .
If awarded a Creativity Grant, the recipient must file a final report online in Smart Simple. The report will be added to the grantee's Smart Simple profile as soon as the Grant Agreement Form is fully executed. Applications submitted between July 2024 and December 2024 will have a Final Report deadline of August 15, 2025.
Applications submitted between January 2025 and April 2025 will have a Final Report deadline of December 31, 2025. All grantees are required to submit a Final Report communicating data required by the National Endowment for the Arts. This required data can be found in the resource section below.
For detailed reporting requirements, please see the grant guidelines. FY 2026 Creativity Scoring Rubric - Planning & Development FY 2026 Creativity Scoring Rubric - Implementation Program Director, Arts Services; Disciplines: Dance, Literary Arts, Music, Public Art, Theatre Emily Sollenberger Dobbins Program Director, Arts Services; Disciplines: Arts Services, Folk & Traditional Arts, Multi-disciplinary, Visual Arts/Media emily.
sollenberger@maryland. gov Professional Development Opportunity Grant Haitian Creole - Kreyòl Ayisyen Hawaiian - ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi Indonesian - bahasa Indonesia Kurdish (Kurmanji) - Kurdî Luxembourgish - lëtzebuergesch Scots Gaelic - Gàidhlig na h-Alba
Based on current listing details, eligibility includes: Independent artists or Maryland-incorporated 501(c)(3) nonprofits in operation for at least one year, units of Maryland local government, or Maryland colleges/universities. A specific event or project must be identified. Applicants should confirm final requirements in the official notice before submission.
Current published award information indicates $1,000 - $4,000 Always verify allowable costs, matching requirements, and funding caps directly in the sponsor documentation.
The current target date is March 31, 2026. Build your timeline backwards from this date to cover registrations, approvals, attachments, and final submission checks.
Federal grant success rates typically range from 10-30%, varying by agency and program. Build a strong proposal with clear objectives, measurable outcomes, and a well-justified budget to improve your chances.
Requirements vary by sponsor, but typically include a project narrative, budget justification, organizational capability statement, and key personnel CVs. Check the official notice for the complete list of required attachments.
Yes — AI tools like Granted can help research funders, draft proposal sections, and check compliance. However, always review and customize AI-generated content to reflect your organization's unique strengths and the specific requirements of the solicitation.
Review timelines vary by funder. Federal agencies typically take 3-6 months from submission to award notification. Foundation grants may be faster, often 1-3 months. Check the program's timeline in the official solicitation for specific dates.
Many federal programs offer multi-year funding or allow competitive renewals. Check the official solicitation for continuation and renewal policies. Non-competing continuation applications are common for multi-year awards.