Tools & Equipment Grant (Early Career Artist Program)

Tools & Equipment Grant (Early Career Artist Program) is sponsored by American Craft Council (ACC). This grant provides $2,500 to Early Career Artist Program participants to purchase tools and equipment that will help grow their creative practice and business.

Early Career Artist Program Grants - American Craft Council | American Craft Council Early Career Artist Program Grants The American Craft Council provides innovative programs that support craft-centered livelihoods, including initiatives designed to meet the needs of artists as they build their careers.

With generous support from the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation, ACC has established three grant opportunities, available exclusively to members of our Early Career Artist Program . ACC will accept grant applications on a rolling basis and announce recipients through a bi-monthly newsletter and on ACC’s website.

Professional Development Grant To apply for any of the three grants, you must be a current member of the American Craft Council’s Early Career Artist Program at the time of application submission. Members of the Early Career Artist Program may apply for each of the three grants within a single calendar year. You are welcome to apply for more than one grant at a time; however, you may not receive the same grant twice in a single year.

Application Process and Review ACC staff and outside panelists with craft expertise will review eligible applications on a monthly basis. Artists will be selected on a quarterly basis. Grant applications that include time-based requests, such as attending a conference, will be noted.

Eligible applications that are not selected for funding will be reconsidered the following month. Artists who submit applications that do not meet the eligibility criteria will be contacted and are welcome to resubmit their applications for review. Please note : It may take up to 3 months after you submit your grant for ACC to review and respond to your application.

It can take a few weeks after that to process the payment. Additionally, these grants, like most grants, are intended for expenses that have not yet been paid for. You cannot use these grants to reimburse yourself or anyone else.

Quarterly Submission Cadence Quarter 1 : October 1 – December 15, with decisions sent by mid-January Quarter 2 : December 16 – March 31, with decisions sent by early May Quarter 3 : April 1 – June 30, with decisions sent by early August Quarter 4 : July 1 – October 1, with decisions sent by early October As ACC makes these decisions, we want to be transparent about how we evaluate and fund applications.

Given the high volume of submissions we receive, we prioritize applications that are exceptional, compelling, and demonstrate the greatest impact of the grant funds. While we strive to provide feedback when possible, we encourage you to reach out if you’d like to discuss your submission. ACC cannot fund all of the grants we receive that meet the grant criteria.

ACC reserves the right to partially fund grant requests. We will prioritize funding for: Applications from artists who have not previously received ACC funding. Grant requests that include participation in ACC-related opportunities, such as our fairs, upcoming conference, or other events and programs.

Resubmission Opportunities If your application doesn’t meet our requirements, whether due to an incomplete or missing budget or other eligibility concerns, we still welcome you to resubmit for the next cycle. We view this as an opportunity to strengthen your application with our guidance.

Grant Notifications and Agreement Artists who receive grants will be highlighted in ACC’s monthly newsletters and are required to complete a short post-grant survey three months after receiving funds.

Grantees will receive a grant agreement to sign and are asked to provide the following materials to ACC: Fifteen Early Career Artist Program participants will receive a $2,500 grant to purchase tools and equipment that will help grow their creative practice and business. Examples of tools and equipment include: a kiln, a jeweler’s saw, a workbench, or an anvil. Materials are not eligible for this grant.

This grant requires submission of a simple budget, which can be provided in a text format or uploaded as a Word document, PDF, or spreadsheet. Click here to download a budget template if needed.

Photo by Malcolm Lightbody Professional Development Grant The Professional Development Grant provides up to $2,500 in funding for participation in professional development opportunities and activities that build skills for creative entrepreneurs.

Examples of professional development activities include, but are not limited to: conferences, professional development workshops, professional or business coaching, membership to organizations that offer professional development opportunities, and other activities that enhance professional knowledge.

This grant requires submission of a simple budget, which can be provided in a text format or uploaded as a Word document, PDF, or spreadsheet. Click here to download a budget template if needed. Fifteen participants in the Early Career Artist Program will receive a $2,500 grant to support their career advancement.

Career advancement is the process by which an individual makes significant progress in their career, and this grant is intended to support that trajectory by removing barriers to opportunities as they present themselves.

Examples of how funding could be used to advance your career could include, but are not limited to: shipping of work for exhibitions or other opportunities, travel expenses to meet with a mentor, booth fees for trying a new craft fair (such as ACC’s Baltimore fair), or other opportunities as they arise. Photo by Marlis Trio Akbar To apply, submit an application below. To access the form, you must be logged in as an active ACC member.

For all grants, you must also already be in the Early Career Artist Program prior to being considered. These grants were made possible with support from the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation.