Deadline: 25-Oct-2024

The William Penn Foundation (WPF) is accepting applications for the Arts and Culture Funding Program to expand access to diverse, inclusive, and high-quality arts and culture experiences.

WPF aims to support projects and programs that connect more Philadelphians to high-quality arts and culture experiences, reflect the cultural diversity of the region, and contribute to its vibrancy. They are most interested in prioritizing performances, exhibitions, and other arts and culture projects in which participants see themselves and their communities and experience joy, affirmation, and a sense of belonging.

They are requesting proposals for 1-3-year projects that will increase opportunities for people across the region to engage with a range of high-quality arts and culture experiences.

Objective

• This specific Request for Proposals (RFP) was created to help organizations to advance the following objective:
  • Provide access to arts and culture experiences that are intentionally designed to engage a community or audience.
    • Arts and culture programs, projects, and experiences can provide a wealth of benefits for individuals and communities. By participating in experiences and programming that are designed for them – whether performances, exhibitions, or hands-on opportunities to make art – they believe that people across the region will experience joy, beauty, and deeper appreciation for different cultures. To ensure more Philadelphians connect to arts and culture, they are supporting dynamic projects that seek to create culturally relevant and accessible ways for people across the region to engage with arts, culture, and their communities.

Funding Information

• WPF has a total of $3 million available to advance this objective at this time.
• There is no minimum or maximum amount of funding that projects may request but the most competitive proposals will likely be those with total grant requests under $600,000 (for 3 years).

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants that propose projects in partnership with other applicants will be considered on their individual merits.
• Applicants must be recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as 501(c)3 public charities or operate under a public charity fiduciary. Applicants must adequately compensate artists/creators for their involvement. Eligible applicants include:
  • Artist collectives: a group of artists who come together to collaborate, share resources, and work towards common creative and/or social goals.
  • Arts and culture organizations: organizations with a mission that centers on the creation, performance, and/or presentation of artistic and cultural programs and experiences.
  • Community-based organizations: local, nonprofit groups that work to improve conditions for and directly serve the needs of their communities.
  • Public institutions: government entities and agencies.
• WPF funds the following disciplines: dance, design, folk and traditional arts, literary arts, media arts, museums, music, musical theater, opera, multidisciplinary arts, theater, and visual arts.
• The majority of the funding will be awarded to projects in the City of Philadelphia. However, projects in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties, and the City of Camden, NJ will also be considered.

For more information, visit WPF.