Deadline: 19-Dec-2025
The Literary Arts Fund has announced a new cycle of General Operating Grants, designed to provide unrestricted financial support to literary arts nonprofits, presses, and publications.
A major opportunity is now open for nonprofit organizations working in the literary arts sector across the United States. These grants aim to strengthen the infrastructure of organizations that directly support creative writers and their work, ensuring a more vibrant and sustainable literary ecosystem nationwide.
Each general operating grant will be issued as a single payment intended to support an organization’s mission, programs, and administrative needs over a five-year period. The fund has committed to awarding at least $10 million annually to the nonprofit literary arts field through 2031. The first open call for applications will fund organizations beginning in 2026, offering long-term stability to groups dedicated to amplifying writers’ voices and connecting literature to diverse audiences.
Eligible applicants include literary arts nonprofits, as well as fiscally sponsored organizations, whose primary mission supports creative writers through presentation, publication, mentorship, residencies, workshops, or recognition. Activities may range from hosting public readings, festivals, and performances to publishing books and journals, providing residencies or mentorship opportunities, or building readership through media, archives, and podcasts. Organizations that honor writers with fellowships, prizes, or awards are also encouraged to apply.
To qualify, organizations must serve adult writers and audiences, have been established for at least three years by December 2025, and maintain an annual operating budget exceeding $50,000 in cash revenue. Additionally, applicants must have an executive director who has served in their position for at least twelve consecutive months by the same date.
The fund emphasizes that its current grantmaking strategy does not prioritize programs outside the literary arts, such as academic publishers, K–12 arts education initiatives, libraries, or literacy-focused organizations. Its focus remains on supporting creative writers working in poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and hybrid literary forms.
Through these long-term general operating grants, the Literary Arts Fund aims to empower organizations that nurture the creative voices shaping contemporary literature. By investing in the operational strength of these nonprofits, the fund seeks to build lasting capacity for the literary arts and ensure that writers continue to thrive in an inclusive, diverse, and well-supported artistic community.
For more information, visit Literary Arts Fund.
