Funding Opportunities (Next 60 Days) - The.BlkRoom Artist Feature

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES | VOLUME 48| September 18, 2025

Our featured Artist for this issue is The.BlkRoom.

The.BlkRoom is a Chicago-based co‑creation studio and membership organization, founded in September 2021 with a mission to provide a safe, accessible, and high-quality creative space for Black, Brown, and BIPOC artists and musicians.

TBR’s four main pillars center around showcasing, educating, connecting, and recharging. These pillars drive our practice by shaping our programs, guiding our community building, and creating opportunities for sustainable and collaborative artistic practice. Operating out of its West Side space since 2023, TBR’s main operation functions on our membership program, offering three membership tiers: workers, builders and makers.

You can check out their website here.

Funder: Elevated Chicago
Grant Program: Elevating Culture Near Transit
Maximum Grant Size: $50,000
Application Closes: October 6, 2025
Funding Area: Creative Placemaking (Organizations)

Elevating Culture Near Transit RFP prioritizes collaborative creative placemaking projects that:

-Activate public spaces through arts & culture
-Advance equity and community power in urban planning
-Support local creatives & small businesses
-Advance collaborative efforts in community

Nonprofits and fiscally sponsored organizations are eligible to apply.

STRATEGY & TIPS

💡 Grant Tip of the Day: Strengthen Your Budget Narrative 💸

A solid budget is more than just numbers—it’s a story of how your project will succeed. Always include a budget narrative that explains why each cost is necessary and how it supports your goals.

📝 Pro Tip: Funders want to see alignment. If your project emphasizes community engagement, make sure your budget clearly shows investment in community-centered activities.

At Bustling Spaces, we believe that a successful grant application requires a multi-faceted approach that combines precision, creativity, and strategic planning.

NEXT 30 DAYS

Funder: Black Artists and Designers Guild - Creative Futures Grant
Maximum Grant Size: $5,000
Application Closes: September 22, 2025
Funding Area: Craft Arts (Artist - Graduate Student)

Funder: Amphion Grant Program - 2025 Fall Cycle
Maximum Grant Size: $4,000 (average)
Application Closes: September 25, 2025
Funding Area: Music (Organizations)

Funder: Chamber Music America - Presenter Consortium for Jazz
Maximum Grant Size: $15,000
Application Closes: September 25, 2025
Funding Area: Jazz (Multiple Organizations)

Funder: Cliff Dwellers Arts Foundation
Maximum Grant Size: $2,000
Application Closes: September 26, 2025
Funding Area: Multiple Disciplines (Artists/Organizations)

Funder: Illinois Capital Development Board - Art in Architecture Program (UIC project)
Maximum Grant Size: $19,500
Application Closes: September 26, 2025
Funding Area: Visual Art (Artist/Team)

Funder: Arts Midwest GIG Fund
Maximum Grant Size: $15,000
Application Closes: September 29, 2025 (Full Application)
Funding Area: Arts Activities (Nonprofit & Artist)

Funder: Arts Midwest GIG Fund: Arts & Wellness
Maximum Grant Size: $15,000
Application Closes: September 29, 2025 (Full Application)
Funding Area: Wellness Focused Arts (Nonprofits & Artist)

Funder: Terra Foundation for American Art - Convening Grants
Maximum Grant Size: $25,000
Application Closes: September 29, 2025 (LOI)
Funding Area: Convening (Organization)

Funder: City of Chicago DCASE - Blue Line Station Public Art Project
Maximum Grant Size: $180,000
Application Closes: September 29, 2025 (Qualifications submission)
Funding Area: Visual Art (Artist/Team)

Funder: Foot Locker Foundation - Youth Empowerment Program
Maximum Grant Size: $75,000
Application Closes: September 30, 2025
Funding Area: Youth Programs (Organization)

Funder: Ingenuity - Creative Schools Fund Grant
Maximum Grant Size: $10,000
Application Closes: September 30, 2025
Funding Area: School Arts Programs (Schools)

Funder: National Trust for Historic Preservation - Preserve Route 66 Grant Fund
Maximum Grant Size: $10,000
Application Closes: September 30, 2025
Funding Area: Historic Preservation (Organization)

Funder: National Trust for Historic Preservation - Preserve Route 66 Legacy Business Grant Fund
Maximum Grant Size: $10,000
Application Closes: September 30, 2025
Funding Area: Historic Preservation (Business)

Funder: Chicago DPD/SBIF (Austin Commercial |Englewood Neighborhood | Goose Island |LaSalle Central | South Chicago)
Maximum Grant Size: $150,000 (Commercial), $250,000 (Industrial)
Application Closes: September 30, 2025
Funding Area: Capital (Organization)

Funder: Arts Work Fund
Maximum Grant Size: TBD
Application Opens: October 1, 2025
Funding Area: Capacity Building (Organization)

Funder: Chicago DCASE - Healing Arts Chicago
Maximum Grant Size: $70,000
Application Closes: October 1, 2025
Funding Area: Individual (Artist)

Funder: JH Philanthropy - Arts Initiative
Maximum Grant Size: $150,000
Application Closes: October 10, 2025 (Statement of Interest)
Funding Area: Non-Profit (Organization)

Funder: South Arts Jazz Road Tours (REOPENS September 2, 2025)
Maximum Grant Size: $15,000 (*includes childcare)
Application Closes: October 15, 2025
Funding Area: Music (Artist)

Funder: Chicago International Puppet Theater: Puppet Lab
Maximum Grant Size: $1,000 + project support
Application Closes: October 15, 2025
Funding Area: Puppetry (Artist)

NEXT 60 DAYS

Funder: Flourish Art Accelerator
Maximum Grant Size: $10,000
Application Closes: October 25, 2025
Funding Area: Visual Arts (Artist)

Funder: Chicago DPD/SBIF (Bronzeville | Bryn Mawr / Broadway | Galewood / Armitage | Kinzie Industrial Corridor | Stockyards SEQ)
Maximum Grant Size: $150,000 (Commercial), $250,000 (Industrial)
Application Closes: October 30, 2025 (LOI)
Funding Area: Capital (Organization)

Funder: Crossroads Fund - Community Resilience Fund
Maximum Grant Size: $30,000
Application Closes: November 11, 2025
Funding Area: Social Action (Organizations)

Funder: Chicago Department of Planning and Development - Neighborhood Opportunity Fund
Maximum Grant Size: $250,000
Application Closes: November 18, 2025
Funding Area: Capital (Organizations)

Funder: Chicago DPD/SBIF (43rd / Cottage Grove | 71st / Stony Island | Avondale | Little Village East | Madison / Austin)
Maximum Grant Size: $150,000 (Commercial), $250,000 (Industrial)
Application Closes: November 30, 2025 (LOI)
Funding Area: Capital (Organization)

TBRs Bloom Residency - The Bloom Residency for Black Women is a transformative program facilitated by The.BlkRoom and generously sponsored by Angel Bat Dawid.

This initiative is dedicated to empowering Black women artists by providing them with access to TBR's creative space, vibrant community, valuable resources, and an extensive network of mentorship opportunities. The residency invites artists to delve into their work through the unique lens of their experiences with Black womanhood, fostering a deep exploration of identity, creativity, and expression. - https://www.theblkroom.org/the-bloom-residency.

Join Cabrini Art House on September 27, 2025 for their MCA Learning Series. Teachers who attend can get CPDU for their participation!

The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation is currently looking for a Senior Program Director. You can view additional details here.

Epiphany Center for the Arts is currently accepting proposals. You can view additional details here.

Epiphany Center for the Arts’ mission is to showcase the work of women, the LGBTQ+ community, artists of color, and artists with disabilities. Their highest priority is to curate programs that are inclusive and where established artists can collaborate with emerging ones. Before submitting a proposal, artists are encouraged to visit their center to learn more about their galleries and entertainment programming.

Latest Blog: Volume 4 - The Arts Funding Crisis: Math, Metaphor & Money

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Looking for convenient access to our Newsletter? In addition to receiving biweekly updates, you can also locate the latest newsletter on our website under the Resources section (Funding Opportunities).

Looking for Space on the Southside?

South Side Artists in Sacred Spaces

Check out our interactive map of the congregations that are participating in the South Side Artists in Sacred Spaces program. Here’s the link to the map.

Additional Funding Opportunities & Informational Resources:
Explore more funding avenues! Discover additional resources promoting diverse grants, residencies and other opportunities for artists, arts organizations, and creative businesses. Unleash new possibilities and fuel your artistic journey!

The world of public funding can be overwhelming for creatives. That's why the Arts Alliance Help Desk is here. From running list of public funding opportunities to expert staff who can help you find support for your arts practice or navigate a tricky grant application, the AAI Help Desk is there to make sure nonprofits, individual artists, creative business and beyond can thrive. Visit them at https://artsalliance.org/support!
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Arts Alliance Illinois Newsletter & Loans 101 Webinar Workshop
3Arts - Additional Resources
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Allies for Community Business - both Loans & Grants
ILA Creative Studio's BLACC App
Chibrations App
Newcity Today Newsletter

Rolling Grant

Funder: J.M. Kaplan Fund - Heritage Conservation

Overview
The Heritage Conservation program is currently focused on the following areas: conservation of heritage sites and collections in the broader Mediterranean basin; efforts to ensure that remarkable heritage resources play their role in wide-ranging recovery following conflict or disaster; and preservation of sites that can elevate and inform heritage practice in the United States.

To view additional rolling grants please visit this link!