Funder: National Trust for Historic Preservation - Preserve Route 66 Grant Fund
Maximum Grant/Opportunity: $10,000
Application Closes: November 12, 2026
Funding Area: Historic Preservation (Organization)
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Funder: National Trust for Historic Preservation - Preserve Route 66 Legacy Business Grant Fund
Maximum Grant/Opportunity: $10,000
Application Closes: November 12, 2026
Funding Area: Historic Preservation (Business / Entrepreneur)
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Funder: Chicago DPD: Neighborhood Opportunity Fund
Maximum Grant/Opportunity: $250,000
Application Closes: November 13, 2026
Funding Area: Capital (Organization)
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Funder: Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity - Tourism Attraction Grant
Maximum Grant/Opportunity: $200,000
Application Closes: November 13, 2026, 5PM CST
Funding Area: Multiple Disciplines (Organization)
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Funder: Big Ears - 2027 Emerging and Professional Artist Scholarships
Maximum Grant/Opportunity: Free 4-day General Admission Pass to Big Ears Festival ($500 value)
Application Closes: November 13, 2026, 11:00 PM CST
Funding Area: Multiple Disciplines (Individual Artist, aged 16+)
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Funder: Atmospheric Music Alliance - AMA Grant for Ambient Artists
Maximum Grant/Opportunity: $5,000
Application Closes: November 16, 2026
Funding Area: Ambient Music (Individual Artist)
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Funder: Chicago Latino Theater Alliance - Latine Playwright Fellowship Program
Maximum Grant/Opportunity: 4-month theater fellowship + $3,000 stipend
Application Closes: November 16, 2026
Funding Area: Theater (Individual Artist)
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Funder: Arts Midwest - GIG Fund: Interstate Touring Program
Maximum Grant/Opportunity: $10,000
Application Closes: November 17, 2026 (Phase 2 - Full Proposal)
Funding Area: Multiple Disciplines (Organization + Individual Artist)
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Funder: New York Foundation for the Arts - Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants (multi-cycle)
Maximum Grant/Opportunity: $5,000
Application Closes: November 17, 2026 (next cycle due 1/2027)
Funding Area: Medical Emergency Relief for artists in visual arts, digital/electronic arts, video/film, and choreography (Individual)
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Funder: Access/VSA - Playwright Discovery Program for high school students w/ disabilities
Maximum Grant/Opportunity: “Ten-Minute Script” development program
Application Closes: November 19, 2026
Funding Area: Theater, TV & Film (Individual high school artist)
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Funder: Access/VSA - Thrive Emerging Young Visual Artists Program
Maximum Grant/Opportunity: $3,000 stipend + exhibition
Application Closes: November 19, 2026
Funding Area: 2D / 3D Visual Art (Individual artist, ages 16-25)
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Funder: Access/VSA - International Young Musicians Program
Maximum Grant/Opportunity: Professional Development Program + Performance
Application Closes: November 19, 2026
Funding Area: Music (Individual emerging artist, ages 14-25)
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Funder: Trans Up Front IL - Trans & GNC Muralist Microgrant
Maximum Grant/Opportunity: $500 + $50 travel stipend
Application Closes: November 20, 2026 @5PM
Funding Area: Visual Art (Individual Trans / GNC Artist)
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Funder: Puffin Foundation - 2027 Grant (Film, Video, Theater) - Portal Request form
*NOTE: Portal access must be requested via USPS using the procedure at the link.

Maximum Grant/Opportunity: $3,500
Application Closes: POSTMARK by November 20, 2026
Funding Area: Film, Video or Theater (Individual or Organization)
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Funder: Levitt Foundation - Levitt Festival Grants
Maximum Grant/Opportunity: $5,000
Application Closes: November 20, 2026
Funding Area: Music Festivals (Organizations)
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Funder: Lifeline Theatre - 2027 BIPOC Adaptation workshop & Showcase
Maximum Grant/Opportunity: Adaptation Development Workshop, Showcase + $500 stipend
Application Closes: November 20, 2026
Funding Area: Theater (Individual Playwright)
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Funder: Chicago DPD/SBIF (Lawrence/Broadway | Little Village East | Midwest | Pulaski Corridor | Stockyards SEQ)
Maximum Grant/Opportunity: $150,000 commercial | $250,000 industrial
Application Closes: November 30, 2026
Funding Area: Capital (Organization)
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Funder: Alas de Luna - Galapagos Creative Residency for Women
Maximum Grant/Opportunity: 7-day Creative Residency in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, funded via scholarship
Application Closes: November 30, 2026
Funding Area: Multiple Disciplines / Travel (Individual Artist)
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Funder: Design B&B - Good Egg Grant
Maximum Grant/Opportunity: Free design services (branding, website rebuild, etc.)
Application Closes: December 1, 2026 @ 5PM CST
Funding Area: Design & Branding for any nonprofit
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Funder: Chicago Park District - Anchor Curatorial Residency: Garfield Park Cultural Center Curator-In-Residence
Maximum Grant/Opportunity: $20,000 curator fee + $10,000 exhibition / program expense budget
Application Closes: December 1, 2026
Funding Area: Multiple Disciplines (Individual Curator)
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Funder: Schubert Foundation - Theatre General Operating Support
Maximum Grant/Opportunity: Funder determined, see guidelines for details
Application Closes: December 3, 2026 @6PM EST
Funding Area: Theatre (Organization, Not-for-profit Theatre)
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Funder: Arts Midwest - 2026 Midwest Award for Artists with Disabilities
Maximum Grant/Opportunity: $3,000
Application Closes: December 8, 2026
Funding Area: 2D and 3D Visual Art (Individual mid-career artist w/ disabilities)
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Funder: New York Foundation for the Arts - Rauschenberg Dancer Emergency Grants (multi-cycle)
Maximum Grant/Opportunity: $3,000
Application Closes: December 8, 2026 (next round due February 2, 2027)
Funding Area: Emergency Relief for Dancers (Individual)
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Funder: Chicago Park District - Night Out In The Parks 2027
Maximum Grant/Opportunity: Financial Support toward Park Activations (amounts vary - see guidelines for details)
Application Closes: December 8, 2026
Funding Area: Multiple Disciplines (Individuals / Organizations)
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Funder: Chicago Park District - Chicago Onscreen 2027
Maximum Grant/Opportunity: 2027 Movies In The Park Chicago Public Screening + $500 honorarium
Application Closes: December 8, 2026
Funding Area or Discipline : Film (Individuals Filmmaker / Producer Director)
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Funder: ARC + ATHENA - 2027 Artist Residency Open Call
Maximum Grant/Opportunity: 10-month artist residency and solo exhibition + $1500 stipend (see guidelines for details)
Application Closes: December 15, 2026
Funding Area: Visual Art, all mediums (Individual Artist)
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Funder: Puffin Foundation - 2027 Grant (Film, Video, Theater) - Full Proposal
NOTE: Portal access must be requested via USPS by 11/20 using the procedure at the link.

Maximum Grant/Opportunity: $3,500
Application Closes: December 16, 2026 @ 4PM CST (full proposal)
Funding Area: Film, Video or Theater (Individual or Organization)
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Funder: Chicago Artists Coalition -2027 Artist & Curatorial Residency
Maximum Grant/Opportunity: 2 - year artist residency (see guidelines for details)
Application Closes: December 20, 2026
Funding Area: Multiple Disciplines (Individual Artist / Curator)
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Funder: City of Chicago Dept of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) - Chicago Cultural Center New Play Residency
Maximum Grant/Opportunity: Residency for New Play Development + $16,000
Application Closes: December 30, 2026
Funding Area: Theater (Producer / Dramatist / Team)
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Funder: Indy Arts Council - Project Grants: Art Activities in Public Spaces 2027-2028
Maximum Grant/Opportunity: $10,000
Application Closes: January 10, 2027
Funding Area: Multiple Disciplines (Individual Artists and Organizations)
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Funder: Luminarts Cultural Foundation - Fellowship Program
Maximum Grant/Opportunity: $10,000 Unrestricted Award
Application Closes: January 15, 2027
Funding Area: Visual Arts, Creative Writing, Classical Music, & Jazz Improvisation (Individual / Age 18–30)
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Funder: Arts Midwest - Shakespeare in American Communities (Schools, Juvenile Justice, Apprenticeships)
Maximum Grant/Opportunity: $50,000
Application Closes: January 26, 2027 (Phase 1, Eligibility Review)
Funding Area: Shakespeare Inspired programming (501c3 theaters partnering with schools, juvenile justice system programs, or other community-based theater programming)
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Funder: Arts Midwest - Shakespeare in American Communities (Schools, Juvenile Justice, Apprenticeships)
Maximum Grant/Opportunity: $50,000
Application Closes: February 9, 2027 (Phase 2, Final applications)
Funding Area: Shakespeare Inspired programming (501c3 theaters partnering with schools, juvenile justice system programs, or other community-based theater programming)
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Funder: Salt Lick Incubator - Artist Project Grant
Maximum Grant/Opportunity: $15,000
Application Closes: February 15, 2027 (@1:59 AM CST)
Funding Area: Music (Individual singer / songwriter - see guidelines for details)
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