Folk and Traditional Arts Community Projects Grants

Mid Atlantic Arts offers the Folk and Traditional Arts Community Projects grants to support initiatives that enhance the vitality of folk and traditional arts across the mid-Atlantic region. The funder, a nonprofit regional arts organization based in Baltimore, Maryland, operates in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the state and jurisdictional arts agencies of Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia, and West Virginia. Their mission includes encouraging artistic expression, supporting cultural traditions, and increasing access to the arts for diverse communities across their service area. This specific funding opportunity is designed for nonprofit organizations seeking support for projects that uphold, celebrate, and preserve traditional arts and cultural practices. Eligible activities include performances, workshops, trainings, exhibitions, fieldwork, documentation, and the creation of new traditional works. The program places an emphasis on inclusion, encouraging projects that engage underserved or underrepresented artists, practitioners, and cultural traditions. Grants range from $1,000 to $5,000 and require a 1:1 cash match, meaning applicants must secure an equal amount of funding from other sources. Mid Atlantic Arts revised the funding range to enable broader support and full coverage of requests within the available budget. Fiscal sponsorship is not allowed, and applicants must demonstrate appropriate nonprofit or governmental status. Organizations must also be in good standing with the funder and may not apply to this program in the same year as the Central Appalachia Living Traditions Experiences or Mid Atlantic Presenters Initiatives. The application process opens in early 2026 and includes various forms of engagement for prospective applicants, such as open office hours every Wednesday from January 14 to April 29 and webinars in both English and Spanish. The application deadline is Thursday, April 30, 2026, and applicants will be notified of funding decisions in July 2026. Funded projects must take place between September 1, 2026, and December 31, 2027. Applications are evaluated by a panel of independent reviewers selected by Mid Atlantic Arts. Required components are detailed in downloadable guidelines and a final report preview. Spanish-language versions of these documents are available upon request. For more information or assistance, applicants can contact Ellie Dassler, Program Director, at [email protected] or Joel Chapman, Program Associate, at [email protected]. This program is expected to recur annually, with future cycles likely to follow a similar timeline.

Contact staff with questions; pay attention to match requirements; consider inclusion of underserved communities.