The Moody Arts Fund

The Moody Fund for the Arts (MFA) is a grantmaking initiative dedicated to supporting small arts organizations in the City of Dallas, Texas. The fund was established through a collaborative partnership between the Moody Foundation, a prominent philanthropic entity in Texas with a long-standing history of supporting education, community development, and the arts, and the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture. It is also supported by the AT&T Performing Arts Center. The MFA's mission is to enhance the artistic landscape of Dallas by providing financial resources to local arts groups that contribute to the city's cultural vibrancy through original programming and outreach efforts. The primary objective of the MFA is to foster innovative artistic endeavors and expand access to the arts across diverse communities. Grant funding is available to support a variety of project types, including new works, commissions, unique presentations, general program and operational support, community performance and artist-in-residency programs, capacity-building efforts, and cultural equity or new non-performance initiatives. The fund encourages proposals that demonstrate strategies to reach broad and underserved audiences, and applicants are required to present specific metrics to assess the success of their projects. The application process begins online via SurveyMonkey Apply, a platform distinct from the standard SurveyMonkey service. First-time applicants must register and verify their email addresses before they can proceed. The initial step of the application involves an eligibility screening, and applicants are advised to review the eligibility criteria on the MFA website beforehand. Once deemed eligible, applicants may proceed to provide information about their organization and project. Submissions should align with one of five predefined categories, and the fund strongly emphasizes clarity and conciseness in applications to respect the time of the advisory panelists. Applicants are expected to articulate the merit and significance of their projects, describe their target audiences, and outline measurable outcomes. Supplementary materials such as video, audio, scripts, or outlines may be submitted to support the proposal and illustrate the organization's artistic quality. These materials can be uploaded directly or provided via links. Applications can be saved and revisited at any time before the final deadline through the same SurveyMonkey Apply portal. The 2026 application cycle is currently open, with the final submission deadline set for noon on Tuesday, February 17, 2026. After submission, the complete application packets undergo a two-tier review process. First, a five-member Advisory Review Panel assesses and ranks the applications. Their recommendations are then forwarded to the three-member MFA Executive Committee, which makes the final decisions on both awards and funding amounts. This structured evaluation process ensures that grants are allocated based on merit and alignment with the fund’s mission. Successful applicants will be notified and funded in early summer 2026. The fund does not specify an exact performance period in the available material, but the annual nature of the grant suggests that awarded projects are expected to be completed within the following year. For any questions or assistance, applicants can contact the fund via email at [email protected] or by phone at 214-978-2840. The office is located at 700 N. Pearl Street, Suite N1800, Dallas, TX 75201. MFA’s structured yet accessible application process, paired with its targeted funding support, positions it as a vital contributor to Dallas’s cultural ecosystem.

Be succinct; submit strong support materials tailored to your art form.