Explore Our Grantmaking

Arts & Culture in Chicago Grant Guidelines

Understand guideline and funding cycles

MacArthur publishes program guidelines to help applicants determine whether their idea for a grant fits within a particular grantmaking strategy.

As a general rule, applicants should base this decision on three related criteria that appear in program guidelines: the topical focus addressed by the grantmaking strategy; the geographic area covered by the grantmaking strategy; and, finally, the type of funding (i.e., general operating support, research, program support, etc.) that supports the grantmaking strategy.

Like most strategic grantmaking foundations, MacArthur considers funding only those applications that closely match the topical, geographic, and funding criteria for a specific grantmaking strategy.

Overview

MacArthur’s support for arts and culture in the Chicago area is an expression of its civic commitment to Chicago. The program is designed to help sustain the cultural life and vitality of the city and region.

Questions about this grantmaking area can be addressed to Program Officer Deepa Gupta.

What MacArthur Funds

MacArthur provides multi-year, general operating support to almost 200 Chicago-area theaters, dance groups, music organizations, art programs, film centers, museums, and libraries. Additional grants support short-term projects that benefit a set of organizations or the field as a whole.

In reviewing proposals from arts groups, the Foundation considers:

  • quality of the organization’s artistic program;
  • strength of its board and staff leadership;
  • impact on the organization’s neighborhood, the city or the region;
  • sizes and types of audiences served; and
  • community and educational outreach activities.

The Foundation makes grants to arts organizations in three ways, based on the size of the organization applying for funds.

Support for organizations with annual budgets of $2 million or more
Inquiries from organizations in the Chicago region with annual budgets of $2 million or more are welcome and should be sent directly to the MacArthur Foundation. The format for such letters can be found in the Letter of Inquiry page.

Support for organizations with annual budgets between $500,000 and $2 million
The MacArthur Foundation has established a special fund with the Prince Charitable Trusts of Chicago to provide grant support for arts and cultural organizations with annual budgets between $500,000 and $2 million. Information about applying for grants for organizations with annual budgets between $500,000 and $2 million is available online or by writing to: 

Prince Charitable Trusts 
303 West Madison Street, Suite 1900
Chicago, IL 60606

Support for organizations with annual budgets of $500,000 or less
The MacArthur Foundation has established a special fund with the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation of Chicago to provide grant support for arts and cultural organizations with annual budgets of $500,000 or less. Information about grants for organizations with annual budgets of $500,000 or less per year is available by writing to: 

The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation
203 North Wabash, Suite 1800 
Chicago, IL 60601