Arts and Culture Grant Opportunities

The Royal Oak Commission for the Arts is committed to furthering its mission to encourage and support arts and culture in the City of Royal Oak. To help support artists, non-profits and public schools to bring more arts and culture to the city, the Royal Oak Commission for the Arts encourages individuals and groups to browse through and apply for the different grant opportunities that are below. 

Please note that grant guidelines and requirements may change at any time, and may not be immediately reflected on this page. Please review all grant materials available from the granting organization before applying.

  1. Artists
  2. Non-Profits
  3. Public Schools

Aurand Harris Grant

Eligible Applicants: Individual artists, non-profits and municipal governments

What: The CTFA Aurand Harris Grant and Fellowship Fund seeks to inspire and challenge small and mid-sized not-for-profit Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) theatres and theatre artists to develop quality ideas and new opportunities in TYA, as well as promote live theatre experiences of high integrity for young people throughout the nation by supporting both individual theatre artists seeking to deepen and expand artistic capacities and opportunities through fellowship funding and by supporting TYA companies seeking to bring engaging live theatre to their respective communities. Applications may be written to assist: (1) A theatre artist seeking a specific opportunity in the development of his/her own artistic excellence or artistic growth, or; (2) A single not-for profit small or mid-sized theatre company seeking financial support for a specific opportunity, or; (3) A joint venture to serve both artist and company.

Amount: Up to $3,000 with a required 1:1 match

Grant Deadline: Annually in March

Joyce Awards

Eligible ApplicantsIndividual artists in partnership with non-profits

What: The Joyce Awards is the only regional program dedicated to supporting artists of color in major Great Lakes cities. Since its inception, the competition has awarded nearly $3.7 million to commission 72 new works and collaborations between artists and cultural organizations in Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis, Milwaukee and Minneapolis/St. Paul. Each award supports an artist in the creation and production of a new work and provides the commissioning organization with the resources needed to engage potential audiences, new partners, and their surrounding communities at large.

Amount: $50,000

Grant Deadline: Grant proposals are considered at meetings of the Foundation’s Board of Directors in April, July, and December. Applicants are strongly encouraged to plan their application and proposal submission process for the April or July meetings, since most grant funds will be distributed at those times. 

Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA) Arts Projects Minigrant

Eligible Applicants: Artists, non-profit organizations, municipal governments, and school districts

What: Minigrants are awarded in two categories: professional/organizational development (POD) and Arts Projects. POD grants may be used to strengthen the capacity of an organization or individual to better themselves or the community. Funding may be used to attend out-of-state conferences, workshops, seminars, or hire short-term consultants. The Arts Projects Minigrant supports the production, presentation, and creation of locally developed art and culture.

Amount: Up to $1500 for POD. Requests require a 25 percent match. Up to $4,000 for Arts Projects. Requests may not exceed 50 percent of the total project costs and require a 1:1 match.

Grant Deadline: Semi-annually in January and August

Puffin Foundation West Grants

Eligible Applicants: Artists and non-profit organizations

What: Puffin Foundation West, Ltd. (PFW) seeks to open the doors of artistic expression by providing grants to activist artists and Not-For-Profit organizations that often are excluded from mainstream opportunities due to race, gender, or social philosophy. PFW knows that Artists and the universal language of ART are able to reach across both physical borders and the boundaries of our imagination and in doing so are often able to peaceably transform our society’s ideas about social and civil justice issues. Creative expression and innovation have always helped move society towards a more progressive democracy and allow us to recognize our universal humanity. PFW is looking for projects that use art to discuss social and civil justice issues including food insecurity, peace, prisons, discrimination, race, culture, sexual orientation, censorship, children’s rights, trafficking, global warming, environmental protection, nuclear proliferation, poverty, gender issues, racial profiling, immigration, bullying, violence in schools, homelessness, gun control, animal rights, etc. 

Amount: Grants can be between $250-$10,000, but are most often between $550-$2,500

Grant Deadline: Annually in November