How to Apply
The Sachs Program’s grantmaking supports innovative arts activities throughout the Penn community, providing funding to Penn faculty, staff, students, alumni, departments, programs, and centers.
Grants range from $250 to $25,000, and fund a wide variety of activities aligned with the funder’s vision to support teaching art, making art, and presenting art, as well as their aim to provide Penn students with increased access to the arts.
Current funding opportunities are outlined below. Please note that the Fall Student Grants deadline has passed and we are no longer receiving inquiries for our 2022 Annual Grants. Please see Important Deadline for more information. The Spring Student Grant opportunity will open up in January 2022. To stay informed of important deadlines and additional updates please sign up for our newsletter.
2021/2022 Grant Opportunities
Student Grants
We offer two grant opportunities specifically for students, which follow different timelines than our annual grants. Sachs Program Student Grants are offered twice annually, and Ben Art Bucks are awarded on a rolling basis.
- Ben Art Bucks Grants are quick, accessible grants of up to $250 for students and student groups to support creating or experiencing the arts.
- Student Grants provide up to $4,000 to individual undergraduate and graduate students and informal groups, for large, ambitious projects.
Annual Grants
The 2022 Sachs Program Annual Grants include a range of opportunities to support faculty and staff, formal student groups, alumni, departments, programs and centers, and collaborations with community partners. We are no longer receiving inquiries for our 2022 Annual Grants. Please see Important Deadlines for more information.
- Alumni Art Awards provide up to $3,000 to alumni in the arts to further develop their work.
- Artist Residency Grants provide up to $25,000 to departments, programs, and centers to support an emerging or mid-career artist as a Fellow, Artist in Residence, or Curator in Residence.
- Community Partnership Grants provide up $15,000 to support collaborations between Penn programs, departments and centers, and community arts and civic organizations.
- Curricular Support Grants provide up to $8,000 for innovative approaches to teaching that embrace the arts and humanities.
- Independent Creative Production Grants provide up to $8,000 to faculty and staff for independent artistic projects.
- Project Grants provide up to $8,000 to faculty and staff, departments, programs, centers, and formal student groups to support visiting artists, performances, exhibitions, events, or other projects that engage audiences within and beyond the Penn community.
Additional Grants
These grant opportunities fall outside of our annual grant cycle and are offered on different timelines. Please visit specific grant opportunity pages to learn how to apply.
- First-Year Seminar Grants provide up to $2500 to anyone teaching a first-year seminar, to support arts activities and arts-driven pedagogy within their course. Provided in partnership with the College of Arts & Sciences.
- Responsive Grant Opportunities provide funding for specific priorities as identified by Sachs staff, board, and other advisors. We are not accepting applications at this time. Details will be shared when a new opportunity is announced.
- Rolling Grants provide up to $3,000 to faculty, staff, departments, programs, and centers, to support arts activities that fall outside of our annual grant cycle. Grants are offered on a rolling basis, as funds allow.
If you have questions about which Sachs Program grant opportunity most closely aligns with your idea(s), please feel free to email us at reison@upenn.edu.