Project Grants
Project Grants are available for one- and two-year grant periods.
One-Year Project Grants
Who is eligible to apply?
Faculty (standing and non-standing), staff, as well as departments, programs, centers, and both undergraduate and graduate student groups are eligible to apply. Individual students and alumni and ineligible to apply. Students please visit our Student Grants page and alumni please visit our Responsive Grant Opportunities page. Any questions about this may be directed to sachsgrants@gmail.com
What is the timeline for this grant opportunity?
This is an Annual Grant opportunity. The application will be due January 27, 2021, and the assessment of the applications will take place during the spring semester. For more details on the annual grant cycle timeline, please visit our Important Deadlines page.
What do the grants support?
One-Year Project Grants are intended to support performances, exhibitions, visiting artists, programming, and beyond the Penn community. Grant-supported activities must take place between July 1, 2021 and December 22, 2022.
How much can you apply for?
One-Year Project Grant applicants may initially request up to $8,000. You may also apply for a Two-Year Project Grant for up to $14,000, if you have received a Sachs grant previously for the same project (see below). You would not be eligible to apply again for the same project for three years (meaning that there is a one-year gap between the completion of the project and applying again), and you would need to have matching support at that point.
Apply
The Sachs Program for Arts Innovation is no longer receiving inquiries for its 2021 grant cycle. Our annual grants process will reopen in the fall of 2021.
Please sign up for our newsletter to stay informed.
Two-Year Project Grants
Who is eligible to apply?
Faculty (standing and non-standing), staff, as well as departments, programs, centers, and both undergraduate and graduate student groups are eligible to apply. Individual students and alumni and ineligible to apply. Students please visit our Student Grants page and alumni please visit our Targeted Artist Grants page.
Applicants must have received a One-Year Project Grant in order to apply for a Two-Year Project Grant. Two-Year Project Grant winners must take one year off after two-year cycle before applying again, and also have a match when applying for a second Two-Year Project Grant. Any questions about this may be directed to sachsgrants@gmail.com.
What is the timeline for this grant opportunity?
This is a Two-Year Grant opportunity. The application will be due January 27, 2021, and the assessment of the application will take place during the spring semester. For more details on the annual grant cycle timeline, please visit our Important Deadlines page.
What do the grants support?
Two-Year Project Grants are intended to support performances, exhibitions, visiting artists, programming, and beyond the Penn community. Grant-supported activities must take place between July 1, 2021 and December 22, 2023.
How much can you apply for?
Two-Year Project Grant applicants in may initially request up to $14,000, if you have received a Sachs grant previously for the same project. You would not be eligible to apply again for the same project for three years (meaning that there is one gap year between the completion of the project and applying again), and would need to have matching support at that point.
Apply
If you wish to apply for a Two-Year Project Grant you must have previously received a prior Sachs grant for this project including either a Provost Grant, Visiting Artist Grant, or Collaborative Provost Grant.
The Sachs Program for Arts Innovation is no longer receiving inquiries for its 2021 grant cycle. Our annual grants process will reopen in the fall of 2021.
Please sign up for our newsletter to stay informed.
Next Steps
Sachs Program staff will follow up by email to schedule a meeting to discuss the project proposed and potentially to request additional information. The materials to apply will be shared following a meeting or conversation with Sachs Program staff.
Applications will be due January 27, 2021.
The Sachs Program is happy to review and provide feedback on drafts submitted by January 6, 2021. The Sachs Program may also provide limited feedback on applications after they are submitted.
Evaluation Process
All Project Grants are evaluated in a two-step evaluation process. Applications are first reviewed by a group of committee members, including former grantees, faculty, staff, and students. Feedback from each committee is then shared with The Sachs Program Advisory Board, who make the final decisions on grant awards. All deliberations will be guided by The Sachs Program’s priorities and criteria.
Decisions will be made in April 2021.
Important Information
Sachs Program staff will do their best to meet with all individuals and groups interested in submitting an application.
The Sachs Program has limited resources and will therefore not be able to fund all requests.
Matching funding is strongly encouraged, when possible, but is not required.
The Sachs Program aims to support projects that meet the criteria and which best align with our priorities for grantmaking. Should a proposal or application not meet the criteria and/or not align with our priorities, Sachs Program staff may recommend that an applicant withdraw from the pool.
The Sachs Program supports a creative, culturally diverse and pluralistic Penn community. We are committed to supporting individuals and groups from all races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, religions, disabilities and socioeconomic backgrounds.