Prince Charitable Trusts support Chicago organizations that produce and present the arts. In all categories of arts funding, only organizations in the city with annual budgets over $250,000 are eligible.

The MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince

The MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince will provide general operating support to mid-sized Chicago arts organizations with proven records of excellence. Funds will be provided by the MacArthur Foundation to Prince Charitable Trusts to make these awards. The fund will be administered according to the Prince Charitable Trusts’ selection criteria and processes for operating support grants to cultural organizations.

Large Operating Support Grants

These grants reward organizations that meet the highest standards of artistic quality, professional and financial management, good planning and community participation. These are the leaders in the arts community that provide models of best practice. Grants of up to $25,000 per year may be awarded. Multi-year funding is possible, but with annual review. Application to this category is by invitation only.

Small Operating Grants

Fifteen operating grants in the range of $10,000 may be awarded to companies that meet similarly high standards of artistic excellence, organizational strength and service to the community. A few exemplary organizations whose primary mission is providing high quality arts experiences for youth will also be funded.

Strategic Initiatives for Mid-Size Organizations

This program provides support to organizations of significance to the community at critical points in their development. These project grants typically support programs or positions that strengthen the management, or more rarely the artistic capacity of an organization. Applicants must demonstrate that the project is part of a larger plan for the future of the company, and that after the grant period, the improvement can be sustained. These are often two-year grants in the range of $25,000 per year with annual review.

Capital

A very small number of capital grants may be awarded each year to organizations with which the Trusts have had long prior relationships. These are usually restricted to the major cultural institutions.

The Prince Prize for Commissioning Original Work

An award of $75,000 will be made each year to a major Chicago dance, music or theater company. The Prince Prize will commission a promising mid-career artist chosen by the performing arts company and must be at least one-third of the award. The remainder of the grant may be used by the company to help underwrite development and initial performance of the commissioned work. The intent of the Prize program is to serve as a catalyst for creative collaboration between promising artists and Chicago's highest caliber performing arts organizations. Our goal is to provide an opportunity to showcase both the artists and Chicago’s great performing arts companies to the Chicago public and the nation.

Prince Prize Restrictions
Grants will be made to select Chicago performing arts organizations that will choose the artist to be commissioned. The application is to name the artist and lay out a plan for creation and performance of the work. The commissioning company must premiere the work within an agreed-upon period as part of its regular season. Workshop or "special" one-time performances are not acceptable. Grants will be in the amount of $75,000 of which at least $25,000 is restricted to the commissioning award. Funds will be released over a 3-year period, $25,000 per year. Progress reports will be required for the second and third payments. Companies may use additional funds for interim workshop and development expenses, copying fees and toward the premiere production.

Unsolicited proposals cannot be accepted.

Prince Prize Criteria
Funding decisions are made on the basis of the organizational and artistic excellence of the producing company and the promise of the creative artist. The relationship should lead to growth both for the creator and the company, as well as a fine production of an exciting new work.

It is hoped that the new work will enter the permanent repertoire of the company, or that the company will actively promote performances by other groups after an appropriate period of exclusivity. In addition, the foundation encourages the producing company to feature both the artist and the work as much as possible, both to further the artist's career and to encourage other sources of support for commissioning to come forward.

The foundation encourages, but does not require the commissioning of work from American artists.

General Information Regarding Prince Charitable Trusts Arts Funding

• In all categories of arts funding, only organizations in the city with annual budgets over $250,000 in their current and previous fiscal years are eligible.
• Application to the Large Operating Grant and Prince Prize categories is by invitation only.
• Funding in the small operating grant category is highly competitive. Organizations that have received three years of funding may be asked to wait three years before reapplying.

Selected Arts Grants
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MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince Grants
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