For our funding areas of the Built Environment, Economic Opportunity for the Working Poor, Government Accountability/Investigative Reporting, Small Museums and Cultural Centers, and the Individual Artist Award, the Foundation accepts no unsolicited proposals, but welcomes letters of inquiry and phone calls. We tend not to fund large organizations with multi-million dollar budgets. The great majority of our grants go to organizations residing in, and working in, the Chicago metropolitan area. We tend not to fund: arts education or arts outreach; community theater and community dance; public, private or parochial education, and health care.

For current grant recipients and for those asked for full proposals: deadlines for 2008 submissions are: March 3, July 1, and November 3. Decisions are usually announced 4 to 5 months later. These deadlines do not apply to either arts and culture groups with budgets under $500,000 or to small theater and dance companies with budgets under $150,000. Please read below for those guidelines.

Arts and culture groups with budgets under $500,000 wishing to learn more about the MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, and/or apply to it, can download the guidelines and application by clicking Request For Proposal and Application. For questions regarding the MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture, please call or write to Richard Cahan.

Small theater and dance companies with budgets under $150,000 wishing to learn more about our funding program, and/or apply to it, can download the guidelines, application, and budget. For questions regarding the Small Theater & Dance Program, please call or write to Peter Handler.
For all general inquiries, please write to Myrtle Snow.