Seeking Arts Therapy funders

DonnaPetersen

I research/write grants for a Canadian nonprofit wanting to do Art Therapy for those experiencing trauma & mental health challenges. I'm finding almost nothing in my database searches, re this specific interest -- but know these funders must be out there. Any suggestions?

AshleyCain

Hey, Donna! I got your personal message you sent about this and replied to that. But in case you didn't see it and/or this info could be helpful to others, here's what I wrote in that message:

I've found some opportunities that might be helpful. I'm not sure where you're based out of or the particulars of the program, so some of these may not work.

1. NAMTA - https://www.namta.org/art-advocacy-grant-application
2. AATA - https://arttherapy.org/news-2020-research-seed-grant/
3. NEA's Creative Forces Initiative (aimed at military/vets) - https://www.arts.gov/initiatives/creative-forces/clinical-therapy

Other possibilities:

1. Your local community foundation
2. City Grants/CDBG funds
3. Foundation arms of your local/regional hospitals

I would also suggest working backwards by looking at other art therpay orgs/programs and seeing who funds them. Sometimes you can do this just by going to their website since many of them put funder logos on the homepage or relevant pages. Other times you can look through 990s to find this. Here's a good listing of other art therapy programs you could start with: https://www.healing-power-of-art.org/art-and-healing-organizations/

BarbaraFloersch

Hi Donna - In the situation you're describing art therapy will be a tool for producing positive outcomes related to trauma and mental health issues. Because of that, the best-fit funders will be those interested in trauma and mental health issues, and that is a much broader research topic than art therapy. Art therapy is the method you plan to use to address the problem and to produce the desired outcomes. Once you find the funders who are interested in the problem you're focused on, the grant proposal will need to make the case that art therapy is a good approach for addressing the problem and that art therapy is likely to produce the outcomes you propose.

I think Ashley's suggestions are good. If you can find funders focused on trauma and mental health who have also funded art therapy approaches for that type of work, you'll be in a good position. I'd also suggest that funders who are interested in trauma and mental and who have funded other more alternative approaches (equine therapy, outdoor therapy, outward bound type work, etc.) might also be a good possibility.

Very best wishes for success. I love the arts and years ago brought art therapy into my organization's mental health counseling work with young adults.

Barbara

DonnaPetersen

@AshleyCain and @BarbaraFloersch,

Thank you so much for your replies!!

I put this question out, then hadn't checked for replies in awhile.

I REALLY appreciate your taking the time to help!!

Donna

AshleyCain

Not a problem, Donna. Happy to help!