Moody Fund for the Arts – 2027 Grants
Funding for Small and Emerging Arts Organizations in Dallas, Texas
The Moody Fund for the Arts (MFA) 2027 Grant Program supports small and emerging nonprofit arts organizations based in Dallas, Texas, with funding for artistic projects, general programming and operating costs, community performances, capacity building, and cultural equity initiatives.
The 2027 application cycle opens at noon on January 19, 2027, and closes at noon on February 16, 2027.
Eligible organizations must be Dallas-based 501(c)(3) public charities, have annual operating budgets below $1 million, and have a history of support from the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture.
Organization: Moody Fund for the Arts
Support Type: Arts and cultural grants
Geographic Focus: City of Dallas, Texas
2027 Application Opens: January 19, 2027 at noon
2027 Deadline: February 16, 2027 at noon
Funding Amount: 2027 maximum not yet published; maximum award was $15,000 in 2026
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About the Funder
The Moody Fund for the Arts was created in 2017 through a $10 million gift from The Moody Foundation to establish a permanent endowment supporting small and emerging arts organizations in Dallas.
The Fund is designed to strengthen Dallas’s cultural ecosystem by providing flexible funding to organizations presenting creative, diverse, and accessible arts experiences.
Since beginning grantmaking in 2018, the Moody Fund for the Arts has distributed approximately $3.3 million through 498 grants to 113 different organizations.
In 2026 alone, MFA distributed $475,000 to 70 Dallas arts organizations.
What This Program Supports
Applicants must submit their proposal under one of five funding categories.
1. New Works, Commissions & Unique Presentations
Funding may support:
- New artistic works
- Premieres
- Artistic commissions
- Unique presentations of existing works
- Innovative performances or cultural experiences
Projects presented at Moody Performance Hall are encouraged, but funding is available for projects at other Dallas cultural venues and artistic spaces.
2. General Program & Operating Cost Support
MFA may provide flexible support for the general production and operating needs of small and mid-sized arts organizations.
Eligible uses may include:
- Individual performances
- Performance seasons
- Venue rental
- Moody Performance Hall rental
- Marketing
- Organizational operations
- Program production expenses
Programs providing free or affordable access to cultural experiences are particularly encouraged.
3. Community-Focused Performances & Artist-in-Residency Programs
Funding may support programs that bring cultural experiences directly into Dallas communities.
Examples include:
- Community performances
- Performance series
- Programs presented in multiple neighborhoods
- Artist-in-residency programs
- Workshops
- Master classes
- Seminars
- Educational arts programming
MFA encourages arts programming in unexpected places and projects designed to reach audiences who may not traditionally have access to cultural experiences.
The Fund supports organizations creating artist residency programs but does not provide grants directly to individual artists.
4. Capacity Building
Organizations may request support for projects designed to strengthen their ability to grow audiences, improve artistic quality, or increase organizational effectiveness.
Examples may include:
- Accounting or financial management training
- Marketing skills
- Professional development
- Conference registration
- Board development
- Organizational systems
- Technology
- Non-capital equipment
Capital projects and individual travel expenses are not eligible.
5. Cultural Equity & New Cultural Initiatives
This category supports accessible, non-performance programs intended to strengthen the Dallas cultural ecosystem.
Projects may address issues such as:
- Cultural equity
- Access to the arts
- Arts funding
- Organizational practices
- Harassment and workplace issues
- Implementation of Dallas cultural policies
- Development or dissemination of cultural-sector best practices
Eligibility
To qualify, organizations must:
- Be based in the City of Dallas or maintain a permanent office in Dallas
- Hold IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status
- Be specifically classified as a public charity
- Have an annual operating budget of less than $1 million
- Have a history of receiving support through the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture
- Demonstrate organizational sustainability, effectiveness, and credibility
- Generally have at least a three-year history of providing relevant work and services
An organization does not necessarily have to have held 501(c)(3) status or received Office of Arts and Culture support for the entire three-year period.
Applicants should review the 2027 eligibility screening carefully when the application opens, as the Fund’s current qualification page still displays Office of Arts and Culture fiscal-year dates associated with the previous grant cycle.
Ineligible Applicants
MFA does not provide grants to:
- Individual artists
- Organizations applying through fiscal sponsors
- Organizations without qualifying 501(c)(3) public charity status
- Organizations based outside Dallas without a permanent Dallas office
- Organizations with annual operating budgets of $1 million or more
Previous MFA recipients must also have completed required grant outcome reporting before submitting another application.
Funding Amount
The Moody Fund for the Arts has not yet published a maximum grant amount specifically for the 2027 cycle.
For reference:
2026 Maximum Grant: $15,000
Total Distributed in 2026: $475,000
2026 Recipients: 70 Dallas arts organizations
Applicants should confirm the 2027 maximum award when the application opens.
Organizations may submit only one request during each annual grant cycle.
Multi-year requests may be considered, although annual awards are subject to the Fund’s yearly grant limit.
How Applications Are Evaluated
Applications undergo a multi-level peer review process.
Applicants should clearly explain:
- The proposed project or funding request
- Artistic merit or program significance
- Organizational capacity
- Community impact
- Intended audience
- Strategies for reaching broad and underserved audiences
- Measurable goals and outcomes
Applicants are expected to demonstrate realistic strategies for reaching and measuring engagement with broad and underserved audiences.
Primary Scoring Areas
For many project categories, applications are evaluated approximately as follows:
Merit & Significance: 60%
Organization / Capability: 25%
Metrics / Audience: 15%
Reviewers may also consider artistic genre and venue when creating a diverse portfolio of funded projects.
Application Requirements
Applicants should be prepared to provide information including:
Organizational Information
- IRS tax determination letter
- Primary contact information
- Most recent annual operating budget or Form 990
- Mission statement
- Organizational accomplishments
- Key staff and positions
Project Information
Applicants may also be asked for:
- Project description
- Desired outcomes and impact
- Target audience
- Project budget
- Venue and location
- Neighborhood served
- Project timeline
- Implementation strategy
- Marketing and communications plan
- Proposed measures of success
- Examples of previous or current artistic work
Supporting materials may include documents, audio, video, scripts, storyboards, or online links.
Applicants are encouraged to provide materials that demonstrate their strongest work.
Grant Period
For the 2027 cycle, grant funds are intended to support activities occurring between:
📅 August 1, 2027 and July 31, 2028
Applicants should structure their project timeline and budget around this funding period.
Timeline & Review
📅 Applications Open: January 19, 2027 at noon
📅 Application Deadline: February 16, 2027 at noon
📅 Advisory Review Panel Evaluation: March–April 2027
📅 Executive Committee Final Determination: May–June 2027
📅 DCPA Endowment Board Approval: June 2027
📅 Grant Awards Announced: July 2027
📅 Grant Payments Distributed: July 2027
📅 Eligible Grant Period: August 1, 2027–July 31, 2028
Deadlines are strictly observed.
Review Process
After the application period closes, eligible applications are reviewed by the five-member MFA Advisory Review Panel.
Panelists evaluate and prioritize proposals.
Their recommendations then move to the three-member MFA Executive Committee, which determines final grant recipients and award amounts.
Final awards are subsequently approved by the DCPA Endowment Board.
Application / Request Process
Applications are submitted online through SurveyMonkey Apply.
First-time applicants must create an account and verify their email address before they can submit an application.
Applicants may save their work and return to the application before submitting it.
Apply / Learn More:
➡️ https://www.moodyartsfund.org/process
Application Portal:
➡️ https://attpac.smapply.org/
2027 Timeline:
➡️ https://www.moodyartsfund.org/timeline
Eligibility Requirements:
➡️ https://www.moodyartsfund.org/qualify
Why This Opportunity Is a Good Fit
This opportunity is a strong fit for arts and cultural organizations that:
- Are based in Dallas
- Have annual budgets below $1 million
- Have a demonstrated track record of arts programming
- Have received qualifying support from the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture
- Want to create new artistic work
- Need flexible program or operating support
- Present arts programming in Dallas neighborhoods
- Want to reach underserved audiences
- Need organizational capacity-building support
- Are developing cultural equity or arts-access initiatives
One of the most attractive aspects of this opportunity is the range of eligible support. Unlike arts grants limited to individual performances, MFA may support new artistic work, ongoing programs, operating expenses, community engagement, capacity building, and non-performance cultural initiatives.
Corporate Grants Guide Notes
Application Opens: January 19, 2027 at noon
Deadline: February 16, 2027 at noon
2027 Funding Amount: Not yet published
Previous Maximum Award: $15,000 in 2026
Geographic Focus: City of Dallas, Texas
Applicant Type: 501(c)(3) public charities
Budget Limit: Annual operating budget under $1 million
City Requirement: Applicant must have qualifying support from the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture
Fiscal Sponsors: Not eligible
Individual Artists: Not eligible
Application Limit: One request per organization per annual cycle
Grant Period: August 1, 2027–July 31, 2028
Best Suited For: Small and emerging Dallas nonprofit arts organizations seeking program, operating, community engagement, capacity-building, or cultural equity support
Important Note: The Fund has published the 2027 application dates and grant period, but the current eligibility page still lists the 2026 maximum grant of $15,000. Applicants should confirm the 2027 award ceiling once updated guidelines are posted.
