Grant Writing for Interdisciplinary Media Makers

NOTE: This is an online workshop.

A major aspect of all artist’s and storyteller’s lives revolve around searching for funding. Aside from crowdfunding, the largest source of monetary support comes from grants, both small and large from foundations, non-profit organizations, cultural centers, civic institutions, and private companies. However each application is a little different with each funder looking for something else to latch onto. Overall, the writing process can seem tedious and stressful, especially given the varying amount of awards and opportunities there are along with the frustrations which come from rejection notifications. 

In this virtual, 90-minute professional development workshop, we will seek to provide clarity on the grant writing process while taking a look at the different types of grants there are, understanding the best ways forward for tackling them, and putting your best foot forward to the committees and jurors who review the applications. 

Rebecca Burrell is an independent nonprofit consultant, educator, and artist based in Portland, Oregon. Before moving fully into the freelance space in 2023, Rebecca was Director of Strategy and Co-Executive Director at the media arts center Open Signal. She led Open Signal’s major rebrand and launched their fundraising efforts, securing more than $2M in competitive grants and donations from sources like the National Endowment for the Arts and the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences. Prior to that, she was a staffer at the Regional Arts & Culture Council, and a leadership councilmember at the Oregon Community Foundation. Rebecca is an emerging conceptual artist with a 2024 MFA in Applied Craft & Design and an MA in Critical Studies from Pacific Northwest College of Art.