Because so few foundations make grants to individuals, most foundation directories are of limited use to individual grant seekers. The Foundation Center publishes one of the best, which covers all possible sectors including scholarships. Foundation Grants to Individuals (2010) contains similar information as the online guide, as well as a bibliography of other resources (books and websites) for individuals similar to the free one you can find on its website.

Service organizations and grantmaking public charities not only make many grants to individuals, they also publish helpful books and newsletters for finding other opportunities. Newsletters and magazines published by sector service organizations provide more useful information than many books on grants for individuals. These periodicals have the advantage of always being up-to-date, although few are comprehensive.

The following publications cover individual grants in the arts:

The comprehensive Dramatists Sourcebook 2010 Edition: Complete Opportunities for Playwrights, Translators, Composers, Lyricists, and Librettists (New York, NY: Theatre Communications Group, 2010) lists more than 1,100 opportunities, including 150 prizes. It also offers a guide to submitting scripts and other helpful information.

Opportunity Updates, a monthly newsletter for members of the American Music Center, gives mostly one-time opportunities such as calls for scores and competitions. An online database at amc.net gives information on ongoing programs that benefit composers.

The bimonthly Poets & Writers Magazine lists both recipients of recent grants and awards as well as upcoming opportunities. It includes many paid advertisements of additional opportunities.

In Directory of Grants for Crafts and How to Write a Winning Proposal (Torreon, NM: Warm Snow Publishers, 2000), author James Dillehay brings together a directory of grant resources and a guide to writing grants, all with the crafts artist in mind. Although somewhat out of date, it still contains useful information. Just be sure to verify funding sources before applying for a grant.

The following publications cover individual grants in the sciences:

The Directory of Biomedical and Health Care Grants 2010 (Schafer, Louis S., and Anita Schafer, eds. Nashville, IN: Schoolhouse Partners, 2009) includes more than 3,500 programs offered by some 2,000 sponsors.

Financial Aid for Research and Creative Activities Abroad, by Gail Ann Schlachter and R. David Weber (El Dorado Hills, CA: Reference Service Press, 2010) covers more than 1,200 opportunities for Americans seeking funds to study abroad, from high school to postgraduate levels. It’s organized by the country or area in which the grant allows you to study.

The Internet offers many more resources in the sciences, which are covered in Chapter 7 and Appendix C.

For a general guide to grants for individuals, take a look at Judith Margolin’s The Individual’s Guide to Grants. Margolin is on the staff of the Foundation Center in New York and also wrote a book similar to this one for grant seekers of all kinds.