Long Island Grants Academy
Building grant readiness. Strengthening our creative community. Securing our future.
The Long Island Grants Academy provides artists and cultural organizations with the knowledge, tools, and support needed to build grant readiness, strengthen proposals, and access funding opportunities. Through educational resources, office hours, workshops, and individualized coaching, the Academy helps Long Island's creative community navigate the funding landscape with confidence.
What We Offer
Workshops
Workshops designed to help participants develop stronger projects, clearer narratives, and more competitive grant applications.
office hours
Free recurring drop-in sessions where artists and organizations can ask questions, receive guidance, and discuss funding opportunities.
coaching
Individualized support for selected participants seeking deeper assistance with project development and grant preparation.
resources
Access recordings, templates, guides, and practical tools designed to support your grant-seeking journey.
GRANTS READINESS WORKSHOP SERIES
A three-part live workshop series designed to help artists and arts organizations build grant readiness, strengthen proposals, and improve competitiveness for funding opportunities. Sessions will cover finding the right grant opportunities, writing stronger narratives, and developing project budgets.
Upcoming Workshops
WORKSHOP #1
Grant Readiness & Finding the Right Fit
Wednesday, September 16, 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Learn how to search for grant opportunities, assess eligibility and alignment, clarify project goals, and prepare the materials needed to apply.
with Grants Specialist: Liz Mirarchi
WORKSHOP #2
Writing the Narrative
Wednesday, October 14, 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Learn how to shape a clear, compelling grant narrative, organize project ideas, communicate value to funders, and present qualifications with confidence.
with Grants Specialist: Liz Mirarchi
WORKSHOP #3
Budgeting for Grants
More info coming soon!
This session will focus on grant budgeting and related financial planning for competitive proposals.
with Grants Specialist: Marian Russo
Suffolk County Cohort Opportunity
Suffolk County participants who attend all three workshops live, complete the required questionnaire, and meet residency requirements may qualify for the 2026 Suffolk County cohort, which includes a one-month Instrumentl membership, a guaranteed one-on-one consultation, a certificate of completion, and a cohort networking opportunity.
Special Grants Academy Huddle
Wednesday, August 19 | 11:00 AM
I Didn’t Get the Grant… Now What?
A Creative Community Huddle for Long Island grant seekers
This Creative Community Huddle creates a supportive space for artists and arts organizations to unpack grant rejection, identify common pitfalls, and explore clearer ways to communicate their work. Using real “before and after” examples from a recent grant proposal, participants will reflect together on what changed and why, and consider how those lessons can strengthen their own applications. The conversation will also highlight how LI Grants Academy can support applicants through workshops, office hours, and one-on-one guidance.
ONGOING GRANTS SUPPORT
Open Office Hours
Join us for free virtual drop-in office hours designed to support artists and cultural organizations at any stage of the grant-seeking process.
Whether you're exploring your first grant opportunity, developing a project, navigating eligibility requirements, or seeking feedback on an application, we're here to help.
✓ Grant eligibility ✓ Fiscal sponsorship
✓ Project planning ✓ Funding opportunities
✓ Budget guidance ✓ Application strategy
upcoming dates
August 13 • 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
August 27 • 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
September 10 • 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
September 24 • 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
info
WHERE: Zoom (link sent after sign-up)
CAPACITY: Capped at 15 people per session
COST: Free for Suffolk County artists and cultural groups, sponsored by the Suffolk County Economic Development Corporation
FEATURED RESOURCE
Understanding Fiscal Sponsorship
Fiscal sponsorship can provide artists, collectives, and emerging organizations with access to grant funding and charitable support. This webinar explores the FY2027 NYSCA funding opportunities that require a fiscal sponsor, including $10,000 individual artist grants, and general operating support grants for arts and culture entities without a 501(c)3 designation.
Interested in Fiscal Sponsorship Through LIAA?
LIAA provides fiscal sponsorship opportunities for eligible artists and arts organizations seeking access to grant funding and charitable support.
Current opportunities include:
- NYSCA Support for Artists (Individual Artist Grants)
- NYSCA Support for Organizations (for arts and culture entities without 501(c)(3) status)
- Additional project-based fiscal sponsorship opportunities as available
resources
NYSCA Grants Glossary
Plain‑language definitions of key NYSCA terms, eligibility categories, and grant jargon to help you read guidelines with confidence.
About LI Grants Academy
Practical grant guidance for Long Island creatives.
LI Grants Academy is a capacity-building program of workshops, application clinics, peer review sessions, one-on-one coaching, and cycle-specific webinars timed to major funding deadlines. The Academy is open to individual artists, unincorporated collectives, and arts and cultural organizations across Nassau and Suffolk Counties, at every stage from first-time applicant to seasoned grantee.
WHERE IT CAME FROM
The Academy was launched in direct response to Sustaining Long Island’s Creative Spark, a September 2025 report from the Center for an Urban Future, produced in partnership with Long Island Arts Alliance.
The report highlighted how underrepresented Long Island artists and organizations have been in statewide funding, even as our creative sector grows. LIAA’s pilot fiscal sponsorship program then saw the number of Long Island artists receiving NYSCA support increase from 4 in 2025 to 19 in 2026, demonstrating that when artists and projects have the guidance, confidence, and infrastructure they need to apply, they can successfully compete for these opportunities.
WHAT WE HOPE TO DO
The Academy is designed to help close the Long Island funding gap from the ground up. By demystifying the grant process, building local grant-writing fluency, and connecting Long Island creatives to city, county, state, federal, and private funding streams, the Academy aims to move more dollars to more Long Island artists and arts organizations while strengthening the regional infrastructure that sustains them.
2026 Suffolk County Cohort
The 2026 Suffolk County cohort of LI Grants Academy is generously sponsored by the Suffolk County Economic Development Corporation, whose support makes participation free for Suffolk-based artists and cultural groups and reflects a growing recognition that the creative sector is a driver of local economic vitality.
MEET OUR LEAD GRANTS SPECIALIST
Liz Mirarchi
Liz serves as Lead Grants Specialist for the Long Island Grants Academy, helping artists and organizations strengthen their grant readiness, navigate funding opportunities, and develop competitive proposals.
Liz Mirarchi is a grant writer and consultant specializing in arts and culture.
Dedicated to strengthening access to opportunities in the arts, she partners with organizations and individuals to work toward their goals. She helps to identify funding opportunities and translate their ideas into competitive grant applications, developing sustainable proposals for initiatives that align with and strengthen their missions and our communities.
Liz has previously served as the Executive Director of Babylon Citizens Council on the Arts (BACCA), a nonprofit arts council serving the Town of Babylon and Long Island, NY.
She has successfully secured funding to support individual artists and arts programming, large-scale public arts projects, general operations, outreach, and capital projects from federal (National Endowment for the Arts), state (NYSCA, New York State Downtown Revitalization Initiative), county, municipal, foundation, and other private sources.
Liz holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Integrative Arts and a minor in Entrepreneurship with honors in Art Education from The Pennsylvania State University School of Arts and Architecture and Schreyer Honors College.
Disclaimer
The Long Island Grants Academy is an independent educational program of Long Island Arts Alliance and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), Huntington Arts Council, or any other funder or organization unless explicitly stated. Participation in the Long Island Grants Academy does not influence funding decisions, confer any special status or advantage in grant review processes, or guarantee that participants will receive grant awards. Information provided is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as legal, financial, or funding advice; applicants are responsible for their own grant decisions and outcomes.