Asian Cultural Council Organization Grant 2026 (With up to $50,000 in Funding)

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About Asian Cultural Council Organization Grant

The Asian Cultural Council’s (ACC) Organization Grant program offers an opportunity for arts and culture organizations in Asia and the United States to pursue travel and activities that enable a deep cultural exchange experience for the organization, their staff, and other individuals and communities with whom they connect. 

ACC’s Organization Grants support a range of activities that advance international dialogue, the sharing of practices and ideas, and the building of relationships across borders. Organization Grants may support travel to another country, territory, or region for their activities and/or hosting activity participants in the country, territory, or region where the organization is based. 

What do ACC’s Organization Grants offer? 

Exploration and Exchange 
ACC offers Organization Grantees funding to conduct cultural immersion, research, and to increase access to artistic communities or cultural resources in a specific country, territory, or region, and exchange knowledge with peers.  Such programming supports relationship-building across borders, encourages more global and nuanced perspectives among organization staff and activity participants, and can develop capacity and inspiration for future cultural exchange opportunities. 

Individualized Support
ACC support services are intended to enhance the proposed plan of activity, increase access to artistic communities and cultural resources in the chosen destination(s), and deepen the cultural exchange experience. Support services may include: 

• Advice and recommendations related to the logistical or substantive aspects of the Organization Grantee’s activities 
• Introductions to ACC alumni and other arts professionals and institutions that are relevant to the Organization Grantee’s research and cultural exchange objectives  
• Invitations to local ACC events and gatherings, where possible 

Please note that ACC does not have offices and staff throughout Asia; therefore, some support services, such as making specific connections, may be limited. (ACC has its headquarters in New York City and affiliate offices in Hong Kong SAR, Japan, the Philippines, and Taiwan ROC.) Please keep this possibly limited programmatic and logistical support in mind while developing your proposal. Proposals should be feasible, with or without additional guidance from ACC. 

• Sponsor Organisation: Asian Cultural Council

Benefits of Asian Cultural Council Organization Grant

• ACC may award Organization Grants of up to $50,000 USD.  ACC determines grant award amounts based on a review of the applicant’s proposed budget, activities, travel duration, and overall application quality. ACC asks applicants to submit a budget that is reasonable and realistic with regards to the plan of activities, travel costs, visa-related expenses, travel health insurance, interpretation services (if necessary), and the cost of living where the activities will take place. Please also note that grant amounts may be adjusted if there are changes to the proposed fellowship. 

Asian Cultural Council Organization Grant Requirements

Organizations that wish to apply must meet the following requirements: 

• The organization must be either a nonprofit organization, a government-affiliated or government-sponsored arts or cultural institution (e.g. national museums, national or local performing arts centers, etc.), or an academic or higher education institution. 
• The organization must be legally registered and based in one of ACC’s eligible countries, territories, or regions (see the full list here). 
• The organization needs to demonstrate that they have at least five years of artistic and/or cultural programming. 

 

Activity Lead and Activity Participant Eligibility 
Organization Grants require the applying organization to designate a primary contact, an activity lead, and activity participants.  

• The primary contact is the organization staff member or representative who submits and manages the application on behalf of the organization.  
• The activity lead will manage the execution of grant activities in the destination country, territory, or region. Please note that the activity lead may also be the same person as the primary contact, if the activity lead is also responsible for submitting and managing the application.  
• Activity participants support and/or take part in the grant activities in the country, territory, or region where they take place. Activity participants may include organization staff as well as individuals from outside the organization. 

The organization’s activity lead and all activity participants must be citizens or legal permanent residents of at least one of ACC’s eligible countries, territories, or regions. The activity lead and activity participants do not need to share the same citizenship/residency status, nor do they need to be citizens or permanent residents of the same country, territory, or region where the organization is based. For example, a Singaporean organization’s director serving in the activity lead role may be a citizen of Malaysia, while activity participants may be citizens of several different countries in Southeast Asia. 

 

Grant Activity Travel 
Organization Grants support one to six months of travel for the activity lead and/or activity participants to an eligible country, territory, or region. Organization Grantees may send the activity lead and activity participants to another country, territory, or region to execute their proposed activities. Organization Grantees may also receive or “host” activity participants who travel to the country, territory, or region where the Organization Grantee is based. 

Eligible Destinations 
Eligible countries, territories, and regions for grant activity travel include: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China (Mainland), East Timor, Hong Kong SAR, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Macau SAR, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan ROC, Thailand, United States, and Vietnam. 

Please also note the following: 

• Applicants who propose travel to a country, territory, or region where the activity lead and/or activity participants have previously spent a considerable amount of time (more than one year, cumulatively) must demonstrate a strong rationale for how their proposed grant activities provide a unique and meaningful opportunity for cultural exchange and immersion. 
• Applicants who propose travel to multiple countries, territories, or regions and/or shorter travel durations are generally less competitive. 
• ACC does not sponsor visas for Organization Grantees. Organization Grantees are responsible for securing visas and other travel permissions for their activity lead and activity participants, as required.  

Grant Travel Dates and Minimum Duration 

• All ACC-funded travel must occur within the grant period: August 1, 2026 – December 31, 2027. 
• Applicants who propose travel to the U.S. must plan to spend at least 30 consecutive days in the U.S. 
• Applicants who propose travel to or within Asia must propose spending at least 30 cumulative (total) days in Asia.  
  • Applicants who are unable to secure visas that allow them to travel for more than 30 consecutive days may propose multiple trips that add up to at least 30 cumulative days. These individual trips may not be shorter than 14 consecutive days, with no more than 14 days between each trip. Applicants who propose multiple brief trips to the same destination should explain how the activity lead and/or activity participants will fully immerse themselves in another culture despite these disruptions. Applicants who propose a single brief trip (i.e. three weeks) to one destination as part of a multi-destination itinerary (e.g. three weeks in China after two months in Japan) should also provide a rationale for such brief visits. 
• Competitive proposals will provide sufficient time for meaningful cultural exchange, immersion, and relationship-building. ACC believes that these are enhanced when Organization Grantees provide a significant and uninterrupted period of time (at least two months, preferably) for exploration, dialogue, and exchange with peers. It is also important to consider logistical challenges and/or restrictions related to traveling to multiple countries, territories, or regions to pursue grant activities. 
• ACC strongly discourages Organization Grantees, activity leads, and activity participants from suspending their participation in grant activities or leaving the travel destination(s) during the execution of grant activities, with the exception of medical and family emergencies. Organization Grantees that have significant and unavoidable scheduling conflicts must submit a change request form seeking ACC’s approval at least 60 days before the first date of grant-funded travel.  

 

Visa Requirements 
While ACC does not sponsor visas for Organization Grantees, applicants must understand the following:  

• Before applying for an Organization Grant, applicants must research visa requirements and any other travel permissions relevant to their travel plans. 
• Applicants must ensure that the activity lead and activity participants will be able to meet all necessary visa and travel permission requirements if they are awarded a grant.  

Eligible Grant Expenses 
Applicants should only include eligible expenses in their budget. Eligible expenses include: 

• Airfare (economy class only)  
• Local and regional ground transportation 
• Accommodation  
• Food 
• Other daily living expenses  
• Visa-related fees and expenses, if necessary 
• Mandatory travel health insurance and other insurance as needed 
  • ACC requires Organization Grantees to purchase and provide proof of mandatory travel health insurance with the following coverage requirements for all individuals who travel internationally as part of the grant (i.e. activity lead and activity participants): at least $100,000 USD per accident or illness, at least $25,000 USD for repatriation expenses, and at least $50,000 USD for medical evacuation, with a deductible under $500 USD. ACC suggests that you obtain insurance estimates in advance of submitting your budget. 
• Interpretation services, if necessary 
• Costs and fees relevant to the research and cultural immersion and exchange objectives 

Ineligible Grant Expenses 
Examples of ineligible expenses that you cannot include in your budget:  

• First-class, business class, or other airfare higher than economy class (with exceptions for those with medical-based exemptions)  
• Production-related expenses, including technical equipment, staffing (e.g. filming and photography crews, post-production, editors, etc.), and publication costs  
• Capital expenses or equipment purchases 
• Any expenses to support family or other individuals who are not part of the proposal as the activity lead or activity participants 

For additional information about Organization Budgets, including ACC’s budget template and upload instructions, please see the "Apply now" section below. 

Payment Schedule 
ACC will issue a $3,000 USD advance payment to organizations that are awarded a grant after the organization has signed a grant agreement and submitted an “Information Collection Form” with updated information about the grantee and their activities.  

ACC will issue the remaining grant amount after Organization Grantees submit further details and travel documentation through an “Arrival Preparation Form” that ACC sends to Organization Grantees about four months prior to the start of their travel. 

Application Date and Process

Please carefully review the instructions below to learn more about submitting an application for the Organization Grant program. As a reminder, you may submit an application for only one ACC fellowship or grant type per grant cycle. 

 

Deadlines 
Applications must be submitted by November 19, 2025, at 9:59 AM Eastern Standard Time (EST).  

Letters of recommendation must be uploaded by November 26, 2025, at 9:59 AM EST. Learn more about the letter of recommendation requirements further below.

 

GoApply
Applications must be submitted through GoApply, ACC’s application platform. Previous applicants may log in to their account with their email and password.  

Starting on October 1, 2025, at 9:59 AM EDT, previous and new GoApply users can click here to log in or create a GoApply account. Once you have logged in or registered with GoApply, you can open the “Opportunities” menu item, and then click on the “apply” button next to “2026 Organization Grant Application”. GoApply registration instructions are available in English, Chinese, and Japanese. 

Please note that ACC’s GoApply applications will only be available from October 1, 2025, at 9:59 AM Eastern Daylight Time to November 19, 2025, at 9:59 AM EST.

 

Eligibility Quiz 
The application begins with an eligibility quiz, which will ask questions assessing your eligibility based on ACC’s general grant guidelines and the Organization Grant guidelines. Only applicants whose responses confirm their eligibility for the Organization Grant will be allowed to proceed with the rest of the application.  

If you are not sure how to respond to an eligibility quiz question, please contact the relevant ACC representative office (see here).  

 

Required Application Materials 
Applicants must be prepared to provide the application materials listed below. Required items are marked with an asterisk (*). 

• Contact information for the organization * 
• Proof of organization’s nonprofit status * 
• Logo for the organization * 
• Website and/or social media accounts for the organization 
• Work samples from the organization (see below) * 
• Organization’s annual operating budget range * 
• Name and contact information for one individual who will submit a letter of recommendation for the organization * 
• Name and contact information for two individuals who will serve as references for the organization * 
• Passport/biographical data and contact information for the primary contact and activity lead (if different from the primary contact) * 
• Biographies and CVs/resumes for the activity lead (or primary contact, if the same) and activity participants * 
• Names and citizenship/permanent residency status of all activity participants * 
• Bilingual application responses (as required by region)  
• Budget (see below) * 

 

Work Samples 
Applicants must provide up to three work samples that best exemplify their work. Work sample attachments may include image files (JPEG or PNG) or PDF files containing images, links to videos, audio clips, or other relevant media or materials to support your application. (See examples of work samples.) Please refer to the work sample guidelines listed below.  

• Audio/Video-based Samples: Applicants may submit a PDF with URLs for up to three audio or video clips that each contain no more than three minutes of content. Staff and review panelists will review only the first three minutes of audio or video provided in clips that are longer than three minutes.  
• Image-based Samples: Applicants may submit their image-based work samples in PDF, JPEG, and PNG formats. PDFs may contain no more than two pages of images per work or exhibition sample. Multiple images and captions are allowed on the same page, but they must be from the same work or exhibition sample. You can submit images for up to three works/exhibitions. 
• Text/Literary Samples: Applicants may submit PDFs containing no more than five pages per work sample (literature, art history, art criticism, etc.). 
• Multimedia Samples: Applicants may submit a PDF containing a combination of images (no more than two pages), text (no more than five pages), and/or links to video/audio clips (no more than three minutes) for a single work or exhibition. 

 

Recommendation Letter and References 
ACC asks you to provide contact information for three separate individuals: one person who will submit a letter of recommendation on behalf of your organization and two references whom ACC can contact if we have any questions about you, your organization, or your proposal.  

Conflicts of Interest 
The recommender and references should not be ACC trustees, staff, or donors. All applicants will be asked to sign a conflict-of-interest statement attesting that their recommender and references, to the best of their knowledge, are not ACC trustees, staff, or donors. 

Letter of Recommendation Deadline 
Your recommender must upload their letter of recommendation to GoApply after you have submitted your application. The deadline for the letter of recommendation is November 26, 2025, at 9:59 AM EST. Only after you have submitted your application will your recommender receive an email containing a link and instructions for uploading their letter to GoApply. We recommend that you ask for your recommender’s support in advance and that you submit your application early, so that your recommender has enough time to upload their letter. Your application will not be considered complete and will not be reviewed until your letter of recommendation has been uploaded. 

 

Uploading a Budget 
Applicants must upload a proposed budget for their Organization Grant using the Excel template provided in the GoApply application’s budget section. The template will ask for detailed budget information, including descriptions of proposed expenses, quantities, estimated USD amounts, and links or comments justifying these expenses, as needed. For more information about eligible and ineligible expenses and other budget requirements, please refer to the Grant Amount and Budget section in the Organization Grant guidelines. 

 

Bilingual Applications 
In addition to submitting question responses in English, applicants who apply through ACC Hong Kong, ACC Japan, and ACC Taiwan should refer to their respective bilingual application requirements. Please note that the bilingual fillable forms (for completion and upload) and translated eligibility quizzes (for reference) will be made available for download on October 1, 2025, at 9:59 AM EDT. 

Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, and Mainland China (Optional)  
In addition to completing the application in English, applicants who are citizens or permanent residents of Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, and Mainland China, and are applying through ACC Hong Kong, may also submit an optional copy of their application in Chinese. To do so, please download, complete, and upload to GoApply the bilingual application form provided below. Please note that the application is provided in traditional Chinese, but applicants may provide responses in simplified Chinese, if desired. 

• Organization Grant Translated Eligibility Quiz (Traditional Chinese)
• Organization Grant Bilingual Application Form (Traditional Chinese)

Japan (Required)  
Applicants who are citizens or permanent residents of Japan and are applying through ACC Japan must submit an additional copy of their application in Japanese and a PDF of their CV/resume in both English and Japanese. Descriptions or captions of work samples must also be made available in both English and Japanese. Applicants should download, complete, and upload to GoApply the bilingual application form provided below. 

• Organization Grant Translated Eligibility Quiz (Japanese)
• Organization Grant Bilingual Application Form (Japanese)

Taiwan ROC (Required)  
Applicants who are citizens or permanent residents of Taiwan ROC and are applying through ACC Taiwan must submit an additional copy of their application in traditional Chinese and a PDF of their CV/resume in both English and traditional Chinese. Descriptions or captions of work samples must also be made available in both English and Chinese. Applicants should download, complete, and upload to GoApply the bilingual application form provided below.  

• Organization Grant Translated Eligibility Quiz (Traditional Chinese)
• Organization Grant Bilingual Application Form (Traditional Chinese)

Application Deadline

19 November, 2025

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