Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art Issues RFP for Building Bridges Program

The Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art has issued a Request for Proposals for its 2018-19 Building Bridges grants competition, which supports projects that strengthen bonds among Muslims and their non-Muslim neighbors. Since its launch in 2013, the Building Bridges program has supported the creation and/or expansion of fifty-one unique projects with about $8.8 million.

Through the program, grants of up to $300,000 will be awarded to support the planning and implementation of cultural projects designed to improve relationships between Muslim and non-Muslims across the country. Organizations funded to date represent significant diversity in terms of geography, population, discipline, and mission. Through systematic self-evaluations conducted by prior grantees, the program has observed that strong relationships are built most effectively when audiences are able to immerse themselves in experiential learning and directly interact, collaborate, or communicate with the creative community who design and lead project-related activities.

In addition to monetary funding, grant recipients will receive strategic communications support during the grant period from a Building Bridges-appointed consultant.

Nonprofit organizations with operating budgets greater than $100,000 and at least $25,000 in arts-related programming are eligible to apply as follows:

Organizations with annual expense budgets between $100,000 and $500,000 may apply for a total grant of up to $125,000 or no more than 25 percent of the annual expense budget, while organizations with annual expense budgets greater than $500,000 may apply for a total grant up to $300,000 or no more than 25 percent of the annual expense budget.

Letters of Intent must be received no later than August 23. Upon review, selected applicants will be invited to submit a full application by January 4, 2019.

For complete program guidelines and application instructions, see the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Arts website.