Café Royal Cultural Foundation
Café Royal Cultural Foundation
 

“The art of writing is the art of discovering what you believe.” - Gustave Flaubert

The world is a story and the writer, the story teller. In writing stories we are trying to make sense of our world by seeking what is real, by rejecting what is false, and by exercising the greatest of our mortal gifts in pursuit of the immortal.

Description: Café Royal Cultural Foundation NYC will award a writing grant to authors of fiction / creative nonfiction and poetry.  

Submissions: To ensure that each submission receives the attention it deserves we will be only accepting 40 application for each of our categories.

Deadlines: Our Winter 2025 Grant cycle is open and will close on Monday February 3, 2025 or if we reach our limit of 40 applications, which ever comes first.

Amounts: Up to $10,000.00  

Eligibility:
Authors in fiction / creative non-fiction and poetry.
The applicant must be the originator of the written material.
Grants will not be made for the purpose of research only. 
Grants will not be made for equipment.
Writers applying applying must be a current citizen or resident of the United State and must currently reside in New York City and have lived there for a minimum of one year prior to applying and plan to be a resident through the completion of their project.

Grants awarded in this category may fund costs associated with continuing the composition of work submitted. Such as:

  • Course Reduction (if you're a Teacher/Professor)

  • Salary Replacement

  • Living Expenses

  • Research Expenses

  • Travel Research Expenses

Application Requirements: 

  • Up to and no more than a 15 page PDF of the work, for the Café Royal Cultural Foundation Selection and Executive Committee to download and read. Please make sure your links are correct and not password protected. If they are not correct or have password protection your application will be declined and not reviewed by the Selection Committee.

  • A short description of the project.

  • A short author biography of the person(s) involved.

  • Budget must not exceed the amount of $10,000.00.

  • List of costs of how you plan to use the grant funds.
    (Please review our lists of Approved and Ineligible Budget Items for Literature Grant Funds, located below)

  • Travel and Research costs within the United States must demonstrate a direct correlation to the project for which you are applying.

  • You may not apply for International Travel and Research Costs.

  • If you are hiring fact checkers / editors / research assistants please be aware that we prefer that individuals providing these services are located in the NYC area.

  • Writers applying must be a current citizen or resident of the United State and must currently reside in New York City and have lived there for a minimum of one year prior to applying and plan to be a resident through the completion of their project.

  • We ask that the completion of your manuscript is no sooner than 90 days after this application's due date (no sooner than May 4, 2025) and no later than 12 months after your grant’s award date (no later than March 24, 2026).

  • Applicants can only apply with the same project twice.

  • You may apply in a different cycle with a different project.


    Please review the list of costs that will be and will not be approved.

 
 

  • You may use the Grant Funds for the following:

    Living Expenses

    Rent
    Electric Bill
    Gas Bill
    Heating Bill
    Salary Reduction
    Water Bill


    Research* and Editing Costs**

    Editor Costs** (if not covered by Publisher)
    Fact Checking**
    Research Assistant**

    Travel Research Costs***

    Airfare
    Hotel
    Rental Car
    Research Facility Costs
    Train Fare

    *Research costs must have a direct correlation to the project for which you are applying.

    **As you are hiring fact checkers / editors / research assistants please be aware that we prefer that individuals providing these services are located in the NYC area.

    ***Travel Research costs must have a direct correlation to the project for which you are applying.

  • You may not use the Grant Funds for the following:
    (Please do not add these items, or similar items, to your budget as they will not be approved)

    Electronic Devices and Software such as printers, computers, tablets, mobile phone, apps, etc.
    Events
    Food
    Furniture
    International Travel for Research
    Promotion of Manuscript / Book
    Writers Retreats and Seminars

 
 

Review Procedures: The Café Royal Cultural Foundation Selection Committee Judges will review and score all applications. The top five scored applications will move to a next round and will be reviewed Executive Committees. In recognition of the time, effort, and professional expertise that our Selection Committee Judges devote to the grant selection process, Café Royal Cultural Foundation provides a stipend to honor their commitment.

The following criteria will be applied in evaluating grant application:

  • Creativity, originality, ideas and concepts, writing style

  • Importance of the Project/Cultural Relevance

  • Promise of future achievements in writing

    Please note you do not need to have a publisher to apply for this grant.

 
 

Grant Applications: 
We accept applications all year round, please view our submission dates in our Grant Schedule.

We ask that the completion of your manuscript is (no sooner than May 4, 2025) and no later than 12 months after your grant’s award date (no later than March 24, 2026).

Good Luck!