The Window of Opportunity (WOO) Grant provides financial assistance of up to $1,500 to Leeway grant and award recipients to help them take advantage of imminent, time-sensitive opportunities to support their art for social change practice.

Review guidelines here (PDF).

WHEN ARE THE APPLICATION DEADLINES?

The grant deadline is the 15th of every month from March to November, and decisions are made within two weeks of the deadline.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY IMMINENT, TIME-SENSITIVE OPPORTUNITIES?

The opportunity you are applying for must have a deadline or occur at least one month after the deadline (the 15th of the month) but no more than 90 days after that deadline. The opportunity cannot occur during the grant cycle you apply in (from the 15th to 15th of each month).

• For example, if you are applying for the March 15 deadline, your opportunity cannot occur before April 15 – and must occur before June 15.

HOW MUCH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE SHOULD I ASK FOR?

Do not apply for more than you need for the opportunity. This grant requires documentation of all expenses; any unspent funds must be returned to Leeway Foundation.

WHAT IF I HAVE LANGUAGE/ACCESS NEEDS?

If you have language translation or access needs that make our application process inaccessible to you, please contact staff to talk about alternative ways to submit your application. Contact information is below.

WOO GRANTS SUPPORT:

• Opportunities that have a deadline or occur within 90 days of when you apply
• Training, learning, and development opportunities at workshops, conferences, and residencies
• Travel associated with opportunities to share and distribute your artwork and art practice (e.g. - an exhibition, book tour, performance, panel, or screening)
• Documentation costs for a performance, workshop, or installation (e.g. - video or photography of an upcoming project; accessibility work for documentation like audio descriptions or captioning; etc.)
• Archival costs for preserving your artistic practice/an ongoing project (e.g. - digitizing analog media or documents; buying supplies needed to house archival materials; paying for web hosting or storage; etc.)
• Rental of equipment, purchase of materials, or payment of services to fulfill an already-established (not self-initiated) opportunity that has a plan for outreach or distribution

WOO GRANTS DO NOT SUPPORT:

• Living expenses
• Stipends or supplemental pay for performances or opportunities
• Purchase, construction, or renovation of a property
• Medical, legal, or accounting fees
• Organizations, corporations, or fundraising activities 
• Activities that fit the Art and Change Grant guidelines or are a phase of an ongoing project
• Opportunities already completed prior to the deadline 
• Opportunities that occur within the current month’s grant cycle (from the 15th to 15th of each month)
• Opportunities that have a deadline or occur after 90 days of the deadline when you apply

WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY?

You are eligible to apply if you are both:

• A former Leeway Foundation grantee; and,
• A current resident of Bucks, Camden, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, or Philadelphia County.

You are not eligible to apply if you:

• Are a full-time student in an arts degree program
• Have an open Art and Change Grant project
• Have an overdue report from previous Leeway grants and awards
• Have received a Transformation Award in 2025
• Have received WOO grants totaling $1,500 in the current calendar year (2026)

HOW DO I APPLY?

• Applications must be submitted online (this form). 
• We do not accept applications that are dropped off or sent by mail, email, or fax.
• If you do not receive an immediate email confirmation of your application, it has not been submitted.
• Do not submit any other materials for this application such as work samples or recommendation letters. They will not be reviewed or returned.

HOW WILL APPLICATIONS BE REVIEWED?

Applications will still be reviewed monthly, by a panel of community-based artists and cultural producers from March through November, or until funds are depleted. To keep our process transparent, every applicant receives feedback, based on the panel’s deliberations. This offers a view into the process and gives information applicants can use as they think about their work and future applications to Leeway – or other funders. Applicants may also contact Leeway staff for panel feedback and/or opt-out of receiving feedback.

GRANT STATUS NOTIFICATION

Grant notification letters are emailed within four weeks of the monthly deadline.

RESIDENCY DOCUMENTATION

Should you be awarded a grant, you will be asked to provide proof of both your age and current residency. All applicants must verify that they live in Bucks, Camden, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, or Philadelphia County. This documentation is confidential and will not be shared with anyone other than Leeway staff. You may mask any financial or sensitive information in these documents.

For proof of current residency, you will need to provide one of the following (which should match the address on your application):

• Utility bill, rental agreement, mortgage agreement or payment coupon, house deed, tax return, or other verification of residency (must be cleared by Leeway staff).

If you are unable to provide any of the above documents, call 215.728.9274 to discuss with Leeway staff.

IS THIS INCOME TAXABLE? 

Yes. If you are awarded a grant, you will be asked to complete a W-9 tax form and provide your legal name so that Leeway can send you a 1099 form for tax purposes. Leeway is required by the IRS to issue 1099 forms to grantees and needs a legal name for tax purposes. Contact Leeway staff if this presents any difficulties for you.  

ARE THERE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS?

• A final report is due 30 days after the opportunity is completed.
• Retain all receipts associated with your opportunity request. You will be required to submit copies of receipts associated with your opportunity with your final report.
• Any funds not spent for the purpose specified in the application must be returned with your final report. Please contact program staff with any questions about this.

ARE THERE EXAMPLES OF PREVIOUS WOO GRANTEES?

Refer to www.leeway.org/grantees and search for WOO under “Grant Program” for examples of WOO grantees. If you have trouble accessing the website, contact Leeway to request a list of examples of past grantees.

HOW DO I GET HELP WITH MY APPLICATION?

We're here to support! You can:

• Contact Leeway staff to set-up a one-on-one appointment at gloredo@leeway.org or 267.831.4886; or
• Stop by an Applicant Support Session, where you can meet one-on-one with a Leeway representative to get direct feedback on your application.