Here are some grants directories that provide thousands of listings for artists. Most of them can be borrowed from town libraries or are available in the reference section. Major bookstores like Borders and Barnes&Nobles also carry them.

• Edelson, Phyllis, ed., Foundation Grants for Individuals, The Foundation Center, New York, 2008

• Directory of Grants in the Humanities 2007/2008, Oryx Publishing, Phoenix, Arizona, 2008

• The Foundation Reporter, Taft Publications 
• The National Directory of Corporate Giving 
• Bowker, R.R., Annual Register of Grant Support:  A Directory of Funding Sources, Information Today, Inc., Medford, NJ, 2008

All types of grants are available for artists. Whether you are a musician, an actor, a puppetry artist, a writer, or dancer, all types of grants are available for each and every one of you. Nonprofit organizations account for the largest percentage of grant seekers. These organizations operate as charities and usually offer promise of helping their communities at the local, national, and sometimes, international levels. 

Individuals also qualify to apply for funding on their own merit, without the backing of an institution. Private foundations and family trusts are more likely to award grants to individuals than the federal government.