+ More Filters

Reset Filters

Title

Funding Organization

Funding Type

Eligible Country

Deadline

Other (Select all that apply)

Show Expired Programs

Show Verified Programs

Not Verified

Rare Artist Program

EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases

Rare Artist, established in 2010, is a national advocacy program at the intersection of art and health. Through creative expression, the community translates lived rare disease experience into advocacy, storytelling, and public impact. The 2026 Rare Artist Contest will open in June.

Rare Artist, established in 2010, is a national advocacy program at the intersection of art and health. Through creative expression, the community translates the lived rare disease experience into advocacy, storytelling, and public impact.

The annual Rare Artist contest is open to individuals impacted by rare disease, including patients, caregivers, siblings, and loved ones, offering a platform to advocate and share their stories through art. Originally focused on visual art, Rare Artist has expanded to include poetry, music, and short-form video.

Beyond the contest, the program offers year-round programming and resources that support creative expression and advocacy.

In 2024, Rare Artist received the NOAH Cam Busch Arts in Health Award for Arts Building Resilience, and in 2026 will host its first public gallery exhibition.

2026 Contest Timeline

Dates subject to change.

June 8, 2026 – Contest opens for submissions
July 20, 2026 (11:59 PM ET) – Submissions close; judging begins
August 24, 2026 – Finalists notified; advocacy coaching begins
September 28, 2026 – Public voting opens
October 12, 2026 – Public voting closes
Week of October 19, 2026 – Rare Artist awardees announced

Each year, ten Rare Artist awardees are selected. At least one awardee will be recognized in each category.

2D Visual Art – drawing, painting, illustration, printmaking, collage, etc
3D Material Art – ceramics, sculpture, jewelry, fiber, mixed media, etc
Digital Art & Photography – photography and digitally created artwork, including digital illustration and painting such as Procreate
Poetry – written or spoken, maximum length of 300 words
Music – songwriting, instrumental, or vocal performance, maximum length of 4 minutes
Short-Form Video (Pilot Category) – video storytelling, maximum length of 5 minutes

In addition, one Rising Artist Award is given to an artist under the age of 18, selected from any category.

Artists working across disciplines may apply in the category that best represents their primary practice.

Age-based award categories are no longer used as of 2026.

How to Apply

When the contest is open, artists may submit work through the Rare Artist submission platform. Applicants will create an account and complete the application questions. Submissions may be edited until the deadline.

General Submission Guidelines

Submissions must be original work. Reproductions, AI-generated, or AI-altered content will be disqualified.
Artists may submit up to two entries and may receive one award.
Awardees may not receive awards in consecutive years.
Multiple members of the same household may apply; only one may be selected as a finalist.
Submissions may be entered on behalf of an artist unable to submit independently. Credit must be given to the artist, and awards or stipends will be issued directly to them. Exceptions apply for artists under 18.
All participants must confirm agreement of the Contest Artwork Release Form. Finalists will be required to sign and submit the form.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. Clear alignment with the rare disease mission (highest predictor)

This is the strongest predictor across EveryLife programs.

Successful applications usually demonstrate a direct connection to:

improving outcomes for people living with rare diseases
rare disease advocacy or public policy engagement
patient/caregiver empowerment
reducing barriers to diagnosis, treatment, or access to care
strengthening the broader rare disease community

EveryLife describes its mission as improving health outcomes through evidence-based policy, science-driven policy and regulatory research, and community activation.

2. Strong patient or caregiver leadership / lived experience (very high predictor)

This is especially important for Rare Giving.

EveryLife specifically notes that it funds organizations that actively involve patients, caregivers, and advocates in advocacy and policy engagement. Projects led by or meaningfully co-designed with the rare disease community tend to be especially competitive.

Strong applications usually show:

authentic patient voice
caregiver involvement
community-driven leadership
direct engagement with rare disease advocates

3. Clear advocacy or policy impact

Compared with many biomedical funders, EveryLife places unusually strong emphasis on advocacy outcomes.

Competitive projects often show a clear pathway to:

influencing policy or legislation
improving access to therapies
increasing awareness among policymakers
supporting participation in federal advisory meetings
building rare disease community advocacy capacity

Rare Giving explicitly supports advocacy and public-policy efforts across the rare disease landscape.

4. Demonstrated community benefit and measurable outcomes

Successful proposals generally explain:

who will benefit
how many patients/caregivers will be reached
what practical change will result
how success will be measured

Examples:

number of advocates trained
policy meetings attended
patient surveys completed
educational resources distributed
community participation metrics

5. Leadership, resilience, and community engagement (especially for #RAREis Scholarship)

For the #RAREis Scholarship, published selection criteria include:

essay quality
leadership
participation in school/community activities
work experience
academic performance
financial need

Scholarship America notes that awards are evaluated using these combined factors.

6. Organizational capacity and feasibility

For nonprofit/community grants, strong applications also show:

ability to execute the proposed work
realistic budget
clear timeline
administrative readiness
capacity to complete reporting requirements

For grassroots organizations, feasibility can matter as much as ambition.

Specialties

Rare Diseases

Eligibility Requirements

Rare Artist is open to individuals connected to the rare disease community, including those personally living with a rare disease and those connected to someone who is. A disease is considered rare if it affects fewer than 200,000 people in the United States. Eligibility may be confirmed using the NIH Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center (GARD).

Applicants must reside in the United States. Artists of all ages are welcome to apply.

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 1012 14th Street, NW, Suite 500 Washington, DC 20005 phone 202-697-RARE (7273)

Legal & Affiliation Disclaimer

Affiliation Disclaimer: Trialect operates independently and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or supported by any sponsors or organizations posting on the GrantsBoard platform. As an independent aggregator of publicly available funding opportunities, Trialect provides equal access to information for all users without endorsing any specific funding source, content, organization, or sponsor. Trialect assumes no responsibility for the content posted by sponsors or third parties.

Subscription Disclaimer: Upon logging into Trialect, you may choose to SUBSCRIBE to GrantsBoard for timely notifications of funding opportunities and to access exclusive benefits, such as priority alerts, reminders, personalized recommendations, and additional application support. However, users are advised to contact sponsors directly for any questions and are not required to subscribe to engage with funding opportunities.

Content Ownership and Copyright Disclaimer: Trialect respects the intellectual property rights of all organizations and individuals. All content posted on GrantsBoard is provided solely for informational purposes and remains the property of the original owners. Trialect does not claim ownership of, nor does it have any proprietary interest in, content provided by third-party sponsors. Users are encouraged to verify content and ownership directly with the posting sponsor.

Fair Use Disclaimer: The information and content available on GrantsBoard are compiled from publicly accessible sources in alignment with fair use principles under U.S. copyright law. Trialect serves as an aggregator of this content, offering it to users in good faith and with the understanding that it is available for public dissemination. Any organization or individual who believes their intellectual property rights have been violated is encouraged to contact us for prompt resolution.

Third-Party Posting Responsibility Disclaimer: Trialect is a neutral platform that allows third-party sponsors to post funding opportunities for informational purposes only. Sponsors are solely responsible for ensuring that their postings comply with copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. Trialect assumes no liability for any copyright or intellectual property infringements in third-party content and will take appropriate action to address any substantiated claims.

Accuracy and Verification Disclaimer: Trialect makes no warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information provided by sponsors. Users are advised to verify the details of any funding opportunity directly with the sponsor before taking action. Trialect cannot be held liable for any discrepancies, omissions, or inaccuracies in third-party postings.

Notice and Takedown Policy: Trialect is committed to upholding copyright law and protecting the rights of intellectual property owners. If you believe that content on GrantsBoard infringes your copyright or intellectual property rights, please contact us with detailed information about the claim. Upon receipt of a valid notice, Trialect will promptly investigate and, where appropriate, remove or disable access to the infringing content.

View Funding Opportunity