$50,000 in Total
Each year since 2022, Milwaukee nonprofit JOY Engine has awarded a total of $50,000 in grants to support creative projects that bring joy to the city. In 2025, JOY Engine selected seven projects to fund, which included a pop-up arts festival, youth-built performance stages, and short films celebrating community resilience. Applications are currently open for the 2026 JOY Grants cycle.
Joy Engine is a nonprofit public art organization curating intentional, immersive art experiences to connect, uplift, and inspire the Milwaukee community. It was originally formed as Black Box Fund in 2019 and rebranded as Joy Engine three years later.
For 2026, Joy Engine will again award up to $50,000 in total funding, with individual grants of up to $10,000 for projects that improve public spaces, promote civic engagement, celebrate diversity, and bring imaginative ideas to life in Milwaukee neighborhoods.
“Our artists always need money, and we think it’s so important to uplift local artists,” said Joy Engine Executive Director Steph Salvia. “We don’t want anyone to feel like they have to do stuff for free.”
Salvia said that in past years, they’ve received over 50 applications, which shows just how great the need is.
“There is so much talent in the city,” she said.
Although she doesn’t judge the submissions herself, the applications give Salvia a wider view of all the creative work happening across the city. She hopes that, along with JOY Grants, more organizations and entities will put actual funding behind Milwaukee’s creative scene.
“[The JOY Grants] is just a drop in the bucket,” she said. But she also added that even though they may be a small organization, they are making a huge impact.
Applications for JOY Grants close on October 31, 2025. Applicants will be notified on December 12, 2025, and selected projects must be completed by December 31, 2026.
How to Stand Out
According to a press release, eligible applicants include individual artists, students, community groups, schools, and nonprofits. The projects must take place within the City of Milwaukee, be free and publicly accessible, and selected applicants must document their creative process.
It should be noted that murals will not be funded independently, but can be included as part of a larger community initiative.
Salvia said that series-based projects tend to score higher because they involve more people, and that proposals centered in underrepresented ZIP codes or overlooked spaces like alleys also rank well with judges. While new ideas help during selection, she emphasized that, above all, it comes down to how much joy the project can bring to the city.
“We need more joy in our lives,” said Salvia.
To apply for a JOY Grant, click here.
Nyesha Stone founded Carvd N Stone in 2017 to cover positive news while attending the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Stone has a B.A. in Journalism. She has raised over $30,000 to award grants and scholarships. She has also been featured in ESSENCE and worked with the American Black Film Festival.
