Topics Related to Grants

North Carolina’s  arts and culture ecosystem is vibrant and strong, thanks in part to grants that support nonprofit arts organizations across the state. The North Carolina Arts Council is one of the oldest statewide arts councils in the country, boasting partners in all 100 counties.

North Carolina’s statewide network of artists and local arts organizations has fostered a vibrant culture that makes the state a great place to live, work, and visit. Through our grants, the North Carolina Arts Council actively invests in and sustains this creative community.Explore the updated grant guidelines for the FY2026–2027 grant cycle to learn about available opportunities, eligibility requirements, and how to apply and report

Western North Carolina was forever changed by Hurricane Helene. The floodwater, high winds, and mudslides caused widespread devastation across 26 counties, covering more than 10,000 square miles of the North Carolina mountains and foothills. Once the waters receded, the storm’s impact on the region’s infrastructure and economy was clearly historic. The arts, a key industry in the highlands, felt the brunt of this disruption.

One of the ways the state invests in the arts is through the North Carolina Arts Council’s grant programs. The Arts Council gives these financial awards to sustain and advance our diverse and widespread network of arts organizations and artists.

Last September, Hurricane Helene brought destruction to western North Carolina that was unexpected and overwhelming. The storm changed the landscape, and washed homes and businesses away. During the early days of relief efforts, the goal was the health and safety of everyone in the region. To that end, Arts AVL—the local arts agency for Asheville and Buncombe County—distributed $750,000 in small grants to artists for urgent needs, using funds from the North Carolina Arts Foundation and other sources. For the N.C.

For the third year, the N.C. Arts Council is inviting arts administrators to apply for our LEAD Scholarship Grant (due May 1, 2024). The grant provides professional development to those working in the field of accessibility in the arts.

In the summer of 2023, the North Carolina Arts Council awarded grants to ten arts organizations to attend the annual Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disabilities (LEAD) Conference and to be part of an arts accessibility learning community that would meet regularly to discuss accessibility in the arts. 

(Header photo: Upper Piedmont Regional Meeting at Stokes County Arts Council)Our Creative Economies team hosted five regional meetings throughout January 2024, gathering local arts councils and community representatives to talk about the impact that federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding had on communities around the state.

The North Carolina Arts Council recognizes and honors the work of African American artists and arts organizations that shape our state’s culture. With Black History Month and the 2023–2024 grant application season coinciding, we celebrate some of the Black-led organizations that have received a grant from us recently. If you have a story you’d like us to share, please reach out to us.

Hayti Heritage Center/St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation (SJHF)

This fiscal year, the North Carolina Arts Council offered LEAD Scholarship grants to provide professional development for arts administrators who are new to the field of arts accessibility and who are proactively developing inclusive arts programs and experiences for artists and audiences with disabilities in their communities.

The funding covered the following: