Author: North Carolina Arts Council
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
Learn more on our Grants Dashboard
What’s new this year
Launching January 5: OPAL, our new grants portal
This year we’re introducing OPAL (Online Portal for Arts Leaders), a new, streamlined system for managing your entire grant experience with the N.C. Arts Council.
Whether you're a returning applicant or new to our grants, you’ll need to register in OPAL before starting a new application.
Note: FY2025–2026 grantees will still use the GO Smart platform to submit final reports, due by July 31, 2026.
Why OPAL?
From application and contracting to receiving funds and submitting final reports, OPAL offers a more intuitive and user-friendly interface. Key features include:
- A personalized homepage with available grant opportunities
- In-app messaging with your staff contact person for application-specific questions
- Easy access to review applications in progress, contracts, and final report deadlines
- Multi-user functionality that lets you invite collaborators or team members to work on the same application
We will be with you every step of the way as we roll out OPAL. In the coming weeks, we will provide training videos and instructional guides. Our staff will also be available to help with troubleshooting and to answer questions. Be sure to follow us on social media and visit the Grants Dashboard for the latest updates and training resources.
We’re excited for you to meet OPAL!
Arts in Education program updates
We are restructuring our arts in education programs to make way for a simpler, more direct process for schools to request visits by teaching artists and educational resources. As part of this transition, the cARTwheels and Arts in Education Artist Residency grant categories are being discontinued. A new teaching artist roster and step-by-step request process will launch in summer 2026. Stay tuned for more details.
Expanded scope for Project Support grants
The Project Support grant category now includes a broader range of eligible projects. In the past, projects that focused primarily on children were not eligible under this category. That restriction is lifted. There is now a Project Support—Youth Arts Education option to support arts programs for young people. Additionally, projects that were formerly supported by Military and Veterans Healing Arts grants may be eligible for funding through the Project Support grant category as a discipline-based grant. (For example, if veterans will work with a dance company, apply through the Project Support—Dance category.)