Military and Veterans Healing Arts Grants
Reminder: Please review General Grant Information and Eligibility Requirements before proceeding.
About
These grants are designed to support arts projects focused on serving North Carolina’s military service men and women, veterans, and their families.
North Carolina has the fourth largest military population in the U.S. with over 100,000 active duty service men and women stationed at five military bases, a military ocean terminal, and a coast guard base. North Carolina also hosts over 43,000 National Guard and reserve members. North Carolina’s veteran population resides in every county in the state and numbers over 620,000, ranking fifth highest in the nation. In addition, there are over 39,000 active-duty spouses and 69,000 active-duty children living in North Carolina. Four federal VA medical centers and 14 state veteran service centers are the foundation of support for veterans in the state, but other resources are available through universities and community colleges, and nonprofit organizations.
In addition to the intrinsic value that the arts possess to enhance the quality of life for all citizens, they provide important support for the unique needs of service men and women, veterans and their families. For these military audiences engaging in arts activities:
- Enhances healing and provides important health benefits in every stage from recovery to wellness
- Strengthens a sense of self, and creates opportunities to tell one’s story in different ways, including nonverbal means of expression
- Builds a connection with the community and diminishes feelings of isolation, both by making art in a group setting and also by instigating a public discussion about topics relevant to servicemen and veterans
An array of arts projects with an emphasis on serving military and veterans audiences are eligible for support. Examples include:
- A single exhibition, performance, or two to three related events, such as a reading series
- A series of workshops
- An artist residency
- A literary publication or documentary film
All projects must include appropriate outreach activities. Additionally, projects that contribute to the development of this field of work through technical assistance are eligible for support.
Application dates
- Open: January 5, 2024
- Letter of intent due: March 1, 2024
- Application due: May 1, 2024
Letter of Intent
For this category applicants are required to submit a Letter of Intent via email to Arts Council staff no later than March 1, 2024. Letters should include a one-page project summary that focuses on the evaluation criteria, a list of key partners, and a thumbnail project budget. If the organization is approved to proceed with a full proposal, an access code will be provided to open the application form in the GO Smart grant portal.
Grant amount
- Range: From $5,000 to $15,000
Who may apply
Organizations meeting the North Carolina Arts Council’s general eligibility criteria that provide artistic programs designed to serve audiences on the military continuum are eligible to apply. Projects that grow out of a strong collaboration between arts organizations and military bases, VA medical centers, or veterans service providers will receive priority in funding. Community arts organizations such as theaters, symphonies, and choral groups may apply for programs involving professional artists. University-based programs must focus on audiences outside the university community and be part of an overall effort to reach audiences outside the university.
Scope and allowable expenses
Grant amounts range from $5,000 to $15,000. Organizations with prior-year expenses between $20,000 and $50,000 are eligible to apply for $5,000, the minimum grant award.
Grant funds may be used for artist fees, marketing, interpretive materials, contractual fees (including contractual personnel), and other related costs. With the exception of colleges and universities and other arts organizations that are a part of another entity (such as a municipality), organizations may use up to 50 percent of the grant amount for administrative overhead expenses including salaries that are directly related to the project. Applicants from Tier 2 and Tier 3 counties may apply for up to two-thirds of the overall project expenses and must provide a cash match for the remaining third. Applicants from economically distressed Tier 1 counties are eligible to waive the matching requirement.
Project period
Grant funds must be spent between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025.
How we make funding decisions
We evaluate applications using the following criteria:
- Artistic value of the program
- Evidence of solid planning with a military or veteran partner organization
- Potential of project to have a positive impact on identified military or veteran audience
- Involvement of artists and representative community partners, as appropriate to project themes and content; and
- Feasibility of project and organizational capacity to implement program
Application information
Submit a letter of intent that includes a one-page project summary, list of key partners, and a thumbnail project budget. Letters should be emailed to the Arts Council staff contact no later than March 1, 2024. If your organization is approved to submit a full proposal, an access code will be provided to open the application form in the GO Smart grant portal.
Profile questions
In addition to contact information, you will be asked to submit your organization’s mission statement, an organizational history, and both an Employer Identification Number (EIN) and Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number.
Application narrative
- In two or three paragraphs, provide a clear and concise overview of your proposed project. Summarize what will happen, when it will happen, who will be involved, and a statement of the project goals.
- Provide a description of the military or veterans community that you will serve. Include information about the nature of the military connection and demographics of the population. What planning and collaboration has already taken place between your agency and the military and veterans community?
- How will the proposed project provide benefits to servicemen and women, veterans, or their families?
- Provide a description of the key people involved in the project, including their role, expertise, or affiliation. Highlight the selected artists and outside professionals you are working with and explain how and why they were chosen. State the rate of payment for each artist and professional contracted for services.
- Describe how you will evaluate the proposed project. Include any specific measures of success for the project and how you will document them.
- Submit a project timeline and schedule of activities
- Submit an itemized budget
- Submit detailed letters of support from partner organizations
Every applicant must submit work samples appropriate to the proposal. The purpose of a work sample is to provide evidence of artistic value, which is an important evaluation criterion for the category. A good work sample will represent the artist(s) involved in the programming that the application narrative describes and help the panelists who will evaluate your application to understand the level of artistry that you anticipate.
Visual Arts and Craft
Upload up to 15 digital images of exhibitions, programs, and/or the work of featured artists representative of activities planned for FY24–25. When you upload an image into the work sample bank, you will provide descriptive information, including the artist’s name, the work’s title and medium, and the title of the exhibit or program. Leave all pricing information fields blank.
Film
Using the Web Link Collection form in the GO Smart portal, submit a five-minute video sample representative of upcoming or current-year programming. The video may include just one piece or a sampling of more than one. In the description, provide the title, a short summary of each production, the name of each production’s director, and the year each was made.
Do not submit highly edited promotional materials.
Literary Arts
Upload up to five PDFs of recent work by writers involved in upcoming or current-year programming. Each PDF should be no more than six pages long. Or, using the Web Link Collection form in the GO Smart portal, submit no more than five minutes of video presenting readings or spoken word performances by the writers involved in the upcoming or current-year programming. Provide the title of each work, the name of the author, and the year each work was published or presented.
Dance
Using the Web Link Collection form in the GO Smart portal, submit no more than five minutes of video representative of upcoming or current-year programming. The video may include just one piece or a sampling of more than one. In the description, provide the title and a short summary of each work, the names of the choreographer(s), and the year each work was made.
Do not submit highly edited promotional materials.
Theater
Using the Web Link Collection form in the GO Smart portal, submit no more than five minutes of video representative of upcoming or current-year programming. The video may include just one piece or a sampling of more than one. In the description, provide the title and a short summary of each work and the date(s) of the performances.
Still photos of theatrical performances provide information about costumes and sets but are not considered strong work samples demonstrating overall artistic value.
Do not submit highly edited promotional materials.
Arts in Education/Folklife/multi-arts (presenters, arts centers)
Upload up to 15 digital images and/or complete a Web Link Collection form in the GO Smart portal with one five-minute sample of audio or video of featured artists or programs representative of the upcoming year’s programming. For more information, refer to the work sample instructions above for the artistic disciplines that you are highlighting.
Note: Work samples for Arts in Education applications should focus on the artistry of the instructors.
Staff contact
Erin Rembert
Military and Veterans Arts Coordinator
(919) 814-6522
Email Erin about military and veterans arts
Grant Application Assistance
North Carolina Arts Council staff are here to assist with grant applications. Visit our application assistance page for resources and grants staff contact information.
Accessibility
For accessibility questions or accommodation requests, please contact the North Carolina Arts Council's Music and Dance Director, Accessibility Coordinator Jamie Katz Court at jamie.katzcourt@dncr.nc.gov or (919) 814-6502.