Grants for Organizations

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Grant-Making in Response to the Pandemic 

Throughout the pandemic, the North Carolina Arts Council has adapted our grant-making strategies to support the arts sector. With a new round of federal recovery funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)*, we adjusted the list of grant offerings again.

Here is the overview:

  • The grant deadline for organizations is Monday, May 2, 2022. Detailed grant guidelines have been posted and online applications are now open. 
     
  • With the additional funding, we created a new grant category called Spark the Arts that is available to non-profit organizations doing arts programming. Entities that are not designated 501(c)3 have the option of using a fiscal agent to apply in this category. The purpose of the grants is to support organizations as they reengage with the public through a combination of programming, marketing, rebuilding staff capacity, and facilitating safety protocols. This broad project category replaces Program Support for now and includes special focus areas previously supported through the Arts Equity Project grants and the Military and Veterans Healing Arts grants.
     
  • In addition to applying for a Spark the Arts grant, organizations will also be eligible to receive funding in the following categories if they meet the criteria: Organization Support, State Arts Resources, Statewide Service Organizations, Traditional Arts for Students Program (TAPS), and Technical Assistance.
     
  • Designated and provisional county partners who receive the Grassroots Arts Program allocation for their county are not eligible to apply for Spark the Arts project grants because additional federal funds will be available through Grassroots.
     
  • The grant deadline for schools to apply for Arts in Education Artist Residencies grants is Monday, May 2, 2022. cARTwheels grants will remain paused for FY23. Detailed information about updates to the cARTwheels program will be made available in Fall 2022. Schools and school districts are not eligible to apply for Spark the Arts grants.
     
  • Artist Fellowships will remain on hiatus for FY 2022-23. Those resources will continue to be shifted to the Artist Support Grant category administered regionally in partnership with local arts councils.

*In the state budget passed by the General Assembly in November, the North Carolina Arts Council received $15 million in federal recovery funds -- $10 million assigned to the Grassroots Arts Program and $5 million assigned to General Grants.

 

Arts in Education Artist Residency Grants
This program provides students with arts learning experiences that spark creativity, imagination, and innovation. In response to the pandemic, schools and school districts are eligible to apply for artist residencies that engage students in creative learning experiences through virtual, in-person, or hybrid activities.
View details on Arts in Education Artist Residency grants.

Artist Support Grants for Lead Partners
For regional consortia of local arts councils, which award project grants to artists in their regions.
View details on Artist Support Grants for lead partners.

Grassroots Arts Program Grants
Our cornerstone program provides arts funding to all 100 counties through an extensive network of local arts councils and other partners. Funds, distributed on a per capita basis, ensure that all citizens have access to quality arts experiences and benefit from the important role the arts play in their communities. Grassroots funds also support the sustainability of local arts councils: organizations that are central to community life.
View details on Grassroots Arts Program grants.

LEAD Scholarship Grant
The North Carolina Arts Council’s LEAD Scholarship Grant provides 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.
View details on LEAD Scholarship grants

Organization Support Grants
In response to the COVID pandemic, the N.C. Arts Council will continue to provide flexible funding to arts organizations throughout the state. Grant amounts will be determined by budget size, and grants can be used for either core operations or programming costs.
View details on Organization Support grants.

Spark the Arts Grants
This category supports arts providers as they reengage with the public through a combination of programming, marketing, rebuilding staff capacity, and facilitating safety protocols. This broad project category replaces Program Support for now and includes two application tracks: audience re-engagement and audience inclusion. Projects of the kind previously supported by the Arts Equity Project Grant and the Military and Veterans Healing Arts Grant categories are welcome within this category.
View details on Spark the Arts grants.

State Arts Resources Grants
This category supports a network of established arts organizations that produce high-quality programs, provide educational and outreach opportunities for children and adults, and have strong leadership and management. Grants support the ongoing operations and programs.
View details on State Arts Resources grants.

Statewide Service Organizations
This category supports organizations that provide leadership and services to a particular sector of the arts industry. Funded services include newsletters, conferences, workshops, consultations, and resource publications. SSOs must serve the entire state or a multi-state region inclusive on North Carolina.
View details on Statewide Service Organizations grants.

Technical Assistance Grants
This category provides funds to organizations to hire knowledgeable consultants to strengthen management and programs, sponsor workshops or conferences, develop a resource publication, or engage in community cultural planning.
View details on Technical Assistance grants

Traditional Arts Program for Students (TAPS)
This program provides community organizations (arts councils, schools, community centers) with funding for after-school programs that connect North Carolina students with local traditional artists. TAPS applications are by invitation only.
View details on Traditional Arts Program for Students (TAPS).

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 Arts in Education Director & Accessibility Coordinator, Kathleen Collier, at kathleen.collier@ncdcr.gov or 919-814-6515.

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The North Carolina Arts Council is a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, a state agency.
D. Reid Wilson, Secretary; Roy Cooper, Governor

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