Search Through Grants for the Arts in Arkansas in the U.S.

Arkansas Arts Council

The Arkansas Arts Council advances and empowers the arts by providing services and funding for programming that encourages and assists literary, performing and visual artists in achieving standards of professional excellence. The Arkansas Arts Council also provides technical and financial assistance to Arkansas arts organizations and other providers of cultural and educational programs. This statewide programming and assistance ultimately provides cultural, educational and economic opportunities for the benefit of all Arkansans.

The Arkansas Arts Council was established in 1966 to enable the state of Arkansas to receive funds from the National Endowment for the Arts. In 1971, Act 359 (A.C.A. § 13-8-101 et seq.) gave independent agency status to the Arts Council, with an executive director and a 17-member council appointed by the governor. In 1975, the Arts Council became an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage, now the Division of Arkansas Heritage.

The Arkansas Arts Council is an agency of Arkansas Heritage and shares the goals of all big Division of Arkansas Heritage agencies, that of preserving and enhancing the heritage of the state of Arkansas. Funding for the Arkansas Arts Council and its programs is provided by the State of Arkansas and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Our Goals

• Encourage artistic excellence, diversity and innovation
• Promote equitable access to the arts for all Arkansans
• Develop arts in education for life-long learning
• Enhance community cultural and economic development
• Build and sustain the capacity of the Arkansas Arts Council to fulfill its mission

Arts on Tour Grant

This grant reimburses nonprofit organizations for up to 40 percent (or up to $2,000) of the cost to hire a professional artist. The artists must be from the Arts on Tour Artist Roster. Nonprofit organizations, including schools, libraries, festivals and churches, can apply for these grants. 

Arkansas Arts Council

The Arkansas Arts Council advances and empowers the arts by providing services and funding for programming that encourages and assists literary, performing and visual artists in achieving standards of professional excellence. The Arkansas Arts Council also provides technical and financial assistance to Arkansas arts organizations and other providers of cultural and educational programs. This statewide programming and assistance ultimately provides cultural, educational and economic opportunities for the benefit of all Arkansans.

Our Goals

• Encourage artistic excellence, diversity and innovation
• Promote equitable access to the arts for all Arkansans
• Develop arts in education for life-long learning
• Enhance community cultural and economic development
• Build and sustain the capacity of the Arkansas Arts Council to fulfill its mission.

Community Arts Project

The Collaborative Project Support grant has transitioned to the Community Arts Project Grant.

FY25 Community Arts Project (CAP) grants can assist with contracted costs of arts activities occurring between July 1 through June 30 that involve some form of community art project targeting one or more underserved/distinct community groups. Communities whose residents lack access to arts. Especially those located in rural areas.

Specifically, the grant seeks to fund projects for underserved community groups and to help cover art-related costs.

Community Arts Project applicants may request up to $10,000. The minimum award request is $1,000. The award must be matched 1:1 by cash and in-kind. At least 50 percent of the match must be cash. The proposed Project must involve either the creation of an open community arts project or event or show an expansion of an existing project reaching an underserved community.

What Types of Projects Can Be Supported?

Arts-focused community and audience-based programs, including but not limited to:

• Performing arts events such as concerts, recitals, etc.
• Visual art exhibitions
• Multi-disciplinary events such as literary or film festivals, musical performances, art exhibitions

Division of Arkansas Heritage

The Division of Arkansas Heritage (DAH) was created by Act 101 in 1975 to preserve and promote Arkansas’s natural and cultural heritage. Originally known as the "Department of Arkansas Natural and Cultural Heritage," the legislation grouped together several culturally oriented divisions under one department. The agency name change to the Division of Arkansas Heritage occurred in 1985. Today, DAH consists of eight divisions and a director’s office which manages general administrative and marketing operations.

Arkansas Arts Council

The Arkansas Arts Council advances and empowers the arts by providing services and funding for programming that encourages and assists literary, performing and visual artists in achieving standards of professional excellence. The Arkansas Arts Council also provides technical and financial assistance to Arkansas arts organizations and other providers of cultural and educational programs. This statewide programming and assistance ultimately provides cultural, educational and economic opportunities for the benefit of all Arkansans.

The Arkansas Arts Council was established in 1966 to enable the state of Arkansas to receive funds from the National Endowment for the Arts. In 1971, Act 359 (A.C.A. § 13-8-101 et seq.) gave independent agency status to the Arts Council. In 1975, the Arts Council became an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage, now the Division of Arkansas Heritage.

The Arkansas Arts Council is an agency of Arkansas Heritage and shares its goals of preserving and enhancing the heritage of the state of Arkansas. 

The  Arkansas Arts Council Major Arts Partners Grant

The Major Arts Partners program is a General Operating Support program that funds established not-for-profit and nonprofit local arts agencies or single discipline organizations with a three-year budget average equal to or greater than $1 million. 

We care about the communities in which we live and work. Amcor Cares (formerly the Bemis Company Foundation) was founded as our principal tool in the United States to serve our Amcor Flexibles communities. From volunteer work to monetary donations and community support, Amcor Cares donates several million per year to charitable organizations.

Community Support Grants

Encourage

• Fighting Hunger & Homelessness
• Supporting Disaster Relief

Empower

• Expanding STEM Education
• Building Life Skills
• Improving Health & Wellness

Elevate

• Promoting Arts & Culture
• Funding Amcor Scholarships

Types of support:

• Non-profit Organization Programs
• Non-profit Organization Operating Support
• Capital Campaigns
• STEM Programs

American Electric Power Foundation

The AEP Foundation focuses on improving lives through education from early childhood through higher education in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and by providing support to help meet basic needs such as emergency shelter, affordable housing and eliminating hunger.

The Foundation also supports organizations whose mission and/or programming is committed to positive social justice outcomes. Other Foundation support may be offered to protect the environment, promote healthcare and safety, and enrich life through art, music and cultural heritage.

Focus Areas

The following focus areas will be eligible for consideration by the Foundation:

• Improving lives through education from early childhood through higher education, with an emphasis in the areas of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).
• Providing basic human services in the areas of hunger and housing to assure that people have the necessities to build successful lives.
• Embracing change and equity through sustainable programs that move social justice forward.

First Horizon Foundation

Through the First Horizon Foundation we are constantly investing in organizations across our footprint that do important work every day to make the places we serve better and stronger.

Contributions from the Foundation include the following areas.

• Arts and Culture
• Education & Leadership
• Environment
• Financial Literacy
• Health & Human Services

Our contributions are targeted to strengthen these pillars of the communities we serve:

• Improving the well-being of our communities
• Investing in the financial future
• Educating and developing the next generation of leaders
• Promoting excellence and enrichment in the arts
• A more sustainable tomorrow and future

Bring touring artists to your state

The Regional Touring Program (RTP) provides support for projects by organizations showcasing the work of artists from elsewhere in the M-AAA region.

• Organizations that book an artist listed on a state touring roster may be awarded up to 50 percent of the artist’s fee.
• Organizations that book an artist that lives in the region, but is not listed on a touring roster, may be awarded up to 25 percent of the artist’s fee.
• Organizations located in rural communities may receive an additional 10 percent of the artist’s fee.

Funding

• This grant will disburse matching funds of up to $5,000.
• Organizations may submit a maximum of three (3) applications and receive awards for up to three (3) different projects in a single fiscal year (July 1–June 30). Each applicant is eligible for an aggregate amount of $15,000 in a single fiscal year; and
• Similarly, an artist, ensemble, or scholar/educator can be the recipient of an aggregate of $15,000 through successful RTP grant applications submitted to M-AAA in a single fiscal year.

Since its inception, the Foundation, which is still led by Lester T. Sunderland's descendants, has focused on supporting construction projects, awarding grants to nonprofits in the Kansas City region and other markets traditionally served by the Ash Grove Cement Company. 

 The Foundation prefers to make grants for construction and special interest projects rather than for annual operating expenses. 

Grants for planning, design, construction, renovation, repairs and restoration of facilities are considered. Areas of interest include higher education, youth serving agencies, health facilities, community buildings, museums, civic projects and energy efficient affordable housing projects sponsored by qualified tax-exempt organizations. 

Funding Areas

In recent grant cycles, the Board of Trustees has awarded the majority of grants in four broadly defined areas:

Higher Education

In 2022, the Foundation awarded $49 million to more than 35 educational organizations. Grantees included community colleges, private colleges, and public universities.

Human Services

The Foundation awarded $30 million to human service nonprofits in 2022, and many grants in this area went to groups that provide essential services to youth and families. Grantees included a range of youth-focused groups, including Reconciliation Services, the Nebraska Youth Justice Initiative in Omaha, Nebraska and the Sno-Valley Senior Center in Carnation, Washington. 

Arts and Culture

Arts and culture projects received $23 million in 2022, including grants to the Springfield Art Museum in Springfield, Missouri, the Omaha Zoo and the Seattle Aquarium in Seattle, Washington. Health Care and Hospitals.

Health Care and Hospitals

This is a growing area of need in many communities the Foundation serves. In 2022, $65 million was awarded to hospitals and health-care groups to build and improve their facilities.

Ted & Shannon Skokos Foundation Grant

The Skokos Foundation is a family foundation established in 2008. The Foundation supports nonprofit organizations that impact communities in the fields of arts, humanity, education, and faith.

The Skokos Foundation invests in visionary leaders of nonprofit organizations that provide impactful programs and services to individuals with sustainable minimal overhead, integrity, transparency, and collaboration.

We believe there is a direct connection between a nonprofit's results and the strength of its leadership. This leadership includes staff as well as its board of directors. We take an all-encompassing look at the people, infrastructure, values, past and present practices, and policies that the staff and board embrace and promote for organizational success. We realize that a cross-section of stakeholders, rather than isolated efforts by a single organization or individual, result in more effective means of tackling an issue. 

The Skokos Foundation receives considerably more requests for funding than we can support. 

Criteria

• Leadership: (Executive Director, Board & Key Staff)
  • What level of visionary leadership does your organization have within the executive director, board and key management or programmatic staff? We look at both individual and collective experience, expertise, passion, commitment, recognition and professional and community reputation. We compare your group’s approaches and solutions to what others are doing.
• Impact: (Program, Project, Service Model)
  • What impact on the community does your program or project have? Is it a model of service for others in the nonprofit sector? We consider your group’s unique circumstances and ask more questions. Will your proposal’s impact be direct and exponential? Will it bring about systemic change? Is your project idea unique? How are you measuring impact and effectiveness? Is there an evaluation system in place? If yes, please describe.
• Sustainability: (Organization and/or Program, Project or Service Model)
  • We look at the sustainability of both your program or project and your organization as a whole. We assess the strength, stability and diversity of your nonprofit’s finances as well as your board’s contribution to your organization’s financial strength. At the program or project level, we assess whether a grant would trigger significant contributions from other sources or whether a sustainability model may require on-going foundation involvement. We insist on sustainable minimal overhead.
• Organizational Strength: (History, Reputation, Structure & Management Systems)
  • What is your group’s history, reputation, structure and management? Is your organization regarded as a provider of high-quality, relevant and meaningful services? Qualities that are needed to do the hard work of system change include strong management and communication systems, positive staff morale, integrity, and financial and operational transparency.
• Collaboration: (Collaboration with other nonprofits, sponsors, patrons, government)
  • Collaboration is an important tool among nonprofits. We ask whether your organization is well-integrated into its community and involved in public-private partnerships. We also consider whether your organization has developed strategic partnerships as an ongoing part of its work.

Arkansas Arts Council

The Arkansas Arts Council advances and empowers the arts by providing services and funding for programming that encourages and assists literary, performing and visual artists in achieving standards of professional excellence. The Arkansas Arts Council also provides technical and financial assistance to Arkansas arts organizations and other providers of cultural and educational programs. This statewide programming and assistance ultimately provides cultural, educational and economic opportunities for the benefit of all Arkansans.

The Arkansas Arts Council was established in 1966 to enable the state of Arkansas to receive funds from the National Endowment for the Arts. In 1971, Act 359 (A.C.A. § 13-8-101 et seq.) gave independent agency status to the Arts Council, with an executive director and a 17-member council appointed by the governor. In 1975, the Arts Council became an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage, now the Division of Arkansas Heritage.

The Arkansas Arts Council is an agency of Arkansas Heritage and shares the goals of all big Division of Arkansas Heritage agencies, that of preserving and enhancing the heritage of the state of Arkansas. Funding for the Arkansas Arts Council and its programs is provided by the State of Arkansas and the National Endowment for the Arts.

General Operating Support Grants

These grants are designed to help fund administrative and operational costs for established nonprofit organizations with programs involving the arts. The program is for local arts agencies or single discipline arts organizations with total incomes between $50,000 and over. GOS funding may only be spent for non-programmatic, administrative expenses, including, but are not limited to, administrative staff salaries, general marketing and fundraising costs, facility rental, utilities, maintenance of the facility and staff travel. 

Community Grants

Community Grants are awarded in Arkansas and West Texas in the following areas:

Aging Population

Meeting the physical and emotional needs of the elderly, especially efforts to preserve and promote the independence, health, and quality of life of seniors; to improve the quality and availability of both nursing home care and alternatives to nursing home care; and to protect seniors from abuse or financial exploitation.

Arts, Culture, And History

Supporting artistic, historical, or cultural experiences that enhance learning in school-age children, or extend the benefit of the arts to children, the elderly, and others who might not otherwise have access. 

Children And Youth

Meeting the physical and emotional needs of young people, especially efforts to prevent child abuse or neglect or mitigate their effects; to provide healthcare; and to promote and to develop sound character and values in young people.

Economically Disadvantaged

Moving low-income people toward economic independence; providing emergency shelter and assistance; providing healthcare; offering transitional housing and supportive services to individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness; and promoting the creation of affordable housing. 

Education

Preparing young children for school; supporting the educational process broadly through means such as parental involvement and teacher training; promoting adult literacy; improving English-language skills in both children and adults; and supporting student-focused programs at the college level that advance other areas of the Foundation’s mission.

Nonprofit Capacity

Building the infrastructure of agencies working in aging, arts, children, economically disadvantaged, or education.

T.L.L. Temple Foundation

The T.L.L. Temple Foundation works alongside rural communities to build a thriving East Texas and to alleviate poverty, creating access and opportunities for all.

Focus Areas

In support of its mission to build a thriving Deep East Texas and to alleviate poverty, the foundation makes grants in the areas of education, economic development and community revitalization, health, human services, arts and culture, and conservation and the environment. Central to the foundation’s work is the aim of breaking the cycle of poverty, and the foundation prioritizes support for residents and communities that most lack access to opportunities they need to succeed

Health

America’s Health Rankings, an independent health measure that combines more than 30 health-related metrics, ranks Texas 34th out of 50 states in resident health. Texans show comparatively high rates of obesity, physical inactivity, and diabetes. Disparities in health status–by race and ethnicity, geography and income–are also higher in Texas than in many states: Texas ranks 44th in the prevalence of health disparities in the nation.

Access to health care providers is also a challenge in Texas, particularly in rural areas of the state. This is partly a function of insurance coverage. According to the U.S. Census, Texas has the highest rate of uninsured residents in the nation: in 2016, 17.1% of Texas residents do not have health insurance coverage, compared to 9.4% nationally. It ranks second in lack of health insurance coverage for children: 9.5% of children in Texas have no health insurance, compared to 4.8% nationally. In our region, insured rates are even lower: in 2014, 21.3% of residents had no health insurance coverage, compared to 19.1% for the state in 2014. 

Given these challenges, our goal is simple: to improve the health of residents of Deep East Texas. The barriers of poverty, geographic isolation, and a lack of access to health care services make it particularly difficult for many residents in our region to improve and maintain their health. Yet poor health status often limits residents’ ability to get a high quality education, hold down a sustaining job, and stay out of poverty.

Education

Educational attainment is a significant challenge in our region. Based on U.S. Census data, Texas ranks 49th out of the 50 states for having the lowest percentage of adults with a high school diploma, with 18.5% of people 25 and older not having earned a high school degree or equivalent. According to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board the problem is even more pronounced in our region. In the most recent 8th grade cohort available, there were 24,639 students in upper and southeast Texas counties we serve. Five years later, only 72.0% completed high school, meaning that almost 7,000 young people did not complete the most basic education.

The counties in our region lag even further behind when it comes to college completion: according to the U.S. Census’s 2015 American Community Survey, only 14.0% of people 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 27.1% in Texas and 29.3% nationally. This is particularly problematic considering that many of the region’s fastest growing occupations require at least an associate’s degree, if not a four-year degree. 

Education has always been a top priority for the T.L.L. Temple Foundation because it is the most effective tool to break the cycle of poverty and build a thriving region. Addressing the region’s low rates of educational attainment—particularly for low-income students—is critical to improving outcomes in poverty, health and economic development. We aim to increase access to high quality educational opportunities for residents in Deep East Texas. We invest in programs that measurably improve education outcomes in the region, including: early childhood education, out-of-school-time programs, and programs dedicated to increasing postsecondary preparation, access and success. We also support efforts to ensure that Deep East Texans have the skills needed to obtain and retain high quality jobs.

Economic Development and Community Revitalization

The 24 counties in our service region have very high rates of unemployment: according to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2016, 52.9% of the population 16 and older was in the labor force, compared to 64.4% in Texas and 63.5% nationally. In the Deep East Texas Workforce Development Area, the unemployment rate was 7% in 2016. While this decreased from 10% in 2011, it is significantly higher than the state unemployment rate of 4.7% and the national unemployment rate of 4.9% during the same period.

According to the Texas Workforce Commission, between 2012 and 2022, jobs are expected to increase by 13.1% in the Deep East Texas Workforce Development Area, compared to 21.3% for Texas, and 10.8% for the U.S. The fastest growing occupations correspond to the region’s aging population: home health and personal care aides, nursing, medical secretaries, and medical assistants. Most of these jobs require a two or four-year degree. 

We aim to improve economic opportunities and help develop and sustain thriving communities in the most economically challenged places in our service area. Vibrant communities and a robust regional economy are central to creating and sustaining a thriving Deep East Texas. We invest in efforts to transform disinvested communities into places with economic opportunities and equitable access to the essential community resources needed to help families thrive. Impact Lufkin, a foundation-initiated program, is an example of the foundation’s approach to holistic, resident-engaged community revitalization. Because engaged citizens are central to fostering strong communities, we also fund programs to increase civic participation. Finally, we invest in programs that strengthen the regional economy and improve economic opportunities for residents of Deep East Texas.

Human Services

Too many residents of Deep East Texas live in poverty. According to the U.S. Census, in 2015 in the 24 counties that we serve, 19.3% of residents live in poverty, compared to 15.9% of Texans and 13.5% of people in the U.S. The median household income (2010-2014) is 21% lower than the state of Texas, and 22% lower than the U.S. For these residents, poverty can become a vicious cycle, limiting access to the quality education, self-sustaining employment, and health care needed to rise above poverty.

The foundation works to ensure the most vulnerable residents in our service region have their basic needs met. By helping provide access to food, shelter, social services and other programs, we strive to make sure that there is a strong safety net to support the region’s low-income and vulnerable residents.

Arts and Culture

Arts and culture are critical for healthy communities and a thriving region. The foundation has long supported efforts to celebrate the region’s cultural heritage and document its important history. We will continue to help enrich the lives of Deep East Texans by investing in programs that provide access to artistic and cultural experiences.

Conservation and the Environment

Beginning with the first timber harvested in the second half of the nineteenth century, the Temple family has had a special bond with the forests, wetlands, and open spaces across our region. We believe that the health of our natural environment is closely connected to the health of our residents, our communities, and our region and so seek to protect our important natural resources.

The primary emphasis of the foundation’s conservation and environmental efforts is the Boggy Slough Conservation Area  - a Temple Foundation-managed program.

The aim of the Boggy Slough Conservation Area is to:

• serve as a model for conservation and land management;
• serve as a catalyst for creating a stewardship ethic and connection to nature in our communities; and
• bridge critical research gaps regarding the forest and bottomland ecosystems of the Neches River basin and the Southeast.

Type of Support

The foundation awards funding for multiple purposes, including: general operating support, project support, capital improvements, and organizational development and capacity building.

Size and Duration of Grants

The size and duration of grants is matched to the applicant’s scale of impact, need, capabilities and opportunities, and typically follow these guidelines:

• We provide one-year funding for initial grants
• We rarely make grants that exceed 30% of a project or organizational budget

The Ross Foundation has primarily concentrated its grants in the following areas:

• Education
• Arts and Cultural Enrichment
• Community Beautification & Improvement
• Historical Preservation
• Mental Health & the Developmentally Disabled
• Forestry Research & Conservation Management

Arkansas Arts Council

The Arkansas Arts Council advances and empowers the arts by providing services and funding for programming that encourages and assists literary, performing and visual artists in achieving standards of professional excellence. The Arkansas Arts Council also provides technical and financial assistance to Arkansas arts organizations and other providers of cultural and educational programs. This statewide programming and assistance ultimately provides cultural, educational and economic opportunities for the benefit of all Arkansans.

The Arkansas Arts Council was established in 1966 to enable the state of Arkansas to receive funds from the National Endowment for the Arts. In 1971, Act 359 (A.C.A. § 13-8-101 et seq.) gave independent agency status to the Arts Council, with an executive director and a 17-member council appointed by the governor. In 1975, the Arts Council became an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage, now the Division of Arkansas Heritage.

The Arkansas Arts Council is an agency of Arkansas Heritage and shares the goals of all big Division of Arkansas Heritage agencies, that of preserving and enhancing the heritage of the state of Arkansas. Funding for the Arkansas Arts Council and its programs is provided by the State of Arkansas and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Our Goals

• Encourage artistic excellence, diversity and innovation
• Promote equitable access to the arts for all Arkansans
• Develop arts in education for life-long learning
• Enhance community cultural and economic development
• Build and sustain the capacity of the Arkansas Arts Council to fulfill its mission

Arts In Education Grants 

The Arts in Education program initiates new arts programs, or enhances existing ones, in schools and local arts agencies by providing direct interaction with professional artists in residencies for pre K–12 students. All artists involved in AIE residencies must be selected from the Arts in Education Artist Roster.

After-School / Summer Residency Program

These major-grants help fund placing professional artists in residencies outside the school environment, school day or school year. The settings include after-school and summer programs and can be located in community centers, low-income housing projects, juvenile facilities, social service centers, parks/recreation programs, boys and girls clubs and other community-based or governmental organizations and institutions. 

The Arts In Education In-School Residency program (AIE ISR) places professional artists in residencies at specific school sites or nonprofit organizations to allow them to demonstrate their art forms in pre-K to 12th grade curriculum areas. The AIE ISR intent is based on the conviction that participation in the arts should be an integral part of the basic education process. The program is based on guidelines provided by the National Endowment for the Arts. Funds from the AIE ISR grant may be used only for contracted administrative or artistic expenses related to the proposed program. 

Arkansas Arts Council

The Arkansas Arts Council advances and empowers the arts by providing services and funding for programming that encourages and assists literary, performing and visual artists in achieving standards of professional excellence. The Arkansas Arts Council also provides technical and financial assistance to Arkansas arts organizations and other providers of cultural and educational programs. This statewide programming and assistance ultimately provides cultural, educational and economic opportunities for the benefit of all Arkansans.

The Arkansas Arts Council was established in 1966 to enable the state of Arkansas to receive funds from the National Endowment for the Arts. In 1971, Act 359 (A.C.A. § 13-8-101 et seq.) gave independent agency status to the Arts Council, with an executive director and a 17-member council appointed by the governor. In 1975, the Arts Council became an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage, now the Division of Arkansas Heritage.

The Arkansas Arts Council is an agency of Arkansas Heritage and shares the goals of all big Division of Arkansas Heritage agencies, that of preserving and enhancing the heritage of the state of Arkansas. Funding for the Arkansas Arts Council and its programs is provided by the State of Arkansas and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Our Goals

• Encourage artistic excellence, diversity and innovation
• Promote equitable access to the arts for all Arkansans
• Develop arts in education for life-long learning
• Enhance community cultural and economic development
• Build and sustain the capacity of the Arkansas Arts Council to fulfill its mission

Arts In Education Grants 

The Arts in Education program initiates new arts programs, or enhances existing ones, in schools and local arts agencies by providing direct interaction with professional artists in residencies for pre K–12 students. All artists involved in AIE residencies must be selected from the Arts in Education Artist Roster.

Arts Curriculum Grants

These mini-grants are awarded to schools and nonprofit or governmental organizations and institutions to help support projects that advance the goal of arts as a basic part of education. Projects must seek to enhance current arts curricula or must assist in the goal of establishing on-going arts programming and/or curricula in schools and organizations. Artists selected for this grant must be from the Arkansas Arts Council’s Arts in Education Artist Roster. 

Arkansas Arts Council

The Arkansas Arts Council advances and empowers the arts by providing services and funding for programming that encourages and assists literary, performing and visual artists in achieving standards of professional excellence. The Arkansas Arts Council also provides technical and financial assistance to Arkansas arts organizations and other providers of cultural and educational programs. This statewide programming and assistance ultimately provides cultural, educational and economic opportunities for the benefit of all Arkansans.

The Arkansas Arts Council was established in 1966 to enable the state of Arkansas to receive funds from the National Endowment for the Arts. In 1971, Act 359 (A.C.A. § 13-8-101 et seq.) gave independent agency status to the Arts Council, with an executive director and a 17-member council appointed by the governor. In 1975, the Arts Council became an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage, now the Division of Arkansas Heritage.

The Arkansas Arts Council is an agency of Arkansas Heritage and shares the goals of all big Division of Arkansas Heritage agencies, that of preserving and enhancing the heritage of the state of Arkansas. Funding for the Arkansas Arts Council and its programs is provided by the State of Arkansas and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Our Goals

• Encourage artistic excellence, diversity and innovation
• Promote equitable access to the arts for all Arkansans
• Develop arts in education for life-long learning
• Enhance community cultural and economic development
• Build and sustain the capacity of the Arkansas Arts Council to fulfill its mission

Arts In Education Grants 

The Arts in Education program initiates new arts programs, or enhances existing ones, in schools and local arts agencies by providing direct interaction with professional artists in residencies for pre K–12 students. All artists involved in AIE residencies must be selected from the Arts in Education Artist Roster.

Arts in Education In-School Residency Program

The Arts in Education In-School Residency program places professional artists during the school day or school year in residencies at specific school sites or in conjunction with other nonprofit community or governmental organizations and institutions. The program provides a way for artists to demonstrate their art form, create or perform works of art so that participants may observe the creative process and relate their art form to other K-12 curriculum areas. The program  is designed to strengthen the role of the arts in education with the understanding that the development of aesthetic awareness and participation in the arts should be an integral part of life and the basic education process. 

Funding

Grant award payments, of up to $40,000, are scheduled to accommodate the grantee program requirements to the extent possible. The 1:1 match can be 50% in-kind.

The Assisi Foundation of Memphis Grant

Creating Positive Change

At The Assisi Foundation, we work with nonprofit organizations to address pressing challenges and search for root causes with the goal of healthy, positive transformation. Our focus areas are listed below. However, it should be noted that whether or not an organization falls neatly within one of these categories, we always invite the exploration of good ideas that align with our mission of philanthropy, done well.

Areas of Focus

• Health and Human Services: The Foundation supports initiatives that enhance the spiritual, mental and physical health and well-being of the Mid-South community. Grantees include organizations that address a variety of social determinants through the provision of direct care, research or preventive measures.
• Education and Lifelong Learning: The Foundation strives to strengthen our community’s educational well-being through programs that develop tools for life and focus on the awareness and importance of accepting social responsibilities. The Foundation funds nonprofits that build the organizational capacity of provider agencies, provide professional development, promote collaboration, and leverage local, state and federal resources.
• Social Justice and Ethics: The Foundation values organizations that help individuals strive to reach their greatest human potential. The Foundation funds projects and programs that strengthen ethical values among Mid-South citizens and promote social justice—initiatives that lead to a better understanding of, and a more effective response to, the economic and social challenges of the community.
• Cultural Enrichment and the Arts: Seeking to foster an even greater appreciation of Memphis arts and culture, The Foundation supports some of our area’s cultural icons and groups that work to promote the cultural and artistic heritage of the Greater Memphis area.
• Community Enhancement  & Capacity Building:  For grant applications that don’t fit neatly into other named categories, The Foundation welcomes the opportunity to explore activities that offer clear community benefit valued by named beneficiaries; address gaps and promote effectiveness within the socioecological system; and strengthen community resilience.

About Us

HumanitiesAR, under the official name of Arkansas Humanities Council, is a nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

In spring 2024, we rebranded with HumanitiesAR as our name. But the new brand serves as more than a new name—it embodies our commitment to accessibility, inclusivity, and forging stronger community ties through the humanities. It’s about providing clarity in our identity and strengthening the recognition of our role within the state of Arkansas

Through the humanities, we remember our history and envision our future. Reading, writing, storytelling, research, and many forms of public dialogue and conversation are central to the humanities and the core of what we do at HumanitiesAR.

Our mission is to empower Arkansans to connect with and promote understanding, appreciation, and use of the humanities and ultimately discover our mutual experiences through programs that:

• Engage educators across the state of Arkansas
• Offer profound storytelling from local historians, authors, and scholars
• Provide Arkansans a place to celebrate and be empowered to connect with the humanities through the discovery and understanding of our diverse and mutual experiences

We work to achieve its mission by awarding grants through a competitive process to nonprofit groups, organizations, teachers, and schools statewide, and by working with key partners to develop local humanities projects and programs for Arkansas audiences.

Our Mission

We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. We support the humanities in Arkansas through public programs, community forums, partnerships, and grantmaking to nonprofit organizations for humanities-based projects statewide.

Our mission is to empower Arkansans to connect with the humanities by encouraging the discovery and understanding of our diverse and mutual experiences. Learn more about HumanitiesAR.

What are the humanities?

The term “humanities” includes the study of history, literature, ethics, philosophy, language, and the various legal, cultural, religious, and folk traditions—past and present—that define the human condition.

What We Fund

The Arkansas Humanities Council supports innovative, humanities-based projects that connect Arkansans to the past, to one another, to community, and to all areas of the humanities we share across our state.

What We Fund

Supporting contemporary craft & visual arts in the United States, Windgate Foundation’s funding priorities are to:

Advance Contemporary Craft

• ​​​​Fellowships, residencies, or career development programs for craft artists
• Contemporary craft programming, educational outreach, and scholarships
• Materials, tools or equipment for craft programs
• Museum acquisitions of contemporary craft by living artists​

Strengthen Visual Arts in Colleges & Universities

• Artist residencies, visiting artists, or fellowships
• Visual arts programming and scholarships
• Materials, tools, or equipment

Expand Visual Arts in K-12 Schools

• Visual art-integrated programs through nonprofit organizations which develop creative, innovative ways of learning
• Visual art-integrated training or professional development programs for teachers and school leaders

What We Fund

Support Arkansas-Based Organizations Working to:

• Improve Education
  • Upper education need-based scholarships
  • Teacher preparation programs
• Improve Health
  • Nursing preparation programs
  • Programs providing access to health care
• Improve Community
  • Programs addressing food and housing insecurities
  • Arts-related organization support

Mission

The Roy & Christine Sturgis Charitable Trust was established in 1981 to support and promote quality educational, cultural, human services and health care programming for all people.

Roy Sturgis was one of ten children of an Arkansas farmer and homemaker. He dropped out of school after the tenth grade to join the Navy during World War I. Mr. Sturgis returned to his family home in southern Arkansas after the war and went to work in the local sawmills. In 1933, Roy Sturgis married Texas native Christine Johns. They became very successful in the timber, lumber and sawmill industries in Arkansas, owned other prosperous business enterprises and had notable success managing their investments. Mr. and Mrs. Sturgis spent most of their lives in Arkansas and Dallas, Texas. They did not have children, but were particularly interested in educational opportunities for young people. In addition, Mr. and Mrs. Sturgis supported organizations working in the areas of health, social services and the arts.

The majority of grants from the Sturgis Charitable Trust are 1 year in duration. On occasion, multi-year support is awarded. The Sturgis Charitable Trust encourages requests for the following types of grants:

• capital project-related
• medical research
• endowment campaigns

Funding for start-up programs and limited general operating requests will also be considered.

The Artistic Innovations Grant Program encourages the spirit of experimentation and exploration, exclusively engaging in-region artists and organizations in the creation of new, original works for audiences in the M-AAA six-state region of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas.

This grant program offers up to $15,000 in support of expenses incurred in the art-making process and premiere of these endeavors. Through generous support from the National Endowment for the Arts, M-AAA supports individual artists and arts-based nonprofit 501c3 organizations in our region for projects that meet the eligibility requirements listed below.

Arkansas Community Foundation, in partnership with CACHE (Creative Arkansas Community Hub & Exchange), invites small arts nonprofits state-wide to apply to the Arts in Arkansas Fund which will provide a total of $5,000 to support general operations ($2,500 in year one, and final installment of $2,500 in year two.)

Grant decisions will be made based on the following considerations:

• The need expressed in the application for general operating support
  • This can also include maintaining vital arts programming and/or providing or expanding new arts programming that is otherwise inaccessible or limited to the organizations’ target audience
• Geographic representation
  • Grants will be distributed throughout the state

Our Mission

The Kerr Foundation, Inc. is a nonprofit charitable and educational Oklahoma corporation, established to identify and support 501(c)3 organizations, programs and institutions that provide new or enhanced opportunities for those within the granting areas, particularly the young.

Program Categories

Education - Institutions of elementary, junior high, pre-collegiate, along with institutions of higher learning to include health science centers and medical research done by educational institutions

Arts and Culture - Organizations in the visual arts and performing arts areas, museums and libraries

Health - Institutions providing health care, doing medical research, or outreach organizations employing primarily professionals from the allied health area

Human Services - Organizations providing services in diverse areas to the public, and specifically to the disadvantaged, people with special needs and the elderly

Project Categories

Capital - Bricks and mortar projects, including equipment

Program - Programs having an objective and specified time span

Operating - Funds to be used to cover basic ongoing administrative and personnel expenses

Division of Arkansas Heritage

The Division of Arkansas Heritage (DAH) was created by Act 101 in 1975 to preserve and promote Arkansas’s natural and cultural heritage. Originally known as the "Department of Arkansas Natural and Cultural Heritage," the legislation grouped together several culturally oriented divisions under one department. The agency name change to the Division of Arkansas Heritage occurred in 1985. Today, DAH consists of eight divisions and a director’s office which manages general administrative and marketing operations.

Arkansas Arts Council

The Arkansas Arts Council advances and empowers the arts by providing services and funding for programming that encourages and assists literary, performing and visual artists in achieving standards of professional excellence. The Arkansas Arts Council also provides technical and financial assistance to Arkansas arts organizations and other providers of cultural and educational programs. This statewide programming and assistance ultimately provides cultural, educational and economic opportunities for the benefit of all Arkansans.

The Arkansas Arts Council was established in 1966 to enable the state of Arkansas to receive funds from the National Endowment for the Arts. In 1971, Act 359 (A.C.A. § 13-8-101 et seq.) gave independent agency status to the Arts Council. In 1975, the Arts Council became an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage, now the Division of Arkansas Heritage. The Arkansas Arts Council is an agency of Arkansas Heritage and shares its goals of preserving and enhancing the heritage of the state of Arkansas. 

Arts In Education Grants

The Arts in Education program initiates new arts programs, or enhances existing ones, in schools and local arts agencies by providing direct interaction with professional artists in residencies for pre K–12 students.

Arts for Lifelong Learning Mini-Grants Veteran's Project program

The Arts for Lifelong Learning Mini-Grants Veteran's Project program enriches the lives of veterans through quality arts learning experiences. This program provides funding for eligible institutions that wish to host a short-term (up to 10 days) residency program with artists. The professional artists do not need to be listed on the Arts in Education Artist Roster. Programs should have hands-on arts activities for veterans in community-based or governmental organizations and institutions. An in-service workshop may also be included in the Veteran's Project program. Grant request is up to $2,000 and does not require any cash or in kind match. 

Division of Arkansas Heritage

The Division of Arkansas Heritage (DAH) was created by Act 101 in 1975 to preserve and promote Arkansas’s natural and cultural heritage. Originally known as the "Department of Arkansas Natural and Cultural Heritage," the legislation grouped together several culturally oriented divisions under one department. The agency name change to the Division of Arkansas Heritage occurred in 1985. Today, DAH consists of eight divisions and a director’s office which manages general administrative and marketing operations.

Arkansas Arts Council

The Arkansas Arts Council advances and empowers the arts by providing services and funding for programming that encourages and assists literary, performing and visual artists in achieving standards of professional excellence. The Arkansas Arts Council also provides technical and financial assistance to Arkansas arts organizations and other providers of cultural and educational programs. This statewide programming and assistance ultimately provides cultural, educational and economic opportunities for the benefit of all Arkansans.

The Arkansas Arts Council was established in 1966 to enable the state of Arkansas to receive funds from the National Endowment for the Arts. In 1971, Act 359 (A.C.A. § 13-8-101 et seq.) gave independent agency status to the Arts Council. In 1975, the Arts Council became an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage, now the Division of Arkansas Heritage. The Arkansas Arts Council is an agency of Arkansas Heritage and shares its goals of preserving and enhancing the heritage of the state of Arkansas.

Arts In Education Grants

The Arts in Education program initiates new arts programs, or enhances existing ones, in schools and local arts agencies by providing direct interaction with professional artists in residencies for pre K–12 students.

Arts in Education Mini-Grants

The Arts in Education Mini-Grants are short-term residencies of up to 10 days where professional artists from the Arts in Education Roster provide curriculum-based arts activities in a school environment or other location, or provide a teacher's professional development workshop. Artists must be selected from the Arts in Education Roster.

Pre K-12 schools for programs during school hours, and/or organizations that provide after school or summer programs, have an opportunity to apply for Arkansas Arts Council funding to:

• Bring quality, professional artists into the classroom or other location to present one- to ten-day hands on, curriculum based arts activities.
• Present a teachers' professional development workshop in curriculum based arts activities either in conjunction with, or instead of a residency.

Schools or organizations receiving an AIE mini-grant must provide a 1:1 cash and/ or in-kind match for the requested amount.

ABOUT ROOTED IN JUSTICE

“Rooted in Justice” is a funding program designed to help amplify youth voices and actions in the environmental and food justice movements.  Rooted in Justice supports community-based organizations and groups that manage established, youth-led, urban greening programs within a justice framework as a core part of their work, with two-year grants of $25,000/year.  

Rooted in Justice recognizes the importance and undeniable right of every young person to have the ability to develop their own relationship with the environment, be it through growing food, spending time with nature, creating community green spaces, or becoming environmental stewards. Rooted in Justice also honors the power and possibilities that arise when young people collectively work to be change-makers in their communities.

Rooted in Justice supports organizations, groups, collectives, and programs that work with young people between the ages of 12 to 20 in youth-led programming for communities or cultures which have historically or currently experience:

• A lack of access to land or nature;
• Agricultural oppression and/or neglect;
• Food apartheid; and/or
• Other forms of injustice based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics and disability.

Rooted in Justice awards a small number of grants each year with applications due in the fall and decisions made the following spring. Final grant decisions are recommended to the Cedar Tree board via a participatory grantmaking process with outside reviewers who have experience in youth-led urban greening, as well as food or climate justice programming. So far the program has awarded multi-year grants to 21 organizations and one-time grants to 10 additional organizations since 2021. 

Definitions

Rooted in Justice grants support organizations or programs that include all four of the elements described below: social justice, youth-led, urban greening, and cohort-based youth work. We articulate our understanding of those terms below in an effort to provide a guide for prospective organizations to use in determining whether their program is a good fit. However as we continue our work towards questioning and dismantling some of our preconceived notions, we recognize that these are not finite definitions and encourage prospective applicants who still feel their work may be a good fit to describe in their proposals why this is the case.  

Social Justice-Based Programs

Programs dedicated to creating equitable outcomes for communities directly affected by different aspects of injustice by:

• Sharing and redistributing power and resources;
• Amplifying voices and leadership;
• Tackling root problems through ongoing engagement and collaboration to find solutions, organize against oppression of all kinds and create mechanisms for change; and
• Developing a critical analysis with youth and community members.

Youth-Led

The development of youth leadership skills is a core part of programs funded by Rooted in Justice. Young people have the opportunity to play a role in the planning and decision-making for their program and may help shape the internal workings of the organization. Examples of youth-led programs include programs where participants: 

• Managing a portion of their programming budget;
• Co-facilitating program activities, meetings and gatherings;
• Shape their own programming and/or organizational strategic planning;
• Have regular and end-of-program opportunities to provide program feedback and evaluation; and
• Have opportunities for personal and/or professional growth within the program and organization.

Urban Greening

For the purpose of this grant we define “urban greening” as any activity that creates a mutually beneficial relationship between city dwellers and their environments. Programs that are a strong fit for Rooted in Justice will have many opportunities for youth to be outdoors.  Project settings can include, but are not limited to: 

• Urban and aquaponic farms
• Greenhouses and rooftop gardens
• Community gardens, green spaces, and rain gardens
• Composting sites
• Land conservation efforts
• Urban forests
• River or other water restoration  

Cohort-Based Youth Works

Rooted in Justice looks to fund organizations that build community with cohorts of youth through intentional, recurring programming. This grant is intended to support programs that offer youth significant learning and leadership opportunities as a group and as individuals. Priority will be given to organizations that have program infrastructure that supports a cohort of youth over time.  Drop-in programming, one-time conferences, or individual internships are not a good fit for Rooted in Justice.  

Youth Budgeting

As part of grant proposal, all Rooted in Justice grantees must share a plan to allocate a portion of the grant funds for youth participants to manage. What do we mean by this? We ask applicants to specifically set aside some amount of grant funds for youth to allocate to priorities of their choosing.  For example, youth participants can use their allocated funding to:

• Fund an entrepreneurial endeavor;
• Design the brand or swag for their group;
• Hire a speaker or outside expert to teach a new skill;
• Purchase supplies for a community-based art project;
• Host a celebration for their families, friends and neighbors;
• Pay for transportation to programming, special events, or conferences; and/or
• Any other youth-led activity the group may find beneficial.

Use of Funds

Rooted in Justice funding must be used for project support of existing youth led, urban greening, social justice work and associated general operating expenses. Operating expenses can include anything from program costs like staff salaries and youth stipends to organizational sustainability needs like major equipment purchases and leadership/staff training. If your organization’s entire mission is youth led, urban greening, social justice work, the Rooted in Justice grant can be general support. 

Funding

Two Year Grant

• Rooted in Justice Grant awards are two-year grants of $25,000 per year.
• After the initial two year grant, grantees may be eligible for a third year of funding at the same or lower level through a simple renewal process.
• In the 2025-2026 grant cycle, the Cedar Tree Foundation expects to support 4 organizations with multi-year grant awards.

Funding for Professional Development

• Each Rooted in Justice grantee organization also has access to an additional $6,000 to support professional development opportunities identified by each organization.  Half of these funds must be used to directly support the professional development of youth. 
• Rooted in Justice grantees can request reimbursement from this professional development fund to attend conferences, hire consultants, purchase equipment or software that increases organizational capacity, or participate in any activities that strengthen youth programming or justice practice of program providers in support of their youth development programming. The funds set aside for youth professional development can be used for youth exchanges or youth participation in conferences and other professional development opportunities directly for youth.  

Community Professional Development Calls

• Cedar Tree works with grantee partners to assess their professional development interests and facilitates on-line gatherings of staff or youth for skill shares, trainings, and networking opportunities.
• These network calls will likely happen 2-3 times per year.