Search Through Arts Grants for Nonprofits in North Carolina in the U.S.

First Horizon Foundation invests in communities in Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina.

The Foundation is the private charitable foundation established by First Horizon National Corp., the parent company of Capital Bank and First Tennessee Bank. Since its inception in 1993, the Foundation has donated more than $90 million to meet needs and enrich lives of people in the communities we serve.

Contributions from the Foundation include the following areas:

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

Technical Assistance Grants

This category provides funds to North Carolina-based organizations to hire knowledgeable consultants to strengthen management and programs, sponsor workshops or conferences, develop a resource publication, or engage in community cultural planning. Applications are made available upon request and are received on a rolling deadline. 

We evaluate applications using the following criteria

• Potential effectiveness of the consultation, publication, conference, or workshop
• Potential impact on organization, community, or intended audience
• Credentials of proposed consultant/facilitators
• Need for services
• Evidence of community support and involvement for cultural planning development  

Our MissionAdvancing Southern vitality through the arts.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, South Arts is a nonprofit regional arts organization empowering artists, organizations, and communities, and increasing access to arts and culture.

In partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the State Arts Agencies of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee — with additional funding from other public and private donors such as the Doris Duke Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and Mellon Foundation — South Arts supports artists and organizations through a rich and responsive portfolio of grants, fellowships, and programs.

Why? Because South Arts believes that the arts elevate the region, increasing connectedness and inspiring meaningful change in the process. 

Professional Development Grants for Arts Organizations

Program Description

South Arts strongly believes that skill and knowledge building for arts organizations are integral to success and sustainability. These grants are designed to support the professional development needs of Southern arts organizations for increasing organizational capacity to achieve long-term sustainability, growth, and/or operational stability. This grant program is open to film, visual arts, performing arts, traditional arts, literary arts, and multidisciplinary arts organizations.

Funding can support staff or board participation at conferences, workshops, and other professional development opportunities and events. In addition, these grants can support expenses for in-person and virtual professional development for organization-wide staff learning and training. Funds support travel expenses (for example, lodging and air/ground transportation), admission/registration fees, or other related expenses (for example, consultant/service fees for staff learning/training sessions). 

Overview

Through the Joy W. Pope Memorial Grant Funds, the Foundation seeks to foster innovation and model solutions across North Carolina.

We designed the Joy W. Pope Memorial Grant Funds to recognize innovative projects across all spectrums of arts and human service work. However, the grants are not intended for medical research. Your proposed project could be an entirely new creation, something that changes how things are done (ex: improving processes, procedures, equipment, facilities, etc.); an endeavor that expands your scope of work (ex: reaching new populations). Regardless of your proposed project, the result should be a quantifiable gain for the organization and the people it serves.

The Arts Fund

As North Carolina continues to grow and evolve, so have the state’s art traditions. Today, North Carolinians from Murphy to Manteo celebrate, host, and create in venues of all sizes and varieties. Through the Joy W. Pope Memorial Grant in the Arts, we hope to support innovative ideas and highlight the valuable contributions arts make to our communities. 

We will award up to $100,000 for our current application cycle. The process and requirements are the same for both the arts and human services grant funds.

Human Services Fund

Across North Carolina, nonprofits extend a hand up to those in need and, in doing so, directly contribute to the flourishing of self-empowered citizens. Through the Joy W. Pope Memorial Grant in Human Services, we hope to support innovative ideas and highlight the creative projects that are making our communities stronger, better places to live, work, and play.

We will award up to $100,000 for our 2026 application cycle. The requirements are the same for both the arts and human services grant funds. Scroll down to learn more about the grants and start an application. 

Detailed Program Description

Grants of up to $2,500 for organizations to make arts programs accessible to persons with disabilities.

The Southeast is home to some of the world’s more diverse and vibrant artistic communities. At South Arts, we believe that the arts are for everyone. The arts enrich the lives of people of all abilities and backgrounds. In our commitment to amplifying the success of the Southeast’s arts ecology, South Arts offers micro-funding to supplement the efforts of arts organizations throughout our service area.

Art making is for everyone too! South Arts encourages arts organizations to hire artistic personnel of all abilities at all levels; for these grants in particular, we encourage arts organizations to work directly with artists who identify as disabled. 

Through our partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, South Arts offers small grants that compliment existing efforts by arts organizations to include audiences and artists with disabilities. Accessibility micro-grants are available to support Nonprofit, 501c3, arts organizations located within the South Arts Service region states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. This funding program is open to a wide variety of organizations, including community cultural organizations, museums, performing arts presenters, theatre companies, visual arts and music organizations. Priority funding will be given to new applicants to South Arts.

South Arts has prioritized the following:

• South Arts prioritizes applications from BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ identifying organizations.
• South Arts prioritizes applications from organizations led by persons with disabilities or organizations that provide significant programming to artists or audiences with disabilities.
• South Arts is committed to funding artists organizations in rural communities (with populations under 50,000).
• Primary consideration will be given to new applicants.

Usage of Funds

Grants awards may reimburse the applicant for any combination of qualifying expenses incurred during the grant period. Projects may include but are not limited to the following:

Programs

• Usage of large print or braille program materials for patrons/audiences with low vision
• Artist/consultant fees to provide accessibility training or audits
• Transportation of constituents or performers with disabilities
• Preparation for special exhibitions (i.e. space modifications or accessibility audit)
• Audio description
• Sign language interpretation
• Website accessibility
• Docent training for visual or audio enhancement
• Consultant fee to develop an overall accessibility plan for your organization
• Inclusive programming
• Staff training to learn about accessibility as it relates to programming, operations, or facilities modifications (i.e. travel to a workshop and/or training)
• Other accommodations that make programs accessible

Facilities Enhancements

• Accessibility signage for exterior and/or interior space
• Modification of restroom(s) signage
• Modification to drinking fountain(s) signage
• Installation of Braille plaques

About Us

For nearly 70 years, we have remained committed to a tradition of carrying out Mary Duke Biddle’s goal of sharing resources in a way that improves people’s lives and responds to evolving community needs.

The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation supports arts nonprofits and PreK-12 education organizations in the Triangle region of North Carolina. Additionally, we support Duke University and other institutions of great importance to Mary Duke Biddle's family.

PreK-12 Education

We provide resources that empower nonprofit organizations to build momentum, stay curious and creative, and shape Triangle communities into being the best places to live, work, learn, and play.

Through our PreK-12 grantmaking, we seek to address and challenge inequities that limit student success, learning, and access to arts experiences. In particular, we are focused on supporting organizations that:

• Work to close the academic opportunity gap, prepare students for careers and college, and/or foster social and emotional learning for students’ growth and success.
• Provide opportunities for students to engage directly in high-quality arts instruction, particularly in which students actively participate in making art.

We only make grants to organizations located in and serving students in Chatham, Durham, Orange, and Wake Counties in North Carolina.

Our Grantmaking Goals

• Support PreK-12 organizations that work to close the academic opportunity gap, prepare students for careers and college, and/or foster social and emotional learning for students’ growth and success.
• Support arts education organizations that provide opportunities for under-resourced students to engage directly in high-quality arts instruction, particularly in which students actively participate in making art.

Across both PreK-12 education interest areas, MDBF seeks to address and challenge inequities that limit student success, learning, and arts experiences.

Multi-year Grants

Each year, we will award 5-7 general operating support grants to nonprofit organizations that further our grantmaking goals. Grant amounts range from $15,000-$50,000 a year for each organization. MDBF has a finite budget and may not be able to fund the full amount requested. If your application moves forward, MDBF staff will work with your organization to determine the actual requested amount. Please know that there is no penalty for requesting the maximum amount at the LOI stage.

Multi-year grants are only available to organizations that MDBF has funded in the previous five years (2019-2023). All organizations must have a primary focus on the arts or PreK-12 education and main programming must take place in Chatham, Durham, Orange, and/or Wake Counties, NC.

We focus our multi-year grants on two types of organizations:

Developing organizations

These organizations have identified a clear need or opportunity, have strategic goals, and have already begun offering programming. Our goal in supporting developing organizations is to help them solidify their programs and operations as they build a strong and sustainable foundation for long-term success.

Organizations at this stage may have limited or no board of directors with staff who are primarily volunteers. Or, their boards may have expanded beyond “friends and family” to focus more on governance and less on day-to-day operations, with staffing in place beyond an Executive Director and volunteers.

Funding sources are likely not diversified at this stage of development, but the organization may be starting to formalize financial management, volunteer management, program evaluation, fundraising, board development, marketing, and strategic planning as they grow.

Established organizations experiencing pivotal moments

These organizations have more maturity and stability; programs/services are solid and well-recognized with strong and effective leadership. Paid program and administrative staff are in place and the board’s focus is primarily policy and oversight. These organizations may have a well-demonstrated model and data that shows outcomes or is currently executing a plan for evaluation, continuous learning, and improvement.

Through the years, MDBF’s experience has illuminated the importance of strategic alignment. We have learned that certain types of organizations tend to thrive more within our grant support framework. The reality of our resource constraints necessitates a thoughtful and selective approach. Thus, we concentrate our efforts on established organizations that are experiencing inflection points in their lifecycle, when leaders face big decisions about how to ensure progress towards the organization’s vision.

These organizations are in moments of transition, challenge, and opportunity and are seeking additional help, resources, and expertise to ensure they’re positioned for success and heading in the right direction to achieve their goals and mission. This could include organizations that have an opportunity to expand programming, capacity, and/or locations.

One-Year Grants

One-year grants are available to organizations that have not received an MDBF grant in the past five years (2019-2023) or have never received a grant from us. Both emerging nonprofits and more established organizations are eligible for these grants.

By providing operating support grants, we show our commitment to providing resources that empower nonprofit organizations to proactively build momentum, stay curious and creative, and shape Triangle communities into being the best places to live, work, learn, and play.

Each year, we will typically award 5 general operating support grants to nonprofit organizations that further our grantmaking goals. Grant amounts range from $5,000-$10,000 a year for each organization. MDBF has a finite budget and may not be able to fund the full amount requested. If your application moves forward, MDBF staff will work with your organization to determine the actual requested amount. Please know that there is no penalty for requesting the maximum amount at the LOI stage.

About Us

For nearly 70 years, we have remained committed to a tradition of carrying out Mary Duke Biddle’s goal of sharing resources in a way that improves people’s lives and responds to evolving community needs.

The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation supports arts nonprofits and PreK-12 education organizations in the Triangle region of North Carolina. Additionally, we support Duke University and other institutions of great importance to Mary Duke Biddle's family.

The Arts

The arts are essential to strong, vibrant communities. A dynamic cultural sector is a catalyst for growth, attracting and retaining businesses and visitors. They strengthen neighborhoods and communities by preserving the culture and memories of specific places and have a positive impact on health and well-being. The arts provide spaces to allow people from different backgrounds to engage with one another and opportunities to build community. Perhaps most importantly, they offer personal enjoyment to individuals, groups, and families, and give voice to the human condition.

We provide grants to:

• Support and strengthen cultural organizations that demonstrate artistic excellence and elevate the profile of the Triangle’s art scenes, both locally and nationally.
• Support new, emerging, or grassroots cultural organizations.
• Support arts-focused organizations that work directly with artists to deepen and expand talent, develop professional and business skills, and/or create new works.

Multi-year Grants

Each year, we will award 5-7 general operating support grants to nonprofit organizations that further our grantmaking goals. Grant amounts range from $15,000-$50,000 a year for each organization. MDBF has a finite budget and may not be able to fund the full amount requested. If your application moves forward, MDBF staff will work with your organization to determine the actual requested amount. Please know that there is no penalty for requesting the maximum amount at the LOI stage.

Multi-year grants are only available to organizations that MDBF has funded in the previous five years (2019-2023). All organizations must have a primary focus on the arts or PreK-12 education and main programming must take place in Chatham, Durham, Orange, and/or Wake Counties, NC.

We focus our multi-year grants on two types of organizations:

Developing organizations

These organizations have identified a clear need or opportunity, have strategic goals, and have already begun offering programming. Our goal in supporting developing organizations is to help them solidify their programs and operations as they build a strong and sustainable foundation for long-term success.

Organizations at this stage may have limited or no board of directors with staff who are primarily volunteers. Or, their boards may have expanded beyond “friends and family” to focus more on governance and less on day-to-day operations, with staffing in place beyond an Executive Director and volunteers.

Funding sources are likely not diversified at this stage of development, but the organization may be starting to formalize financial management, volunteer management, program evaluation, fundraising, board development, marketing, and strategic planning as they grow.

Established organizations experiencing pivotal moments

These organizations have more maturity and stability; programs/services are solid and well-recognized with strong and effective leadership. Paid program and administrative staff are in place and the board’s focus is primarily policy and oversight. These organizations may have a well-demonstrated model and data that shows outcomes or is currently executing a plan for evaluation, continuous learning, and improvement.

Through the years, MDBF’s experience has illuminated the importance of strategic alignment. We have learned that certain types of organizations tend to thrive more within our grant support framework. The reality of our resource constraints necessitates a thoughtful and selective approach. Thus, we concentrate our efforts on established organizations that are experiencing inflection points in their lifecycle, when leaders face big decisions about how to ensure progress towards the organization’s vision.

These organizations are in moments of transition, challenge, and opportunity and are seeking additional help, resources, and expertise to ensure they’re positioned for success and heading in the right direction to achieve their goals and mission. This could include organizations that have an opportunity to expand programming, capacity, and/or locations.

One-Year Grants

One-year grants are available to organizations that have not received an MDBF grant in the past five years (2019-2023) or have never received a grant from us. Both emerging nonprofits and more established organizations are eligible for these grants.

By providing operating support grants, we show our commitment to providing resources that empower nonprofit organizations to proactively build momentum, stay curious and creative, and shape Triangle communities into being the best places to live, work, learn, and play.

Each year, we will typically award 5 general operating support grants to nonprofit organizations that further our grantmaking goals. Grant amounts range from $5,000-$10,000 a year for each organization. MDBF has a finite budget and may not be able to fund the full amount requested. If your application moves forward, MDBF staff will work with your organization to determine the actual requested amount. Please know that there is no penalty for requesting the maximum amount at the LOI stage.

Legends & Lore Marker Grant Program

Does your community have a great piece of folklore that should be shared? Legends & Lore is designed to promote cultural tourism and commemorate legends and folklore as part of our heritage.

Generally speaking, folklore is the stories, customs, traditions, and expressive arts and crafts that are passed on from one person to another, often from generation to generation. Folklore is the knowledge that people share as members of a group or community. Our shared identities and sense of belonging are the result of shared traditions, stories, customs, and activities.

Legends & Folklore Guidelines

Successful Legends & Lore marker applications typically fall within three main categories:

Folktale- Fictional stories passed down about people or events not proven to have existed. (e.g. Thirteen Curves, Champy, Headless Horseman, Tramping Ground)

Legends- Stories passed down that are popularly regarded as historical although not verifiable. (e.g. John Henry, Grancer’s Ghost, Betsy’s Ride, Natty Bumppo, “Natty Bumppo”)

Folklife- Traditions such as music, skills, crafts, and events passed along within a community. Often involving real people that can be verified with primary sources. (e.g. “Goose Day,” The Arborglyphs, Dennis McGee, Herbs & Healing, Folk Singer)

Subjects which are not successful include:

• Historical events lacking a folkloric aspect
• Purely literary creations
• Personal/family folklore which does not extend to the greater community

Women's Impact Fund Grant

Our grantmaking process has two purposes. First, to make high-impact grants to local nonprofit organizations. Second, to train our members as thoughtful philanthropists. We continue to lean into trust-based philanthropy principles and aim to conduct a fair, transparent grantmaking experience.

Program Areas

Women’s Impact Fund makes annual grants in five program areas. Nonprofits must choose in which program area to apply.

• Arts & Culture
• Education
• Environment
• Health
• Human Services

Funding Principles

• Builds resilience and/or demonstrates the ability to adapt to changing societal and environmental circumstances
• Reduces disparities in our community
• Increases accessibility
• Responsive to, or aware of, root causes
• Considers racial and/or gender equity
• Serves populations that are underserved or not reached through other resources or organizations

Funding

Grant applications, member vote, and the grant pool size determine recipients and grant amounts. Grants for can range from $10,000 to $100,000. Unlike prior years, WIF is not asking applicants to request a specific funding amount.

Grants Overview

The Philip L. Van Every Foundation supports the vision and legacy of Mr. Van Every by making meaningful gifts to qualified 501(c)(3) organizations in North and South Carolina which strengthen our communities, demonstrate fiscal responsibility, exhibit strength in leadership and have a proven track record of success.

Human and Community Service, Education, Healthcare and Rehabilitation and Arts, Culture and History are the Foundation’s primary areas of focus. A very limited portion of our funding supports organizations that fall outside these perimeters.

Areas of Focus

Education

As Americans, we find ourselves living in an increasingly competitive global economy. Students are entering a highly competitive job market. The unemployed and underemployed are seeking new career opportunities that require enhanced skills.

The Philip L. Van Every Foundation is addressing these issues by supporting colleges, universities and nonprofit organizations that provide quality affordable education and job re-training programs for individuals seeking degrees or certificates. We believe that education is critical to the future success of our children, families, communities, state, and nation.

Healthcare/Rehabilitation

The Philip L. Van Every Foundation is committed to improving the health and quality of life for individuals residing in North and South Carolina.

We respond to our commitment by investing in programs and services that focus on medical innovation, research, education, rehabilitative care, prevention, wellness and substance abuse.

Human & Community Service

The Philip L. Van Every Foundation is committed to improving lives and strengthening communities in North and South Carolina.

We support organizations that address the underlying causes of a myriad of social issues, meet the critical needs of people in their service area and focus on creating financially stable and healthy families.

Arts, Culture, History

Arts, culture and history promote creativity, innovation, exploration and diversity while improving the quality of life for residents of our communities. Dynamic performances and museums as well as other cultural and historic venues engage and inspire audiences, building bridges throughout our region. Arts education plays a pivotal role in enriching the lives of children and provides them with a well-rounded education and the creativity they will need to lead in a global economy.

The Philip L. Van Every Foundation recognizes the important role that arts, cultural and historic organizations play in our communities and supports select organizations that provide quality experiences for residents of North and South Carolina.

Tannenbaum-Sternberger Foundation

The Tannenbaum-Sternberger Foundation, Inc. is a private foundation that limits the scope of its activities to projects and programs benefitting residents of Guilford County, North Carolina. The Foundation considers grants to qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations for support of education, human relations, human services, cultural arts, economic development, historic preservation and other charitable purposes.

What We Fund

Grants are limited to projects that benefit the residents of Guilford County, North Carolina. Grants are awarded for new initiatives, expansions of current programs and activities, capital improvements, special projects and other operating needs. Normally, grants are made for one year only; however, multi-year grants will be considered.

Vision

The vision of the Polk County Community Foundation is to advance philanthropy and improve the quality of life for all citizens in Polk County, North Carolina and the surrounding area.

Mission

The mission of the Polk County Community Foundation is to:

• Support charitable and beneficial activities in the community
• Provide and administer a variety of planned giving programs
• Serve as a responsible steward of all funds entrusted to it
• Provide initiative in recognizing areas of community needs and supporting solutions.

Free Community Events

The Community Foundation is pleased to offer grants for free community events, an initiative of the Foundation's Board of Directors to support face to face social interactions that build community in ways small and large. Gatherings funded by these grants are intended to benefit residents who have chosen to make this community their home, to give people an excuse to strike up a conversation and get to know your neighbors. Past grants have funded free entertainment at the Upstairs Artspace, heart-healthy banquets in Green Creek, programs for children and Shakespeare fans at the Polk County Public Library, and a Play Day for children and families in Saluda. All events are 100% free.

Grants of up to $3,000 shall be awarded for small, single events.

Grants of up to $8,000 shall be awarded for a series of events or a large single event likely to attract a hundred or more local people.

Grant funds must be spent within 12 months of the time of the award notification. You may request a longer grant period by indicating the need for an extension of time on the cover page.

Project Examples

Past Free Community Event grants have funded a Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration, the Do-It- Yourself Messiah, a New Year’s Eve celebration, free concerts in Columbus, Landrum, Saluda, and Tryon, heart-healthy banquets in Green Creek, programs for children and Shakespeare fans at the Polk County Public Library, and a Play Day for children and families in Saluda.

Additional ideas for free gatherings could include:

• A yoga series at a library
• Community nights at schools
• Recreational and sporting activities
• Dances
• Gardening classes
• Community grill nights at public parks
• Arts and music workshops and performances
• Extraordinary learning opportunities for community members young and old
• Festivals and celebrations for local residents
• Grant funds may be used to help keep schools open outside normal school hours as gathering places for community building activities

Foundation Mission & Philosophy

“Self-reliance, self-confidence, and integrity are the keys to success. Endurance is also critical, and the responsibility for success lies on the shoulders of the individual,” said the late entrepreneur and philanthropist John William Pope.

John William Pope inherently understood those values. He entered the family business running his father’s five discount-variety stores after World War II. With ‘American dream’ ambition, he built those holdings into Variety Wholesalers Inc. — the parent company of Roses and Maxway stores (among others), serving hundreds of communities and providing employment for thousands. The success of Variety Wholesalers enabled the Pope family to create the Pope Foundation in 1986.

With the goal to improve the well being of North Carolinians, the John William Pope Foundation makes grants to support public policy groups, educational institutions, humanitarian efforts, and the arts. The Foundation’s mission is to ensure future generations have the same opportunities as John William Pope: the freedom to live, work, pursue individual interests, sustain family, and prosper.

From its first grant in 1986 to the present, the Foundation’s giving has totaled over $100 million, primarily to charities and organizations in North Carolina. John William Pope’s son, Art, shares his father’s passion for our free-market system. Art (www.artpope.com) is the current Chairman of the Foundation.

Education

Too many students graduate — whether from high schools, colleges, or universities — without the job skills needed to compete in our knowledge-based economy. Worse, many students lack basic information on the foundations of our free and civil society, the very concepts that allow our republican form of government to function and our nation to flourish.

The John William Pope Foundation believes that Americans have a duty to teach the next generation about the West’s rich tradition of liberty. We support Carolinas-focused educational institutions, academic centers, student groups, and national organizations that achieve those ends including programs at private schools and independent nonprofits.

But ensuring that future generations are taught about the blessings of freedom isn’t enough. The Pope Foundation also believes in impacting education for the current generation — creating educational excellence for today. That’s why we support student societies and policy groups that research education issues.

A key way that the Foundation meets its goal of impacting current students, and future generations of learners, is through academic centers at UNC-Chapel Hill; N.C. State University; Duke University; Clemson University, College of Charleston, and Wake Forest University.

These centers provide a needed freedom-centric perspective that is often overlooked in the classrooms of higher learning.

Principles

• The primary goal of educational institutions is to encourage critical thinking, scholarly inquiry, and responsible teaching, not to indoctrinate students in a particular worldview.
• Schools, colleges, and universities should be strongholds of intellectual diversity, including the philosophies of economic freedom and prosperity.
• Educational institutions have a duty to provide value to their customers, the students.
• Philanthropists and alumni ought to be keenly interested in supporting our nation’s academic institutions.

Annual Grants

The John William Pope Foundation’s philanthropic vision is rooted in improving the well-being of North Carolinians through the advancement of individual freedom and personal responsibility. To achieve this the Foundation’s giving is directed to four grant priorities:

• Public policy – The foundation prioritizes organizations that advance free-market principles and organizations that are based in North Carolina and/or doing work that directly impacts North Carolina public policy.
• Education – The foundation prioritizes institutions that encourage intellectual diversity and critical thinking and are based in North Carolina and/or doing work that directly impacts North Carolina higher education and K-12 education.
• Human Services – The foundation prioritizes organizations that encourage opportunity and personal responsibility and are based in Wake and Vance Counties and/or doing work that benefits residents of Wake and Vance Counties.
• The Arts – The foundation prioritizes organizations that create and promote the arts through performance and education and are based in Wake and Vance Counties and/or doing work that benefits residents of Wake and Vance Counties.

The Foundation accepts requests for general operating and project-specific grants in all of the four priority areas on a rolling basis. However grants are issued only twice a year — in the spring (public policy and higher education) and the fall (K-12 education, human services, and the arts). Urgent needs and projects that fall between meeting times may be considered at the discretion of the board.

Typical Request Amount

There is no magic number or ideal request. If you have a question regarding the suitability of your application, we highly encourage you to review our past year’s grantees. This will give you an idea of the types of organizations we typically fund.

Presentation Grants Program

Presentation Grants are an opportunity for organizations in South Arts' nine-state region to receive fee support to present Southern guest film directors, visual and performing artists, or writers from outside of the presenter's state. Artist fee support is awarded for:

• film (documentary, fiction, experimental, and animation),
• performing arts (theater, music, opera, musical theater, and dance),
• literary arts (fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry),
• traditional arts, and
• visual arts (crafts, drawing, experimental, painting, photography, sculpture, and mixed media).

Projects must include both a public presentation (film screening, performance, reading, or exhibition) and an educational/community engagement component. These grants are limited and very competitive. Based on the artist fee, the maximum request is $9,500 for modern dance and contemporary ballet or $7,500 for other artistic disciplines. 

South Arts is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. We have prioritized this commitment to ensure that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) led organizations, LGBTQIA+ led organizations, and organizations representing persons with disabilities are represented as both applicants and grantees. In addition, we encourage applications for projects that engage BIPOC artists, LGBTQIA+ artists, and artists with disabilities.

Grassroots Arts Program (GAP) Grants

The Grassroots Arts Program (GAP) provides per capita-based funding for arts programming to all 100 counties across North Carolina ensuring opportunities for citizens to experience the arts in their own communities. Grassroots funds are typically awarded to local arts councils.

Grassroots funds are distributed in every county in North Carolina through the following types of partnerships:

Designated County Partners

In most counties, local arts councils have been nominated by their county governments and approved by the N.C. Arts Council as Designated County Partners (DCPs) to manage and program Grassroots Funds.

Grassroots arts program subgrant system overview

DCPs with county populations above 50,000 are required to subgrant at least 50 percent of their allocations to other organizations in their county to conduct arts programs. If the DCP is not required to subgrant, but chooses to, these same guidelines must be followed.

Grassroots Arts Program (GAP) Grants

The Grassroots Arts Program (GAP) provides per capita-based funding for arts programming to all 100 counties across North Carolina ensuring opportunities for citizens to experience the arts in their own communities. Grassroots funds are typically awarded to local arts councils.

Grassroots funds are distributed in every county in North Carolina through the following types of partnerships:

Provisional County Partners

In counties without DCPs, the N.C. Arts Council has selected an organization to serve as the Provisional County Partner (PCP) to oversee the distribution and management of Grassroots funds on a temporary (year-to-year) basis.

N.C. Arts Council staff consults with each provisional partner to create a distribution plan that meets the requirements of the Grassroots Arts Program. Some PCPs subgrant Grassroots funds and others conduct arts programs with their county’s allocation.

Grassroots arts program subgrant system overview

PCPs with county populations above 50,000 are required to subgrant at least 50 percent of their allocations to other organizations in their county to conduct arts programs. If the PCP is not required to subgrant, but chooses to, these same guidelines must be followed.

Military and Veterans Healing Arts Grant

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. 

Funding

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.

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 Support Grant

Project Support is a new grant category that replaces Spark the Arts Grants. This category is designed to help organizations that are producing and/or presenting specific arts programs that engage audiences and participants. Organizations may apply for support for exemplary programs in any artistic discipline.

Here are some examples of such programs: 

• A single exhibition, performance, or two to three related events, such as a reading series
• An annually or regularly recurring event, such as a festival
• An artist residency or commission
• A literary publication 

Funding

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.

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. For applicants from economically distressed Tier 1 counties, we will waive the matching requirement.

Sustaining Support for Arts Organizations

Sustaining Support is a new grant category that replaces the State Arts Resources and Organization Support categories. This is a competitive grant category.

Sustaining Support is designed to help arts organizations in North Carolina that consistently produce arts programs and services that engage audiences and reflect their communities. These organizations provide work opportunities for artists and arts professionals, are well managed and financially accountable, are committed to diverse and inclusive practices, and contribute to the state’s creative economy.

Funding

From $7,500 to $65,000

These grants support the ongoing artistic and administrative functions of arts organizations. Recipients may use them to fund salaries, artists’ fees, production, travel, promotion, office expenses, and facility operation. Grant amounts generally range from $7,500 to $65,000 and are based on the organization’s application rating and budget size. Grant awards may not exceed 10 percent of the organization’s cash operating expenses, averaged over the past three fiscal years. 

Laura Jane Musser  was born June 4, 1916, the child of Drew Musser and Sarah "Sally" Walker Musser. She lived in Little Falls, MN all of her life at the family home, Linden Hill. Upon her death in 1989 at the age of 73, The Laura Jane Musser came into being to continue on with some of her interests in life, including the arts and helping children, as expressed in the guidelines.Rural Arts ProgramGeneral Operating Support Program In recognition of Laura Jane Musser's life-long commitment to excellence in the arts, and with awareness that pivotal and life-changing experience can occur for individuals through introduction to and participation in the arts, the Laura Jane Musser Fund hopes to encourage and excite a wider population to appreciate, learn, and participate in the arts.  The Musser Fund hopes to assist nonprofit arts organizations in rural communities to develop, implement or sustain exceptional artistic opportunities for adults and children in the areas of literary, visual, music, and performing arts. Priority is placed on organizations that:

• Increase access to the arts through scholarships, hands-on activities, community venues, workshops, discounts and other innovations;
• Demonstrate capacity to engage their community in the creation of art;
• Demonstrate support from their community (through volunteerism, membership, in-kind, or other types of support).

Grantees that request second and third years of support will be asked to report on their progress toward the goals they articulated in their previous year's application, especially in the following areas:

• Increasing access to their services;
• Increasing their organizational sustainability;
• Increasing support from their community. 

North Carolina Community Foundation’s Community Grantmaking Program funds the work of charitable organizations that serve 67 counties within our statewide affiliate network. The Hoke County Community Foundation joins more than 650 community foundations in transforming our nation and our neighborhoods through the power of philanthropy.

The Hoke County Community Foundation is:

• A growing family of charitable funds. 
• A resource for area nonprofits.
• A source of grants for worthy local causes.
• A resource for donors.

The community grantmaking program funds a broad range of purposes to meet local needs that includes education, human services, basic needs, arts, historical preservation, health, recreation, youth development, environment and animal welfare. Additionally, the Mary Archie McNeill Endowment, which supports music and cultural arts programs in Hoke County, has $12,650 available for distribution.

The Program

Professional Development and Artistic Planning Grants are available to support the professional development needs of Southern presenters, programmers, or curators, for strengthening program design or increasing organizational capacity. South Arts strongly believes professional development for presenters/programmers/curators is integral to success, including traveling to see new works and attending convenings. This grant program is open to film, visual arts, performing arts, traditional arts, literary arts, and multidisciplinary organizations.

This funding can support staff’s travel expenses to conferences, festivals, exhibitions, workshops, and other professional development opportunities. Funding also supports guest artists’ or guest curators’ travel expenses for onsite planning meetings with presenting organizations. These grants support travel expenses (for example, lodging and air/ground transportation), admission/registration fees, and other related expenses. In addition, these grants support expenses for virtual professional development opportunities and staff training (for example, diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility training or technology training for virtual engagements).

South Arts is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. We have prioritized this commitment to ensure that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) led organizations, LGBTQIA+ led organizations, and organizations led by people with disabilities are represented as both applicants and grantees. In addition, we encourage applications for projects that engage BIPOC artists, LGBTQIA+ artists, and artists with disabilities.

What We Support

Schools

To assist with the financing of any educational programs maintained by a North Carolina public or private school exempt from taxation. This includes elementary, middle and high schools as well as colleges and universities. Assistance can also be provided for extra-cirricular activities such as band, choral, athletic and art programs. 

Religious 

To provide grants to any church or religious institution exempt from taxation. Monies can be used for building projects, media systems or other ministries. 

Recreational or Educational 

To augment governmental funding of, or to otherwise finance recreational or educational facilities such as museums, libraries or medical facilities open to public use within North Carolina.

Emergency Grant

On rare occasions the Board will consider emergency grant requests, although the criteria are strict. If your organization is facing an unforeseen, critical, human need that will result in a disruption of services if emergency funding is not secured, then please carefully read the emergency request instruction letter linked here.

Emergency funding is defined as critical, unplanned, short-term needs of non-profit agencies addressing critical human needs. Through this process, agencies are able to receive funding to ensure that service to their clients continues without interruption.

North Carolina Community Foundation’s Community Grantmaking Program funds the work of charitable organizations that serve 67 counties within our statewide affiliate network. The Harnett County Community Foundation joins more than 650 community foundations in transforming our nation and our neighborhoods through the power of philanthropy.

The Harnett County Community Foundation has elected to forego the traditional annual grants cycle this year in favor of directly supporting nonprofit community organizations responding to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in the local community.

The Harnett County Community Foundation is:

• A growing family of charitable funds. 
• A resource for area nonprofits.
• A source of grants for worthy local causes.
• A resource for donors.

The community grantmaking program funds a broad range of purposes to meet local needs that includes education, human services, basic needs, arts, historical preservation, health, recreation, youth development, environment and animal welfare.

Please see FAQs for additional informations.

The Community Foundation of the Dan River Region is a public charity established in September 1996 by a steering committee of civic leaders to meet a variety of social, educational, cultural and other charitable needs. The Foundation serves a region from Danville/Pittsylvania County to South Boston/Halifax County, including neighboring North Carolina counties. The Community Foundation makes grants to nonprofit organizations throughout the Dan River Region. Grants are funded with earnings on endowment assets.

The Community Foundation’s Competitive Grants are Awarded from the Community Impact Fund, Field of Interest Funds and Donor Advised Funds

The Community Impact Fund is made up of the following unrestricted funds: James Russell Anderson and Zora Carter Anderson Fund, Buck‐Wayland Fund, Faith Home Endowment Fund, Clarence L. Giles Fund, Harry Melton Hood Fund, Elizabeth (BeƩy) W. Jefferson Fund, D. Webster, Jr. and Elizabeth S. Marshall Fund, James A. and Anne V. Robertson Fund, Barbara H. Sater and Herbert W. Sater Memorial Fund, John C. Swanson, Jr. Fund, The Opportunity Fund and Unrestricted Community Fund.

Field of Interest Funds allow donors to specify an area of interest, such as youth, elderly, the arts, education, environment, or medical, to be supported by the fund. Field of Interest Funds included in this Competitive Grant Cycle are: The Free Clinic Fund, Stratford House Center Fund, Faye Carter Fund, W. Earl and Elise M.G. Allen Fund, Animal Welfare Fund, Mary Cahill Historic Preservation Fund, Ahmed Children’s Fund and the Laurie S. Moran Rotary Service Fund.

Donor Advised Funds are created when a donor starts an investment fund and names the organizations to benefit from the fund. Donor Advised Funds included in this Competitive Grant Cycle are: Gamewood Technology Fund, Irvin H. and Louise Hambrick Scarce Animal Fund, P. Niles and Carol Daly, Jr. Fund, Philip and Frances Daly Fund and Pat and Cathy Daly Fund

Bydale Foundation Grant

The Bydale Foundation’s domestic geographic areas of interest are Westchester County, North Carolina, and Massachusetts, or those with a nationwide focus. Within these geographic areas, the foundation provides support for programs in the areas of the environment, social justice, women’s rights, grassroots advocacy, performing arts, and poetry.

The foundation also provides grants to:

• Human rights
• Peace advocacy
• Environmental organizations in Israel.

Foundation Mission & Philosophy

“Self-reliance, self-confidence, and integrity are the keys to success. Endurance is also critical, and the responsibility for success lies on the shoulders of the individual,” said the late entrepreneur and philanthropist John William Pope.

John William Pope inherently understood those values. He entered the family business running his father’s five discount-variety stores after World War II. With ‘American dream’ ambition, he built those holdings into Variety Wholesalers Inc. — the parent company of Roses and Maxway stores (among others), serving hundreds of communities and providing employment for thousands. The success of Variety Wholesalers enabled the Pope family to create the Pope Foundation in 1986.

With the goal to improve the well being of North Carolinians, the John William Pope Foundation makes grants to support public policy groups, educational institutions, humanitarian efforts, and the arts. The Foundation’s mission is to ensure future generations have the same opportunities as John William Pope: the freedom to live, work, pursue individual interests, sustain family, and prosper.

From its first grant in 1986 to the present, the Foundation’s giving has totaled over $100 million, primarily to charities and organizations in North Carolina. John William Pope’s son, Art, shares his father’s passion for our free-market system. Art (www.artpope.com) is the current Chairman of the Foundation.

The Arts

Creative expression is the hallmark of a free and civil society. A free and prosperous nation can support the arts and ultimately preserve our national heritage and legacy for future generations.

Historically, North Carolina has many unique art traditions that date back centuries. But the scope of arts in our state isn’t limited to traditional arts or distinct geographic regions. As North Carolina has continued to grow and evolve, so have the state’s art traditions. Today, North Carolinians from Murphy to Manteo celebrate, host, and create a broad spectrum of the arts in small and large venues. These arts have intrinsic value and help unify communities.

Foundation namesake John William Pope and his wife Joyce W. Pope firmly believed in supporting the arts and creative expression in the Tar Heel state. In keeping with its support of free-market causes, the Foundation believes that private resources, not government entities, should be the primary conduit for funding creativity. The Foundation prioritizes organizations that create and promote the arts through performance and education. The geographic focus is Wake and Vance Counties (or organizations who do work to benefit residents of Wake and Vance Counties).

Human Services

Families, churches, civic and community organizations, and vibrant neighborhoods are the pillars of our democracy. A strong work ethic, sense of personal responsibility, and emphasis on virtue are vital underpinnings of our nation.

To contribute to an environment of opportunity, the Pope Foundation makes grants to nonprofits addressing a full spectrum of needs, including hunger, health, housing, job training, and more. The Pope Foundation believes that independent initiatives, not government interventions, are critical to addressing the root causes of social challenges like generational poverty, underemployment, homelessness, and substance abuse. Ultimately, nonprofits that restore individuals and families in crisis are ensuring that communities flourish.

The Foundation prioritizes organizations that encourage opportunity and personal responsibility. The geographic focus is Wake and Vance Counties (or organizations who do work to benefit residents of Wake and Vance Counties).