Pittsboro, NC – The Chatham Arts Council is excitedly accepting applications for its annual Grassroots Arts Grants, a program aimed to help organizations do amazing work through the arts. Since 2000, the Chatham Arts Council (CAC) has awarded more than $200,000 to nonprofits, who in turn, use the money to fund artists and carry the arts into every corner of the county. The applications are now available online.
“Over the past year, investing in artists and arts organizations has been more critical than ever,” said Cheryl Chamblee, Executive Director of the CAC. “Through grants like this one, we can support community arts organizations that are working to deliver meaningful arts programs throughout this great county.”
The CAC serves as the Designated County Partner to the North Carolina Arts Council in awarding the funds to local organizations. The program was established to ensure that every citizen in North Carolina has access to quality arts experiences. Cash grants range from $500 to $2,500, and are typically used for program expenses (i.e., artists’ fees, space rental) or operating expenses for arts organizations. Areas of particular interest for the CAC are local artist fees/fair payment to artists and outreach to diverse or underserved communities.
Organizations applying must:
· Have been in operation for at least one year as a 501(c)(3);
· Have an arts mission, or a program that uses the arts to help accomplish the organization’s mission;
· Be based in Chatham County, or carry out the project in Chatham County.
What will the Grassroots Arts Program decline to support?
Subgrants may not be awarded to individuals or to organizations for prizes or tuition, including scholarships and financial awards. Grassroots Arts Program money may not be used for the following kind of expenditures:
Art, music, and dance therapyArt suppliesFundraising eventsArtifactsHigh school band activities or equipmentArtworkInterest on loans, fines, or litigation costsCapital expendituresLobbying expensesContingency fundsOral history and history projectsDeficit reductionTuition for academic studyFood or beverages for hospitality or entertainment functions
The CAC is offering a Zoom meeting with applicants who may have questions about the process on Monday, May 17 at 6 p.m. Interested persons should RSVP to Jenni Detwiler via Jenni@ChathamArtsCouncil.org. The deadline for applications and supporting materials is Friday, June 11 at 11:59 p.m., 2021.
“If this last year has taught us anything, it’s that arts are essential to our well-being,” expressed CAC Board President, Taylor Hobbs. “Artists and access to the arts create community, provide an uplifting atmosphere, and touch our hearts in the most meaningful of ways. We encourage all qualified organizations to apply.”
Grassroots Arts Grants are made possible by individual contributions to the Chatham Arts Council’s general operating fund and through the generous assistance of the Grassroots Arts Program of the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Past recipients have included organizations such as Abundance NC, Bynum Front Porch, Chatham Artists Guild, Chatham County Partnership for Children, Hispanic Liaison of North Carolina, Jordan-Matthews Arts Foundation, Main Street Pittsboro, NC Arts in Action, NC Arts Incubator, Shakori Hills Community Arts Center, Smelt Art Gallery, Sprott Center for Youth(Moncure), StreetSigns, and more.
For more information on the Grassroots Arts Grants, or to apply, visit ChathamArtsCouncil.org/grassroots-arts-grants/.