Grassroots Arts Grants 2026

The Grassroots Arts Grant Program for FY2025–2026 is administered by the Chatham Arts Council (CAC) in partnership with the North Carolina Arts Council (NCAC). As the Designated County Partner for Chatham County, CAC distributes arts funding locally with support from both state appropriations and the National Endowment for the Arts. This program aims to extend access to the arts throughout Chatham County, particularly emphasizing equitable artist compensation and inclusive programming that reaches underserved communities. The primary objective of the Grassroots Arts Grants is to support arts programming and the operational capacity of local arts organizations. Eligible uses for grant funding include artist fees, travel costs, venue rental, advertising, marketing, production materials, and general operating expenses such as salaries, rent, and utilities. Specific encouragement is given to proposals that prioritize local artist compensation and serve diverse community demographics. Grants are awarded in amounts ranging from $1,000 to $5,000, with CAC expressing a preference for awards of $1,000 or more due to the administrative reporting requirements attached to state-funded subgrants. To qualify, applicants must be nonprofit organizations or have a fiscal sponsor, possess an arts-centric mission or incorporate arts as a critical element of their programming, be based in Chatham County, and have operated for at least one year. Applicants must also submit all materials, including support documentation, by June 26, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. Religious institutions, municipalities, colleges, and libraries may apply but must demonstrate community engagement and exclude internal administrative activities or religious content from proposed programming. The application is hosted through CAC's website and is structured into four segments: organization information, project description, program alignment, and documentation uploads. Applicants are encouraged to preview the PDF version of the form for planning, as the online form enforces page-by-page completion before progressing. The CAC emphasizes the importance of saving progress regularly to avoid data loss. Successful applicants will be notified by September 15, 2025. All funded activities must be completed, and both grant and matching funds fully expended, by May 31, 2026. Matching funds, equal to the awarded amount, are required and must come from non-state sources. Each grantee is also responsible for contractual compliance, proper use of promotional logos, legislative acknowledgment, and submission of a comprehensive final report including demographic impact, publicity samples, and legislative correspondence. Questions regarding the application or eligibility can be directed to Heather at heather@chathamartscouncil.org or by phone at 919-542-0394. CAC encourages organizations with a history of using arts to enrich community life to explore this funding opportunity.

Save the form often due to potential for data loss; preview the full application via the PDF before starting; ensure all materials and matching funds are in place before submission.