Grassroots Arts Program for Nonprofit Arts Organizations in North Carolina

The Grassroots Arts Program Grant is administered by ArtsAVL in partnership with the North Carolina Arts Council, Buncombe County Government, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Since its inception in 1977, the Grassroots Arts Program has sought to ensure that citizens across all 100 counties in North Carolina have access to high-quality arts experiences. For the FY26 funding cycle, this program offers both programmatic and operating support to nonprofit arts organizations physically located in Buncombe County, with grant awards ranging from $2,500 to $7,500 depending on the size of the applicant organization. The program’s primary goal is to enhance the cultural vitality of Buncombe County through diverse, accessible, and community-centered arts programming. Multicultural organizations and programs, particularly those located outside the City of Asheville, will receive special consideration if they meet the criteria of serving African American, Asian American, Latino, or Native American cultures, either through their mission or by being conducted by artists, ensembles, or organizations of color. Funding may be used for a range of program expenses, including performances, festivals, art exhibitions, arts camps and after-school programs, artist residencies for K–12 schools, artist fees for classes and workshops, marketing expenses for art walks and studio tours, royalties, props, sets, costumes for theater performances, equipment rental, and space rental for arts programming. Operating expenses for qualified arts organizations—such as salaries, utilities, rent, insurance, printing, postage, and office supplies—are also allowable. However, funding cannot be used for individual artists, prizes, competitions, scholarships, tuition, financial awards, equipment or art supply purchases, fundraising events, artwork purchases, hospitality costs, capital expenditures, internal school programs, oral history or history projects, or legal and loan-related costs. Religious organizations may not receive funds unless their programs are non-religious in content, take place outside regular worship services, and are open to the broader community. Eligible applicants must be nonprofit arts organizations that have been in operation for at least one year and are physically located in Buncombe County. While 501(c)(3) status is preferred, nonprofit organizations without this designation may apply through a fiscal agent that is also located in Buncombe County. Organizations applying via a fiscal agent may only request program funding (not operating support) and will receive second priority for funding. The fiscal agent is financially responsible for the grant and must sign off on the final report alongside the grantee. Maximum grant awards for applicants using a fiscal agent are $2,500. Organizations that have already received an ArtsAVL grant for the same project in FY26 are not eligible to apply for GAP funds for that project. Recipients of NCAC Sustaining Support grants may apply for GAP only for program support, and organizations with both a Sustaining Support grant and a NEA project grant are ineligible. The application process opens on August 15, 2025, and closes September 15, 2025. Applications are first screened for completeness, eligibility, and feasibility, with scores assigned in these categories. Only applications scoring at least 15 points in this initial review move forward. Eligible proposals are grouped by organizational budget size to determine potential award ranges. A volunteer selection panel then scores applications using criteria such as completeness, feasibility, organizational stability, accessibility, alignment with arts and culture, multicultural impact, geographic reach, and artistic excellence and merit. Panelists’ scores are combined, reviewed collectively, and used to make final funding recommendations. Projects funded by GAP must take place between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026, and must be completed by June 30, 2026. This includes projects that have already occurred during the funding period and are eligible for reimbursement. If an applicant’s GAP award includes NEA funds, they must comply with all applicable federal laws and regulations, obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), and fulfill a one-to-one matching requirement. NEA-funded recipients must also comply with Executive Order No. 14173 on anti-discrimination and avoid DEI-related programs that violate federal law. The anticipated timeline for FY26 is as follows: application opening on August 15, 2025, closing on September 15, 2025, award announcements in late October or early November 2025, fund distribution in early November 2025, and final reports due by May 31, 2026. Contact information for the grant is ArtsAVL, P.O. Box 507, Asheville, NC 28802, phone 828-222-0436, email hello@artsavl.org.