Tennessee Arts Grants

This funding program provides financial support for projects that improve access to the arts for underserved groups, including ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, seniors, and military families.

This grant provides funding for nonprofit arts organizations, schools, and higher education institutions in Tennessee to conduct immersive professional development workshops focused on arts education and integration.

This program provides financial support to exceptional professional artists in Tennessee across various disciplines, enabling them to further their creative work and enhance the state's cultural landscape.

This grant provides funding for innovative arts learning projects in community settings, focusing on hands-on education and engagement with various art forms for participants of all ages.

This grant provides financial support to artists with disabilities living in Hamilton County, Tennessee, to help them create, develop their work, and enhance their professional skills.

This grant provides financial support to local nonprofit organizations in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, for projects that enhance the quality of life, promote social welfare, and address community needs.

The City of Memphis is offering the Safer Communities Grant program, ranging from $5,000 to $50,000, to 501(c)(3) organizations that have been operational for at least a year, for programs focused on crime intervention, suppression, or prevention to enhance community safety.

This program provides funding for businesses, nonprofits, community groups, churches, and educational institutions to implement projects that enhance neighborhood beauty, foster community engagement, and celebrate local culture in Jackson.

The Laura J. Kress Angel Tree Fund provides grants in support of gifts for children in Tennessee during the holiday season. Donor Name: East Tennessee Foundation State: Tennessee County: Campbell County (TN), Claiborne County (TN), Cocke County (TN), Grainger County (TN), Hamblen County (TN), Hancock County (TN), Hawkins County (TN), Morgan County (TN), Scott County (TN), Union County (TN) Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 08/30/2024 Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000 Grant Duration: 1 Year Details: Funding Information Amounts will range from $5,000 to $10,000. The grant term is November 1, 2024 – January 31, 2025. Eligibility Criteria Confirmation that the organization is a 501(c)(3) public charity, unit of government, or public educational institution New or emerging groups that do not have nonprofit status may apply if they have an established nonprofit organization as a fiscal sponsor Employee Identification Number (EIN) Legal name of organization, address, and contact information (phone, email address, fax) Primary contact person and title Most recent financial statements and/or most recent audit and/or IRS Form 990 Current year organization operating budget List of current board of directors or equivalent governing body List of staff administering the project Confirmation that the organization operates and is organized so as to not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, familial status, sexual orientation, age, disability, covered veteran status, or other characteristics as identified in the Foundation’s Diversity and Non-Discrimination Statement. Additional Eligibility Criteria specific to the Laura J. Kress Angel Tree Fund: Grants must provide support to children who are under-resourced and underserved. Children served must live in Campbell, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Hamblen, Hancock, Hawkins, Morgan, Scott, or Union counties. Please note the following exceptions to the general eligibility requirements: Because Laura J. Kress Angel Tree Fund is a donor advised fund, applicant organizations are not required to provide their most recent financial statements and/or audit and/or IRS Form 990; current year operating budget; or list of current board of directors. The following types of requests will not be funded Check eligibility requirements specific to each competitive grant program for variations. Grants to individuals. We are restricted by law and therefore unable to provide grants directly to individuals. Projects that have explicit religious content, express a particular religious view, or advance a religious purpose Debt retirement or budget deficits Endowment funds or general fundraising campaigns Capital campaigns. For more information, visit ETF.

The Women’s Fund, an endowment fund within the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, is dedicated to fund long-term solutions to transform the lives of women and girls in Middle Tennessee. Donor Name: Community Foundation Middle Tennessee State: Tennessee County: Selected Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 08/31/2024 Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000 Grant Duration: 1 Year Details: The Women’s Fund grants are classified as unrestricted operating support. Funds may be used at the discretion of the organization to cover any costs necessary to carry out its core mission and programs within one of The Women’s Fund focus areas. The Women’s Fund is prioritizing supporting organizations whose total operating budget is less than $3,000,000, however, those above that amount are still eligible to apply. Funding Goals Increase Economic self-sufficiency for women; Improve strategies for the prevention of violence against women and girls; Promotion of health, well-being, and talent of women and girls. Funding Information The Women’s Fund maximum grant award will be $20,000 for organizations 3 years or older. Organizations under 3 years old may request up to a maximum of $5,000. Grant Period December 1, 2024 – November 30, 2025. For more information, visit CFMT.

The Bonnaroo Works Fund aims to grow its support of nonprofits that are changing the world through social impact and human development. Donor Name: The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee State: County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 08/30/2024 Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: The Bonnaroo Works Fund is administered by The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee and all proposals or inquiries should be directed to that organization. Program interests include, but are not limited to: education, music and arts programs for children or communities, protection of the environment and environment sustainability, and the arts & humanities. The Fund generally does not support: endowment programs, fundraising events, annual appeals of well-established organizations, or grants to individuals or religious or political causes. Funding Information The average grant allocation is between $1,000 and $10,000. Eligibility Criteria Grants are made to tax-exempt public charities under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and to government agencies without regard to factors of race, religion, sex or national origin. To complete this application you will need: Complete organizational information, including Grant Contact and Executive Director Information Detailed project information including detailed description, amount requested, total project budget, and timeline Detailed project implementation narrative, including how success of your efforts will be measured Information about future funding plans A completed and attached Project Budget Form Required organizational documentation. For more information, visit CFMT.

The Arts Build Communities (ABC) grant program is designed to provide support for arts projects that broaden access to arts experiences, address community quality of life issues through the arts, or enhance the sustainability of asset-based cultural enterprises. Donor Name: Tennessee Arts Commission State: Tennessee County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline:07/01/2024 Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000 Grant Duration: Less than 1 Year Details: ABC funds may be used to: Provide innovative arts experiences that are new or unfamiliar to community residents Offer arts programs that are designed to help affect positive change in community social issues Develop arts programming that strengthens social networks through community engagement Undertake cultural arts initiatives that enhance a community’s identity and/or economic development Offer training that helps experienced or emerging artists/arts administrators develop entrepreneurial skills or innovative strategies for building sustainability Funding Information Maximum Request of $5000 (non-matching). Grant Period FY2025: August 16, 2024 – June 15, 2025. Appropriate Activities The following are examples of activities and expenditures that are consistent with the funding philosophy for ABC: Projects that involve and promote Tennessee artists Visiting artists conducting master classes Festival coordination and programming Public performances, productions and exhibitions produced by the applicant Exhibitions of art by Tennessee artists and artists from outside Tennessee Promotion, publicity and newsletters Administrative and artistic staff support Research and documentation as part of a project or program development Touring projects that bring professional performers to communities across the state Improved program accessibility for underserved constituencies, such as at-risk youth, economically disadvantaged individuals, people living in rural communities or isolated settings, people with disabilities, people of color and senior citizens Art in public places Extensions of literary projects, journals with continuing publication or juried anthologies Apprenticeship programs Computer software/training that builds or enhances creative workforce skills Technical/production support Eligibility Criteria An organization is eligible to apply for funding support of its arts activities if the organization meets one of the following qualifications: The organization is a nonprofit organization legally chartered in Tennessee and in possession of a determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service declaring the organization exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Private educational institutions must be a nonprofit and meet these tax-exempt requirements. -OR- The organization is an entity of government (such as city/county government departments, public libraries, public schools, etc.) Colleges and universities are eligible only for activities that clearly serve the needs of surrounding communities or the State and are designed to involve a broad audience. Activities that are credit-producing or are oriented primarily to collegiate students and the academic community are not eligible. Requirements for 501(c)(3) Applicants All 501(c)(3) applicants must upload their most recent copy of the organization’s By-laws into their organizational profiles in the Online Grants System. Nonprofit applicants’ 501(c)(3) statuses will be verified independently prior to being reviewed by a designated agency panel. Any applications from organizations with lapsed or unconfirmed nonprofit determination will be disqualified. For more information, visit Tennessee Arts Commission.

The Economic Development Fund supports charitable and educational programs aimed at fostering regional economic development. Donor Name: East Tennessee Foundation State: Tennessee County: Selected Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 06/07/2024 Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000 Grant Duration: 1 Year Details: Funding Information Amounts will range from $5,000 – $6,500. Grants will be awarded for one-year terms in August 2024. The grant term is August 1, 2024 – July 31, 2025. Eligibility Criteria  Eligible organizations must have and be able to provide documentation to verify the following: Confirmation that the organization is a 501(c)(3) public charity, unit of government, or public educational institution New or emerging groups that do not have nonprofit status may apply if they have an established nonprofit organization as a fiscal sponsor Employee Identification Number (EIN) Legal name of organization, address, and contact information (phone, email address, fax) Primary contact person and title Most recent financial statements and/or most recent audit and/or IRS Form 990 Current year organization operating budget List of current board of directors or equivalent governing body List of staff administering the project Confirmation that the organization operates and is organized so as to not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, familial status, sexual orientation, age, disability, covered veteran status, or other characteristics as identified in the Foundation’s Diversity and Non-Discrimination Statement. The following types of requests will not be funded: Check eligibility requirements specific to each competitive grant program for variations. Grants to individuals. They are restricted by law and therefore unable to provide grants directly to individuals. Debt retirement or budget deficits Endowment funds or general fundraising campaigns Capital campaigns Faith based organizations and houses of worship are welcome to apply. However their projects that have explicit religious content, express a particular religious view, limit participation based on faith affiliation, or require participation in religious activities or services will not be considered. For example, a church’s food pantry may be awarded funding if participation in the program is not limited based on faith or attendance. For more information, visit ETF.

The Spark Cleantech Accelerator program supports early stage cleantech businesses and drive commercialization of their technologies in Tennessee. Donor Name: UT Research Park State: Tennessee County: All Counties Type of Grant: Program Deadline: 05/15/2024 Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000 Grant Duration: Less than 1 Year Details: The Spark CTA was created in partnership with Evergreen Climate Innovations (previously Clean Energy Trust) and other partners to support early stage cleantech businesses and drive commercialization of their technologies in Tennessee and throughout the Midwest and the Southeast. The Spark Cleantech Accelerator is a 12-week program and the UT Research Park in Knoxville, Tennessee. The program provides mentorship, connections, stipends, prototyping services, and business acceleration services to early stage cleantech entrepreneurs to help commercialize new innovations. In 12-week, in-person program, the offer: $15,000 Stipends to help defray travel/living costs and to support business and technical milestones Prototyping services through the University of Tennessee’s Center for Materials Processing, Mentoring and one-on-one support from our experts in business, market analysis and positioning, and IP/ patent strategy, product design, engineering, prototyping, testing, material selection, tooling design, and manufacturing, Connections with customers, investors, strategic partners, suppliers, and universities and national laboratories, Training Workshops and one-on-one support. Partnership opportunities with organizations such as the Tennessee Valley Authority, Oak Ridge National Lab, the University of Tennessee, the City of Knoxville, and members of the Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council. Eligibility Criteria Application from Tennessee, the Midwest, and beyond. Companies that demonstrate a positive impact to energy efficiency, generate renewable energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, carbon capture, increase recycling/upcycling and a circular economy. Companies that show strong market potential and defensible intellectual property, with issued patents or pending patents filed. Those who demonstrate their technology can support the challenges and needs of Spark partners, such as utilities, local governments, universities, manufacturing companies, commercial building operators, etc. Those that create software of hardware technologies including intelligent connected devices, advanced materials process, or with technology companies at a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 2-6. Applicants who are open to Tennessee as a permanent business location. For more information, visit UT Research Park.

In 2024, the Arts Fund for East Tennessee will focus its grantmaking on celebrating region’s richness in artistic expressions and cultural diversity. Donor Name: East Tennessee Foundation State: Tennessee County: Selected Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 05/10/2024 Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000 Grant Duration: 2 Years Details: Grants will be awarded to sustain cultural traditions and to encourage all forms of artistic expression. Preference will be given to: Organizations whose projects extend art opportunities to underserved populations such as through outreach efforts; Public art displays and performances that are designed to bring the arts into the everyday lives of the general public; Grassroots arts organizations; and Projects that celebrate the arts and cultures of historically underrepresented communities. Funding Information Amounts will range from $5,000 – $15,000. The grant term is July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2026. Eligibility Criteria Confirmation that the organization is a 501(c)(3) public charity, unit of government, or public educational institution New or emerging groups that do not have nonprofit status may apply if they have an established nonprofit organization as a fiscal sponsor Employee Identification Number (EIN) Legal name of organization, address, and contact information (phone, email address, fax) Primary contact person and title Most recent financial statements and/or most recent audit and/or IRS Form 990 Current year organization operating budget List of current board of directors or equivalent governing body List of staff administering the project Confirmation that the organization operates and is organized so as to not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, familial status, sexual orientation, age, disability, covered veteran status, or other characteristics as identified in the Foundation’s Diversity and Non-Discrimination Statement. Additional eligibility criteria specific to the Arts Fund: Art organizations must be located in and serve communities in ETF’s 25-county service area. Organizations that are not primarily art-based but which incorporate art-related programming are eligible to apply. Additional eligibility criteria specific to the Katherine Davis Moore and Mary Elizabeth (Betty) Davis Foundation Fund: Art-related programs must benefit young persons under the age of 25 in East Tennessee. For more information, visit  East Tennessee Foundation.

The City of Germantown is excited to announce the Neighborhood Grants Program. Donor Name: City of Germantown State: Tennessee City: Germantown Type of Grant: Grant Deadline:  05/06/2024 Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: The City of Germantown has a program to support neighborhood leaders as they engage their neighbors, beautify their surroundings, improve resident communications and increase a sense of well-being in their neighborhoods.  To that end, Germantown’s Neighborhood Grants Program supports Germantown homeowner and neighborhood associations by providing grants for projects that fall under one of the following categories: Engagement Projects that bring neighbors together for fellowship and recreation Examples: block/cove parties, movie nights, food trucks, face painting, youth projects, neighborhood festivals, etc. Communications Projects that increase the effectiveness of neighborhood organizations Examples: website development, newsletter development, flyers, printing costs, mailers, association establishment, governance training for neighborhood leaders, etc. Beautification Projects that enhance or improve public areas Examples: holiday decorations, common area landscaping, neighborhood art projects, HOA/entry signs, gardening supplies, decorative street sign funds, etc. Safety Projects that increase a sense of safety and well-being Examples: Germantown Night Out, health and wellness seminars, spotlights, Neighborhood Watch awareness, emergency preparedness, Flock (license plate reading) cameras, etc. Funding Information Two maximum awards of $5,000 each will be awarded per grant period. Additional microgrants ranging from $500 to $1,000 will be awarded until the allotted $25,000 per fiscal year has been reached. Eligibility Criteria Applying neighborhood organizations must be established with elected leaders and bylaws Applicants must submit an IRS W-9 form with their application. Program Requirements Applications must be legible; typed is appreciated. Only one grant application per neighborhood association will be accepted. Grants must be used for public purposes only. Proposals must be drafted and approved by the neighborhood or homeowners association. All grant funds must be used by June 30, 2025. The association must provide receipts after the project or event. Any unused funds must be returned to the City. If the grant is used for an event, the event must be documented with photos and a sign-in sheet. The event must take place within the designated neighborhood. Events must be free of charge and open to everyone without regard to race, gender, religion, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation or any other status protected by law. All receipts and documentation must be returned to the City within 30 days of the project or event’s completion. Grant funds may not be used to purchase weapons or alcohol. For more information, visit City of Germantown.

This grant provides financial support to nonprofit organizations in the greater Nashville area for health, education, arts, and community services, focusing on those with established ties to the foundation.

The Louie M. & Betty M. Phillips Foundation is committed to supporting organizations in health, human services, civic affairs, education, and the arts. With an emphasis on serving the greater Nashville community, the foundation allocates funds annually, prioritizing organizations with long-standing relationships with the founders or leadership. Grants are offered for sustaining operations, specific projects or programs, and capital projects, with a focus on broad community benefits and a variety of community needs. Grant renewed every year. Annual Spring deadline: last business day of May

This grant provides financial support to religious and charitable organizations in the Greater Chattanooga area to promote community welfare initiatives.

Support for presenting touring performing artists and groups for events and festivals in communities across the state, including in rural counties. This grant category supports Tennessee presenters by providing grant funds up to $5,000 to offset the costs of professional artist fees for performing artists and groups that present to the public and offer an educational component with their engagement. Any eligible organization may apply for up to $3,000 of the agreed upon artist’s fees. If an organization or touring artist being presented meets one of the following criteria, the organization may request up to $5,000 of the agreed upon artist’s fees.