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.
