Rural Arts Facilities Fund (RAFF) grants is designed to help rural communities carry out initiatives that build, renovate, or expand arts and cultural facilities.
Donor Name: Tennessee Arts Commission
State: Tennessee
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 01/20/2026
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
Funding for rural communities to help build, renovate, or expand arts and cultural facilities resulting in positive economic and community outcomes.
Project applications must demonstrate a history and/or commitment to arts and cultural programming in the community, cross-sector community support, feasible plans for revenue generation and facility management, and sustainable long-term operational goals. Public investment in rural arts and cultural facilities can help rural communities in a number of ways, including, but not limited to, expansion of arts and cultural opportunities for underserved audiences, job creation, tourism development, enhanced creative learning opportunities, as well as strengthening a community’s distinctive identity and quality of life.
The Tennessee Arts Commission is committed to advancing the arts as a driver of the creative economy and creative placemaking, as well as accelerating transformation of rural areas through the nonprofit arts and creative sector. The RAFF grant program builds upon work accomplished through the Creative Placemaking grant program and Tennessee Stages programs. Creative Placemaking grants provide funding for arts projects that enhance the distinctive local character of Tennessee places for positive economic and community outcomes. Many Creative Placemaking grants projects have helped renovate or enhance rural arts facilities.
Funding Information
Up to $200,000.
Projects Period
July 1, 2026-June 15, 2027.
Eligibility Requirements
An applicant is eligible to apply if the organization is located one of Tennessee’s Rural Counties and meets one of the following qualifications:
- The organization is an entity of local government
- The applicant is a nonprofit arts 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
Applicants may only submit proposals to build, renovate, or expand facilities that are owned by nonprofit organizations or local government entities. Proposals for facilities that are privately held or owned are ineligible.
For more information, visit Tennessee Arts Commission.
