In order to support Nashville’s arts ecosystem, Metro Arts provides operating support to arts organizations for the 2025 grant cycle.
Donor Name: Metro Arts
State: Tennessee
County: Davidson County (TN)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 01/19/2024
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
Metro Arts’ Operating Grants to support Arts Organizations in Tennessee. The Metro Arts’ Grants Program supports organizations engaged in work that addresses one or more of the community outcomes they seek to achieve:
- Stronger Creative Workforce
- Vibrant, Creative Neighborhoods
- Deeper Cultural Participation
All funding approvals and levels are contingent on the budget allocated to Metro Arts. Operating Support grants provide funding for the general operations of arts-focused nonprofit organizations based in Metro Nashville-Davidson County. An arts-focused organization is one whose primary mission is to directly support the performance, exhibition, or instruction of art. The word ‘art’ here refers to a number of artistic genres including dance, folk + traditional arts, literary arts, media arts, music, performance art, theater, and visual arts.
Grant Categories
- Operating Support for Micro Institutions provides grant funds for the overall operations of nonprofit arts organizations that had revenue of less than $25,000 during the most recently completed fiscal year. To qualify for an Operating Support grant, organizations must have an IRS Letter of Determination with an effective date of exemption of January 19, 2023, or earlier.
- Operating Support for Small Institutions provides grant funds for the overall operations of nonprofit arts organizations that had revenue between $25,000 to $100,000 during the most recently completed fiscal year. To qualify for a Basic Operating Support grant, organizations must have an IRS Letter of Determination with an effective date of exemption of January 19, 2023, or earlier.
- Operating Support for Medium Institutions provides grant funds for the overall operations of nonprofit arts organizations that are had revenue between $100,000 and $500,000 during the most recently completed fiscal year. To qualify for an Operating Support grant, organizations must have an IRS Letter of Determination with an effective date of exemption of January 19, 2023, or earlier.
- Operating Support for Mid-Size Institutions provides grant funds for the overall operations of nonprofit arts organizations that had revenue between $500,000 and $3,000,000 during the most recently completed fiscal year. To qualify for an Operating Support grant, organizations must have an IRS Letter of Determination with an effective date of exemption of January 19, 2023, or earlier.
- Operating Support for Large Institutions provides grant funds for the overall operations of nonprofit arts organizations that had revenue greater than $3,000,000 during the most recently completed fiscal year. To qualify for an Operating Support grant, organizations must have an IRS Letter of Determination with an effective date of exemption of January 19, 2023, or earlier.
Funding Information
All funding approvals and levels are contingent on the budget allocated to Metro Arts. Award amounts are based on the organization’s operating revenue as shown in the organization’s most recently completed fiscal year IRS Form 990, and will range within the grant category they fall in.
- Eligible Micro organizations will be awarded a minimum of $3,000 to a maximum of 75% of $25,000 (or $18,750).
- Eligible Small organizations will be awarded a minimum of $3,000 to a maximum of 50% of $100,000 (or $50,000).
- Eligible Medium organizations will be awarded a maximum of 25% of $500,000 (or $125,000).
- Eligible Mid-Size organizations will be awarded a maximum of 17% of $3,000,000 (or $120,000).
- Eligible Large organizations will be awarded a maximum of 1.8% of their operating budget with a maximum of $200,000.
Grant Duration
All eligible 2025 grant activities must take place between July 1, 2024, and June 1, 2025, unless otherwise noted.
Eligible Expenses
- Salaries
- Artist Fees
- Program/Project Supplies
- Performance Space/Facility Rental
- Marketing and Promotion
- Consulting Fees
- Equipment Rental and/or Purchase
- Fundraising Activities
Eligibility Criteria
To receive an operating grant support from Metro Arts, the applicant must:
- Produce, present or directly support artistic programs, projects or works
- Have a primary mission to directly support the performance, exhibition, or instruction of art
- Be chartered in the state of Tennessee and tax-exempt under the IRS Code Section 501(c)(3)
- Have an IRS Letter of Determination with an effective date of exemption of January 15, 2023, or earlier for Operating Grants
- Have a business address located in Metro Nashville & Davidson County and operate most of its programs in Metro Nashville
- Have evidence of non-discrimination employment and personnel practices in place
- Applicants must adopt an equity statement within the next 2 fiscal years
There are certain types of organizations that cannot receive operating grants from Metro Arts. They are:
- Non-arts organizations
- Organizations who receive operational budget amendments (“line items”) from Metro, except for those that are provided by the Metropolitan Charter
- “Friends of…” organizations whose primary purpose is to support government agencies or initiatives
- Colleges or universities
- Public broadcasting stations
- Arts organizations that operate as a legal subsidiary of a non-arts nonprofit organization
For more information, visit MAN.
