Grassroots Grants

The Grants and Development’s committee seeks to educate the community on available grants and how to apply to receive grant funding for your program.

We’re thrilled to have granted an average of $15,000 every year for the past 40 years – over $1.4 Million total – to other nonprofits using the arts to do extraordinary work in Brunswick County through annual Grassroots Arts Grants. In one of our favorite partnership efforts, the Brunswick Arts Council serves as the Designated County Partner to the North Carolina Arts Council in awarding these funds. And organizations use these dollars to fund artists and carry the arts into every corner of this county. We’re proud of this investment in artists, and we invite you to read about our past recipients below. And take a look at our guidelines to see if your group is a good match to apply for a Grassroots Arts Grant.

For more information about the Grassroots Arts Grant Program, please contact us at execdir.brunswickartscouncil@gmail.com.

What is the Grassroots Arts Grants Program?

Grassroots Arts Grants support arts and cultural projects of community-based organizations, groups, collectives in Brunswick County. These grants provide partial funding to emerging professional artists and organizations of all populations whose projects promote an increase in arts activity and promise to enhance the cultural climate in communities and neighborhoods  where they live and operate. 

The primary criteria for a funded project are the creative vision for the project backed by sound infrastructure for its successful execution and the potential for resonance throughout the surrounding community. 

Grassroots Grants may support all forms of multidisciplinary projects including but not limited to: theater, dance, music, film, video, literary arts, visual arts and folk arts.  All funded projects in this category must be community-based and open to the general public.  Brunswick Arts Council (BAC) is the arts organization which is the Designated County Partner for this funding received from NC Arts Council.

Grant amount range between $500 and $3,000 dollars.

Who is Eligible to Apply to the Grassroots Arts Grants Program?

• Applicant organization, fiscal sponsor, or partner organization must be a governmental or quasi-governmental entity, a tribal organization or a North Carolina State non-profit incorporated organization, or have a 501(c)(3) federal tax-exempt status. (See “Proving Non-profit Status” section below for clarification.) 
• Applicant organization, fiscal sponsor, or partner organization must produce or present arts and cultural programming serving residents of Brunswick County. 
• Applicant organization, fiscal sponsor, or partner organization must have a board of directors or a governing body that meets to determine and review policy.
• Applicant organization, fiscal sponsor, or partner organization must conduct all activities in a way that does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religious belief, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability.  Individual artists may apply directly under this program by (1) enlisting an eligible non-profit organization as a “fiscal sponsor” or (2) partnering with an eligible organization that shares its goals for the community. (See the “Fiscal Sponsorship and Partner Organizations” section below for more information.) 
• Applicant organization or fiscal sponsor must be legally located (i.e., not a seasonal resident or local branch of an organization registered elsewhere) in the county where the activity will take place. If working with a partner organization, both application organization/group and partner organization must be based in the county where the proposed activity is taking place. 
• Previous grantees must have submitted ALL required final reports from the previous cycle.  
• A first-time applicant must attend an Informational Meeting or meet one-on-one with BAC staff  

Grassroots Arts Project Requirements

• Project must occur in the same county as the applying artist, fiscal sponsor, or organization’s legal residence.  
• Projects must be completed during the funding cycle.  

What the Grassroots Arts Grant Can Cover?   

• Artist fees and travel
• Marketing and publicity costs 
• Supplies and materials (i.e. space rental, equipment rental, costumes, sets, props, music rental) needed for the execution of the program 
• Limited operating expenses for arts organizations only

  What the Grant CANNOT Cover

• NC State Agencies and departments (including NC schools)
• Public universities, colleges; and public,  private or parochial secondary and elementary schools
• DCP site Staff or board members (see Conflict of Interest section)
• Art Supplies for general operating
• NCAC applicants, including fiscally sponsored applicants that have applied to NCAC in the most recent cycle.
• Projects involving partners that apply directly to NCAC
• Non-incorporated chapters of organizations whose “parent” is incorporated outside the DCP area
• Start-up or seed funding for the establishment of a new organization 
• General operating expenses
• Requests greater than applicant’s project expenses minus total project income
• Past sub-grantees that have failed to submit final reports
• Operating expenses of privately owned facilities (e.g. homes or studios)
• Events that take place in private homes
• Non-arts activity including: 

• • Galas, benefits or fundraising events including entertainment costs for receptions, food or fundraising events. 
  • Entertainment such as balloons, clowns, magicians 
  • Projects that are recreational, therapeutic, rehabilitative or religious in nature including at risk/social service programs when the purpose is primarily for rehabilitative, therapeutic or worship

• Acquisitions of works of art
• Contingency funds 
• Permanent equipment or capital improvements
• Creation of textbooks or classroom materials
• Lobbying expenses
• Programs in which children are used as professional artists (paid a fee) 
• Re-grants by applicants to fund other activities
• Cash prizes, juried shows, fellowships, scholarships and other awards to students
• Stand-alone assembly programs, single performances, or one-time visits to cultural institutions
• Programs for which selected students are taken out of regular classes or are self-selected for participation. 
• College-level courses, contests or performing groups
• School band activities or equipment
• Food or beverages
• Individual Applicants