Grassroots Arts Program Grant

The Grassroots Arts Program (GAP) has provided North Carolina residents with access to quality arts experiences since 1977. The program is supported by the North Carolina Arts Council and provides arts funding in all 100 North Carolina counties through partnerships with local arts councils. In Haywood County, the program is administered through a partnership between the Haywood County Arts Council and the North Carolina Arts Council. For the FY 2026-2027 funding cycle, the program provides programmatic and operating support to eligible nonprofit organizations providing arts programming in Haywood County. Individual artists are not eligible to apply, and organizations that do not provide arts programming are not intended beneficiaries of this funding. Awards range from $500 to $5,000. Grassroots funds may support eligible program expenses and operating expenses. Program expenses may include artist fees and travel, space rental for arts programming, marketing and advertising, costumes, sets and props, equipment rental, performances, festivals, art exhibitions, arts camps, after-school programs, artist residencies for K-12 schools, artist fees for classes and workshops, marketing for art walks and studio tours, and royalties and other eligible theater-related costs. Qualified nonprofit arts organizations may also use operating support for salaries, telephone and communication expenses, office supplies, printing and postage, rent, utilities, and insurance. Organizations receiving a North Carolina Arts Council Sustaining Support grant remain eligible for GAP funding but may request program support only and may not request GAP operating support. Funds may not support individual applicants, prizes, competitions, scholarships, tuition, financial awards, art supplies or equipment purchases, fundraising events, artwork purchases, food or beverages for hospitality or entertainment functions, capital expenditures, internal school programs, oral history or history projects, interest on loans, fines, or litigation costs. Religious organizations or churches may receive funding only when the supported program is presented outside regular church services, engages the larger community, and contains no religious content. Every grant recipient must provide a 1:1 cash match equal to the grant award, and documentation identifying the matching funds must be included with the final grant report. Eligible organizations must be nonprofit in nature, have been in operation for at least one year, be physically located in Haywood County, and provide arts programming that benefits the community. Although 501(c)(3) status is preferred, organizations that are nonprofit in nature may obtain program funding through an approved fiscal agent. Both the applicant and fiscal agent must be physically located in Haywood County. The fiscal agent must complete the application, understand the proposed project, receive grant payments directly, and assume financial responsibility for the award. Applicants using fiscal agents may request program funding only and receive second priority after eligible nonprofit arts organizations. The fiscal agent remains responsible for proper use or repayment of funds, and both parties must sign the final report. Applicants must also have a Unique Entity Identifier, although subgrantees are not required to maintain active System for Award Management registration. Applications open August 3, 2026 and must be submitted by August 31, 2026. The provided guidelines do not identify a separate letter of intent, concept paper, pre-proposal, or other pre-application gating deadline. HCAC staff initially screen applications for completeness, eligibility of the request, and feasibility of completing the proposed activity within the grant period. Eligible applications then proceed to a selection panel, which reviews and scores them using established evaluation criteria. HCAC staff compile, total, and rank the scores, after which recommended awards are presented to the Haywood County Arts Council Board of Directors. The Board reviews the recommendations and votes on final funding decisions. Awards are expected to be announced in late September 2026, with funds distributed in October 2026. Funded projects take place during the July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 grant period and must be completed by June 30, 2027. Final reports are due May 31, 2027.

Ensure the application is complete, the request is eligible, and the proposed work is feasible within the grant period; clearly demonstrate community-benefiting arts programming and keep requested expenses within eligible program or operating uses.