North Carolina Grants

This grant provides funding to nonprofit organizations that serve the residents of Haywood County, North Carolina, to support local programs and initiatives addressing community needs.

This grant provides financial support to nonprofit organizations serving Madison County, North Carolina, to enhance community well-being and development through various local initiatives.

This grant provides financial support to charitable organizations serving Wilkes County, North Carolina, to address local needs and strengthen community programs.

This grant provides funding to charitable organizations, local governments, and religious entities in Greene County to support community services and initiatives.

This grant provides financial support to charitable organizations serving the needs of residents in Rockingham County, particularly those in the western part of the county.

This grant provides financial support to charitable organizations and local entities serving the Eastern Band of Cherokees in specific North Carolina counties.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to local nonprofits, government entities, and religious organizations in Graham County, North Carolina, for community service programs that promote inclusivity and benefit residents.

This grant provides financial support to local charitable organizations in Wake and Durham counties that focus on community strengthening, education, and services for veterans and military personnel.

This grant provides funding to nonprofit organizations that serve the Greater Rocky Mount community, supporting projects that address local needs and enhance community resources.

This grant provides financial support to charitable organizations in Avery County for various local needs, including education, health, youth development, and the arts.

This grant provides financial support to local nonprofit organizations in Clay County to address community needs and enhance well-being through targeted projects and services.

This grant provides financial support to nonprofit organizations in Jackson County that address critical community issues such as food insecurity, youth safety, and substance use disorders.

This funding opportunity supports nonprofit organizations in North Carolina that address housing security challenges for women and girls, with a focus on initiatives led by women of color or those from historically marginalized communities.

The South Arts In These Mountains (ITM) initiative is a grant program designed to support projects that promote the sharing, teaching, learning, preserving, documenting, and continuity of folk arts and traditional culture within Central Appalachia. This aligns with a broader mission to foster cultural preservation and community enrichment, particularly in underserved regions. The program seeks to empower communities through their unique cultural heritage, ensuring these traditions are passed down through generations and remain vibrant within the region. The target beneficiaries for this grant program are nonprofit organizations and educational organizations located in Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) counties in Kentucky, North Carolina, and Tennessee. This includes a wide array of entities such as community cultural organizations, schools, colleges, universities, libraries, museums, performing arts presenters, community festival organizations, and faith-based organizations. The primary impact goal is to strengthen the traditional arts and cultural fabric of these communities, particularly those in rural areas with populations under 50,000, by providing essential funding for relevant projects. South Arts has several key priorities and focuses for this initiative. They are deeply committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, actively encouraging applications from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)-led and LGBTQIA+-led organizations, as well as organizations led by people with disabilities. Furthermore, they prioritize applications that feature BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and traditional artists with disabilities. Another significant focus is on funding traditional arts projects specifically in rural communities. The grants are awarded in the amount of $10,000, with a project period from October 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025. The expected outcomes and measurable results of the ITM initiative include a sustained and increased engagement with folk arts and traditional culture in Central Appalachia. Success will be measured by the number and quality of projects that effectively share, teach, learn, preserve, document, and support the continuity of these cultural practices. The prioritization of diverse and rural-led organizations aims to ensure that funding reaches those most in need of support and that a wide array of voices and traditions are represented and uplifted. The strategic priority of South Arts, as evidenced by this grant, is to build a more equitable and culturally rich Central Appalachia through targeted investment in its traditional arts.

This program provides financial support to rural nonprofit and governmental organizations in select Southern states for presenting touring artists across various disciplines, including film, performing arts, and visual arts.

The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County offers Mini Grants to support independent/individual artists, unincorporated collectives, and cultural professionals within Cumberland County, North Carolina. This grant program aims to build capacity for local artists by funding one-time cultural arts events. The council's mission, as reflected in this program, is to foster the local arts economy, encourage new or innovative programming, and provide support to diverse artistic mediums within the county. The primary beneficiaries of these Mini Grants are artists and cultural/historical professionals residing in Cumberland County, NC. The impact goals are centered on growing the local arts economy, engaging the community through novel artistic expressions, and supporting a variety of artistic disciplines. The program prioritizes projects that take place in Cumberland County, are led by participating artists or cultural professionals, and can be completed within six months of the award. It also supports the creation of new works with a public display within the same timeframe. Funding requests can range from $500 to $10,000, with specific guidelines for allowable expenses. For requests between $500 and $2,000, allowable expenses include contract artist fees, other contracted services, project supplies/materials, space/equipment rental, marketing/outreach expenses (up to 25% of the budget), and applicant artist fees (up to 25% of the budget). For awards exceeding $2,000, restrictions apply, prohibiting expenses for food and drink, capital expenses, subgranting or awards/scholarships, and educational/curriculum requirements. Expected outcomes include an increase in cultural arts events, the development of new artistic works, and enhanced engagement within the local arts community. Measurable results would likely include the number of projects funded, the reach of public displays, and the economic impact on local artists and the arts economy. The Arts Council's strategic priorities are clearly aligned with empowering local artists and enriching the cultural landscape of Cumberland County through accessible and impactful grants. Their theory of change appears to be that by providing financial support and guidance to local artists, they can stimulate artistic production, community involvement, and economic growth within the arts sector.

The Colorado Media Project and Local Media Association have partnered to bring the LMA Lab for Journalism Funding to Colorado newsrooms. This program is designed to provide in-depth training and coaching to help local news organizations develop journalism projects that address community priorities and can be funded through philanthropy. The initiative aligns with a broader goal of strengthening local journalism and supporting news organizations in their fundraising efforts, building on the success of the LMA Lab for Journalism Funding which has helped over 100 U.S. news organizations raise more than $22 million since 2020. This collaborative effort, supported by the Google News Initiative, underscores a strategic priority to foster sustainable local news ecosystems through philanthropic support. The target beneficiaries of this grant program are community-based, locally controlled Colorado news organizations that produce original, local news at least weekly. Priority is given to newsrooms with philanthropic giving programs less than five years old, or those with new staff who could benefit from this training. Local news partnerships or coalitions are also encouraged to apply, especially if they have a joint initiative seeking philanthropic funding. The impact goal is to equip these newsrooms with the skills and resources to secure philanthropic funding for local journalism projects that are responsive to community needs, thereby enhancing the quality and sustainability of local news in Colorado. The program's priorities and focuses include setting fundraising goals aligned with market size, developing prospect lists, creating pitch decks and campaign materials, and facilitating meetings with funders. Participants will also engage in the end-of-year #newsCOneeds fundraising campaign. Preference will be given to organizations with strong local leadership and community ties, a focus on high-quality local journalism, leadership-level buy-in, an organizational commitment of staff time and resources, and a value for staff and leadership diversity. These criteria highlight a strategic focus on building capacity within newsrooms that are deeply embedded in their communities and committed to journalistic excellence. Expected outcomes include newsrooms setting and working towards specific fundraising goals, developing robust fundraising strategies and materials, and actively engaging with funders. Measurable results will likely include the amount of philanthropic funding raised by participating newsrooms, the number of new donor relationships established, and the successful execution of fundraising campaigns. The program also aims to contribute best practices and lessons learned through case studies and an industry playbook, fostering a collective learning environment and promoting a theory of change where targeted training and support lead to increased philanthropic investment in local journalism, ultimately strengthening civic engagement and informed communities.

The Appalachian Regional Energy Hub Initiative aims to strengthen regional economies by investing in energy resilience through research and planning grants, and implementation grants. The initiative focuses on establishing a regional energy hub for natural gas and natural gas liquids, including hydrogen production. Eligible applicants include local development districts, Indian Tribes, states, counties, cities, and higher education institutions, among others. The total funding available is $5 million, with a grant proposal due by July 24, 2024.

This program provides free training and funding opportunities to nonprofit organizations in the Appalachian region, helping them build capacity to better address community challenges and improve their operational effectiveness.

READY Community Foundations, part of ARC's READY Appalachia initiative, offers no-cost training to community foundations in Appalachia. Participants will build skills in financial management, fundraising, grantmaking, and strategic planning. Eligible foundations can apply for up to $25,000 in funding to implement capacity-building projects post-training. Applications are due by July 5, 2024.