ArtsGreensboro Awarded Grant from Lincoln Financial Foundation to Expand the Arts in Guilford County
GREENSBORO, NC— ArtsGreensboro was recently awarded a $60,000 grant from Lincoln Financial Foundation to support the 2022-2023 ArtsFund campaign. Lincoln Financial Foundation awards grants to hundreds of nonprofits each year that empower and improve the lives of people in their communities. This award will help advance current initiatives, including Shared Services, the Arts Across Guilford marketing plan and the Community Elevation Grant Program. Through generous contributions from organizations like Lincoln Financial Foundation, ArtsGreensboro can expand its current programs and support more artists and arts organizations.
ArtsGreensboro aims to increase organizational support and capacity building among Guilford County arts organizations through the Shared Services program. This program assists arts organizations with financial analysis and cash flow management to position them for long-term mission-driven planning. ArtsGreensboro currently serves nine organizations through Shared Services but is working to increase the program to 15 organizations in the 2022-2023 fiscal year. The program’s growth would also provide additional resources such as human resource management services.
To shape the future of the creative sector, ArtsGreensboro will develop a comprehensive marketing plan that promotes the artists and arts organizations across Guilford County. Guided by the art ecology study conducted by the DeVos Institute for Arts Management, the project will assist in growing and diversifying audiences and building a greater awareness of the local creative community. These marketing efforts will position Guilford County as a national brand for tourism and economic development.
“Investing in the creative ecosystem produces a ripple effect,” says ArtsGreensboro President and CEO Laura Way when asked about her investment plan for the arts. “A vibrant, thriving arts sector produces livelier neighborhoods, more energized communities, and more tourists and residents drawn to an area.”
In October 2022, ArtsGreensboro launched its inaugural Community Elevation Program in East Greensboro. The program provides opportunities where art and culture can play a role in community development and revitalization by using art-based solutions to solve community issues. The Community Elevation Grant Program will be a part of the transformative effort to shift the trajectory of East Greensboro for positive community development through art. With the increased funding, ArtsGreensboro will be able to fulfill more projects and have a larger impact on the community.
ArtsGreensboro is dedicated to building and sustaining a vibrant arts sector in Guilford County. Artists and other creatives drive outcomes and shape the culture of our neighborhoods and communities. An investment in the arts is an investment in Guilford County.
About ArtsGreensboro:
ArtsGreensboro invests in programs that provide access to the arts for all citizens, support arts integration in our schools, build capacity for our arts community, and unify the community through the power of the arts.
