Grassroots Grants Applications open Fall of 2026
About Grassroots Grants
The Arts Council of Greater Greensboro, in collaboration with High Point Arts Council, offers Grassroots Grants for all Guilford County arts-based organizations. The grant provides operating support and project support. Funded since 1977, through the North Carolina Arts Council’s Grassroots Arts Program (GAP), this program is intended to provide access to high-quality arts experiences for Guilford County citizens.
Eligible Organizations
- Nonprofit (501-c3) Arts organizations with income levels of $150,000 to $500,000 that have been in existence for three or more years are eligible to apply for operating support.
- Arts nonprofit organizations with income levels below $150,000 that have been in existence for one year or more are eligible to apply for project support. Projects must take place from January to June 2027. (Organization start date July 1, 2025)
- Arts nonprofit organizations must reside in and carry out programming within Guilford County.
- Applications and support materials must be completed and received by due date for continued eligibility.
- Individual artists are not eligible but artists who have an LLC and partner with an arts nonprofit to conduct or support arts-in-education programs for pre-K–12 students will be eligible. The arts nonprofit must align with the eligibility for project support, and the program must have elements that allow for accessibility to the community.
Operational Support
Funding will support administrative costs associated with the organization’s operations, including salaries, benefits, space rental, equipment rental, purchasing technology and software upgrades, contract personnel fees, utilities, insurance, telephone, postage, office supplies, and marketing fees.
Project Support Grants
Project support funding supports performances, art exhibitions, art camps or afterschool programs, artist residences limited to working in the schools, artist fees for classes and workshops open to the public, and marketing expenses for community art activations.
Grant amounts begin at $500.00 and are capped based on current year funding.
Financial Reporting Requirements
Arts nonprofit organizations must have filed all required paperwork with the N.C. Secretary of State and have up to date 990 reports with the IRS. The application will also request current operating budgets for this fiscal year and budgets for all project support requests.
This grant requires a one-to-one cash match from the applicant.
Review Criteria
When completing the Grassroots Grants application, keep in mind the criteria by which the applications are reviewed. Ask yourself, are you making a good case for each criterion?
- Ability to plan, implement and report on year-round programming or specific project
- Financial stability and fiscal responsibility of organization
- Representation of artistic excellence and alignment with organizational mission
- Collaboration and shared initiatives that strengthen foundation and operations
- Community Impact – Demonstrates meaningful public access to the arts, community engagement, and compliance with grant requirements
- Sustainable programming with clear path for growth and impact.
Grant applications are reviewed by a panel of community members, including artists, county leaders, public officials, and arts council board members, among others. The ACGG’s and HPAC’s respective Boards of Directors review all panel scores and recommendations and approve all final awards based on scores provided by the panelists.
Funding Guidelines
The priority area of support for the Grassroots Grants is to provide operating or project support to qualified arts organizations not already receiving or eligible to receive support from N.C. Arts Council.
Priorities for Funding
1st Priority: Arts nonprofits (501)c3 – Theaters, symphonies, galleries, art guilds, choral societies, music presenters, dance companies, folk arts societies, writers’ groups, and arts festivals, etc. Arts organizations are defined as 75% or more of programming being arts based.
2nd Priority: Arts learning and arts in education programs conducted by qualified artists. These can be artist residencies in schools, after-school summer camps, or adult arts engagement classes.
3rd Priority: Community, civic, and municipal organizations who hire qualified artists to run an art in education program.
Priority areas of support for the Grassroots Grant are to strengthen creative investment, community engagement, and public access through organizational programming and projects. The grant supports qualified arts non-profit organizations who do not already receive or are eligible to receive support from N.C. Arts Council.
If You Get Funded…
- Your organization will enter into a contractual agreement with The ACGG.
- You are responsible for the timely submittal of the No Overdue Tax Debts Form.
- Your organization will complete a final report not later than 30 days after the completion of the project or June 30, 2027.
- Collect audience numbers by age and zip codes.
- Grantees must acknowledge the North Carolina Arts Council, The Arts Council of Greater Greensboro, and The High Point Arts Council in all print and promotional materials related to the grant funding. Organizations that receive operating support and project support must post acknowledgment on the organization’s website as demonstrated below.
- Grant payments will be distributed in two installments.
- Keep The ACGG updated on the progress of your program. If something changes and you can’t use all the funds, The ACGG must know by April 2027.
NOTE: If an organization does not follow guidelines and submits incomplete final reports, they will become ineligible to receive future funding.
The Grassroots Grant is facilitated by The Arts Council of Greater Greensboro, and the High Point Arts Council with funding from the North Carolina Arts Council, a Division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
“For nearly 50 years, Grassroots Grants have helped strengthen Guilford County's creative community by investing in the organizations that bring arts experiences to our neighborhoods, schools, and public spaces. These grants celebrate the power of the arts to connect people, enrich communities, and ensure that residents across Guilford County have access to meaningful art experiences.”