North Carolina Arts Council Awards $11 Million in Grants to Organizations Statewide

The North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR), is pleased to announce $11 million in grant awards for fiscal year 2025-26. Three hundred and seventy-three grant awards will support nonprofit arts organizations, schools, after-school programs, municipalities, and artists in all 100 counties this year. The grants range from $2,000 to $347,014.

"Our state's commitment to supporting arts and culture is critical for our communities and our economy," said DNCR Secretary Pamela B. Cashwell. "The N.C. Arts Council enhances lives and strengthens communities across all 100 counties. We appreciate this continued investment from the Governor and the General Assembly."

Funding priorities this year include:

• Emphasizing community outreach and audience engagement
• Improving organizational capacity and capabilities
• Connecting K-12 students with artists in a range of disciplines, notably with the traditional arts of North Carolina
• Fostering public-private partnerships that leverage state and federal funding with local support
• Providing outreach to military service men and women, veterans, and their families
• Supporting local arts partners in all 100 counties to ensure all North Carolinians can experience the arts in their own communities

"This year marks the second year of our Sustaining Support Grant," said Arts Council Executive Director Jeff Bell. "We are excited to continue to provide important operating support to arts organizations across the state. This type of funding ensures stability for the arts sector in North Carolina."

Sustaining Support grants support the ongoing artistic and administrative functions of arts organizations. The grants are reviewed and awarded on a three-year cycle by discipline, with this cycle's grants going to music, folklife and arts in education categories.

For a complete list of FY2025-26 grant recipients, visit https://www.ncarts.org/fy-25-26-ncac-grants-county/open.

About the North Carolina Arts Council

The North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, builds on our state's long-standing love of the arts, leading the way to a more vibrant future. The N.C. Arts Council is an economic catalyst, fueling a thriving nonprofit creative sector that generates $2.23 billion in annual direct economic activity. We sustain diverse arts expression and traditions while investing in innovative approaches to art-making. The N.C. Arts Council has proven to be a champion for youth by cultivating tomorrow's creative citizens through arts education. NCArts.org.

About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina - its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. Through its programs, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency.

The department manages over 100 locations across the state, including 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, five science museums, four aquariums, 35 state parks, four recreation areas, dozens of state trails and natural areas, the North Carolina Zoo, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, the American Indian Heritage Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of State Archaeology, the Highway Historical Markers program, the N.C. Land and Water Fund, and the Natural Heritage Program. For more information, please visit https://www.dncr.nc.gov.

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