Arts Build Communities ("ABC")

What are ABC Grants?

The Tennessee Arts Commission (TAC) offers the Arts Build Communities (ABC) grant program in partnership with ArtsMemphis for organizations seeking support in the following West TN counties: Fayette, Lauderdale, Shelby, Tipton. (Overall, 13 designated agencies administer the ABC program on behalf of TAC in all 95 counties of the state.)

The Arts Build Communities (ABC) grant program is designed to provide support for arts projects that broaden access to arts experiences, address community quality of life issues through the arts, or enhance the sustainability of asset-based cultural enterprises.

In 2018:

$49,453 in ABC grants resulted in additional investment of $816,000.

79,000 people were engaged by ABC activities, including 57,000 youth.

Project-related donations of goods and services were valued at $183,527, including 854 volunteers working 16,291 hours.

The FY20 Arts Build Communities Grant will be due online by 11:59 p.m. (CT) on July 1, 2019.

Sign up for our newsletter to receive announcements related to Arts Build Communities, along with all our other funding opportunities.

April 1, 2019	FY20 ABC guidelines and application go live
April - May 2019	ArtsMemphis workshops held.
July 1, 2019	FY20 ABC Applications Due
July 31, 2019	ABC Grant Panel Meeting Location: National Civil Rights Museum Links Center, 450 Mulberry St, Memphis, TN 38103
August 15, 2019	Award and Decline Notificiations

Information Sessions

Thursday, April 11, 9:00am at the Community Foundation (1900 Union Ave, Memphis, TN 38104)

Thursday, May 16, 9:30am at the Tipton County Library, Study Room (3149 Hwy 51 S., Bldg. C, Covington, TN 38019)

Tuesday, May 21, 3:15pm at the Collierville Library, Halle Meeting Room (501 Poplar View Pkwy, Collierville, TN 38017)

Wednesday, June 5, 4:00pm at ArtsMemphis (575 S Mendenhall, Memphis, TN 38104)

Please RSVP for an Information Session here.

An organization is eligible to apply for funding support of its arts activities if the organization meets one of the following qualifications:

The organization is a nonprofit organization legally chartered in Tennessee and in possession of a determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service declaring the organization exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Private educational institutions must be a nonprofit and meet these tax-exempt requirements.

-OR-

The organization is an entity of government (such as city/county government departments, public libraries, public schools, etc.)

Colleges and universities are eligible only for activities that clearly serve the needs of surrounding communities or the State and are designed to involve a broad audience. Activities that are credit-producing or are oriented primarily to collegiate students and the academic community are not eligible.

For complete eligibility please visit the Tennessee Arts Commission website here.

How to Apply

All ABC applications must be made through TAC's Online Grants System. Applicants accessing the new Online Grants System for the first time must register their organizations and create an organizational profile.

General Inquiries

If you have questions about Arts Build Communities, you can contact Colleen McCartney, Grants and Initiatives Manager, by emailing [email protected]artsmemphis.org, or by calling 901.578.2787.

For more information on the guidelines of the Arts Build Communities Grant, please visit the Tennessee Art Commission’s Website here.