Organizations must meet all the following criteria to be eligible to apply for funding consideration:

• Have current 501(c)3 organizations legally chartered in Tennessee

  • Private educational institutions must be a nonprofit and meet these tax-exempt requirements.

  • Must upload copy of most recent By-laws

-OR-

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

  • Must be public facing event, not curriculum based/for credit

• Proposed project must take place and grants funds must be used between August 16, 2025 and June 15, 2026.

  • Applications that propose arts activities related to the Juneteenth holiday are eligible for Arts Build Communities grants as long as proposed projects conclude with all project expenses disbursed by June 20, 2026.

• Other Eligibility Requirements:

  • All projects sponsored in part or entirely with ABC funds must be accessible to the general public

  • Applications from colleges or universities or other institutions of higher education, whether public or private, must emphasize non-academic community involvement in the planning and implementation of the project

• ABC funds may NOT be used:

  • To support a project already funded by the Commission

  • For capital improvements (buildings or construction), for permanent equipment purchases or for the elimination of an accumulated deficit.

  • As “seed money” for starting new organizations

  • For in-school, curriculum-based projects. Projects may target youth as participants and can occur within school facilities outside of regular school hours. 

  • To begin, match, add to or complete any type of endowment campaign or program

  • For out-of-state travel expenses

An application to ABC goes through a local review process. An advisory panel of at least five (5) members reviews these applications. While not required, your attendance at the panel review meeting is strongly encouraged.

Advisory panels reviewing grant applications for this program assign scores based on how well the proposed project addresses ABC program objectives and use the following evaluation criteria on a 100-point scale:

Artistic/Cultural Merit (35 points)
Applications should provide evidence of how the proposed arts/cultural project shows value to the community being served. Competitive applications may demonstrate artistic/cultural merit by showing how projects will accomplish one or more of the following:

• Provide arts experiences that expose participants to new perspectives or media

• Deepen audiences’ appreciation of artists, media, or movements

• Provide opportunities for engagement in the creative process

• Advance community priorities and/or address social issues in or through the arts

• Promote local traditions or community assets in or through the arts

• Build social connections and understanding between diverse groups of people

• Enhance the sustainability of cultural enterprises

• Provide a hospitable environment for arts organizations and/or artists to thrive creatively and/or economically

Competitive applications may also demonstrate that proposed project supports the work of artists through payment of fees, services or appropriate benefits.

Community Engagement and Participation (35 points)
Applications should provide evidence of how organizations understand and are responsive to the communities they serve. Competitive applications will demonstrate the engagement and participation of their communities by not only showing how proposed projects advance organizational missions, but also by showing to what extent community members are involved in planning, executing and evaluating the projects.

Additional evidence includes: needs assessment research; formal partnerships that advance project goals through resource and responsibility sharing; and demonstrated support from local community leaders.

Competitive applications may also demonstrate goals and objectives that are designed to address social issues or build economic sustainability through the arts.

Budget and Financial Support (20 points)
Applications should include realistic project budgets with accurate cost and income estimates. Competitive applications will show that organizations are actively raising  funds through requests to individual contributors, private corporations, foundations, government sources, AND/OR through viable earned revenue projections.

Operational Practice (10 points)
Applications should provide evidence that planning procedures are clear, inclusive and include discussion on past project results (when appropriate). Competitive applications will address all application questions and provide correct and complete information.

1. If you are a new applicant to the Tennessee Arts Commission, register to use the Online Grants System. You are strongly advised to register well in advance to the application deadline; process can take up to 7 days. Anyone registering close to the deadline date can expect delays in the processing of their grant application.

2. Read all instructions carefully before completing any part of the application form.

3. All questions must be answered. Supplying complete and accurate information is the responsibility of the applicant. Incomplete applications will likely receive low scores by a review panel if they are accepted at all.

4. Clearly and briefly respond to the questions asked. Regardless of the number of characters used, your answers MUST fit into the space provided online. We recommend editing your answers for clarity and simplicity.

5. The forms in this portal do not auto-save. Always click the “Save” button before navigating away from the form you are editing to save your work.

6. Beware—clicking the back navigation button on your web browser will exit you from the system and you will lose your work

7. Supporting Materials

   • Government Applicants: No Supporting Materials are required.

   • For Non-Profit Applicants Only:

     • List of Board of Directors, Advisory Committee or Council members. The board list (at the time of application) must include the following:

       • Full Name

       • Email Address

       • Number of years on the board

       • Length of term(s)

     • Corporation Annual Report

• AngelStreet | Annual Spring Concert

• ArtWorks Foundation | Winter Arts Artist Market

• Buckman Arts aCenter at St. Mary's | Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana Residency

• Carpenter Art Garden | Art Education Programming

• Cazateatro Bilingual Theatre Group | Afro-Latino Week 2026

• Contemporary Arts Memphis | An Intro to a New Medium

• Cooper-Young Community Association | Porch Fest

• Crosstown Arts | Musician and Artist Services Writing Camp

• Elmwood Cemetery | Soul of the City

• Emerald Theatre Company | 29th Season Premiere Productions

• Fayette County Commission on Aging | Seniors Creating Art & Talent

• Germantown Symphony Orchestra | 2025 Young Artists Concert

• Juneteenth Douglass | Paint The Garden PInk -A Breast Cancer Awareness Event Through Artmaking

• Lauderdale County Commission on Aging | Seniors Creating Art & Talent

• Les Passees | “Seed to Script”

• LoneTree Live | Kids on the Block Feeling Better

• Memphis Challenge | Take a Walk In My Shoes

• Memphis Chapter of American Orff Schulwerk Association | Bridging the Gap for Student Inclusivity

• Memphis ChoralArts | The Ballad of the Brown King” – Christmas with Memphis Choral Arts

• Memphis Listening Lab | Sound Education: Community Music Training

• Memphis Youth Arts Initiative | Empowering Youth Through Free Music and Dance Lessons

• MoSH Pink Palace Museum | Laser Light Shows

• National Civil Rights Museum | 2026 Ruby Bridges Reading Festival

• Neighborhood Christian Centers | 2026 Spring Jam

• Overton Park Conservancy | Nature Journaling

• Paint America Clean Foundation | 2026 The Art of CLEAN: A Public Hygiene Awareness Art Experience

• Paint Memphis | Paint Memphis 2025

• RiverArtsFest Inc | Year Round Artist Engagement

• South City Museum & Cultural Center | Mural Project

• The Actors Renaissance Theatre | Curtains Up: A Black Theatre Rising

• Thistle & Bee Enterprises | Hope Carried Through Song

• Tipton County Commission on Aging | Seniors Creating Art & Talent

• United Church Residences of Memphis | Pottery with Soul

• Vollintine Evergreen Community Assoc. - V&E Greenline A

• W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Group Inc. | 2025 Using Art to Tell Our Stories IV: We Remember Fort Pillow

• WLOK | Stone Soul Picnic

• YMCA | Teen Night

• Young Actors Guild | 2025 Orange Mound Music Fest