For a complete list of eligibility requirements, please visit the Tennessee Arts Commission website 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 a complete list of the grant guidelines, please visit the Tennessee Arts Commission website here.

The proposed project must take place and grants funds must be used between August 16, 2023 and June 15, 2024.

ABC funds may NOT be used:

• To support a project already funded by the Commission
• For capital improvements (construction expenses or equipment purchases)
• For the elimination of an accumulated deficit
• For in-school, curriculum-based projects
• For endowments
• For out-of-state travel expenses

Please note:

• 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 requires at least a one-to-one (1:1) dollar match. “One-to-one dollar match” means the applicant must cover at least half the cost of a project or program through other income sources. Matching funds may be listed in multiple expense categories.

To Apply, please visit the Grant Platform.

Please note: You must be registered with the Tennessee Arts Commission's grant platform to apply. Please create your account as soon possible, as registration for a profile may take a few days. You can view instructions for the platform here.

For Non-Profit and Government Applicants:

• Unique Entity ID (UEI): In April 2022, the federal government will transition away from the use of the DUNS and toward the new Unique Entity ID as the primary means of entity identification for federal awards government-wide. While not required to submit an application, the UEI will be required prior to receiving a grant award. To register your organization or get a Unique Entity ID, go to the  SAM website SAM.gov | Entity Registrations and click on the green Get Started button on the right side of the page.
• 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)

For Non-Profit Applicants Only:

• Corporation Annual Report as filed annually with the Secretary of State’s Office. In lieu of the report, you may also submit a copy of the email verification issued by the Secretary of State’s office or a copy of the online verification sheet maintained by the Secretary of State’s Office.
• All 501(c)(3) applicants must upload their most recent copy of the organization’s By-laws into their organizational profiles in the Online Grants System.
  • Nonprofit applicants’ 501(c)(3) statuses will be verified independently prior to being reviewed by a designated agency panel. Any applications from organizations with lapsed or unconfirmed nonprofit determination will be disqualified.

You may submit questions about this grant in writing to Bryce Goodloe at bgoodloe@artsmemphis.org