• April 13: Grant Application opens

  • Information Session @ 1pm, REGISTRATION REQUIRED

• April – May: Office Hours – Tuesdays @ noon, REGISTRATION REQUIRED

• May 8:  LOI Deadline

• May 22: Application Invitations Distributed

• June 19: Application Deadline

• July 15: Interviews for invited organizations

• October: Decisions communicated

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

• Have a current 501(c)(3) federal tax-exempt status, with a primary place of business in Shelby County.

• Organization’s primary focus is arts-based.

• Have at least a three-year programming history of presenting quality arts programs.

• Supportive Board of Directors

• Organization must have received minimally one grant through any ARTSmemphis program since July 2023.  Arts Build Communities is recommended for first time applicants.

‍ ‍The following are not eligible:

• Organizations currently receiving multi-year funding or funding outside of the ArtsZone grant program from AutoZone

• Festivals/One-time events

• Fundraising events

• Individual artists

• Applications by fiscal agents

‍ Funded programs must be accessible to the entire community regardless of age, creed, disability, gender, marital status, race, religion, sexual orientation or country of origin.

Note: Capital campaigns are not supported through ArtsZone funding.  If you are interested in securing support for a capital campaign, please apply through the AutoZone Greater Memphis Area Grant Application.

‍ ‍

General

• You are encouraged to register for office hours and/or contact Nur Abdalla in advance of the deadline with any questions.

• All grant applications must be submitted using the online grant application platform.

• Data and information provided by organizations during grant application processes is utilized by ARTSmemphis to advocate and secure funding for the local arts sector, including this grant program and will be shared with the grant funder, AutoZone.

• Grant award decisions are competitive, and awards are based on an organization’s documentation of progress and success against the stated criteria.

• Submission of an application for funding does not guarantee that funding will be awarded. Award of funding one year does not guarantee funding the following year. If not awarded funding, this does not exclude organizations from the opportunity to apply for funding in following years.

• In fairness to others, no deadline extensions are granted, and we will not accept incomplete applications. An application may be deemed incomplete and ineligible if information is not provided in the appropriate format by the deadline.

• There is not a suggested minimum or maximum request amount, grants typically range from $5,000 to $30,000.

• Consider requesting support for your projects/programs that will impact the greatest number of individuals.

• It is expected that other support will apply to your proposed project, so it is not advisable to request a high percentage of the project budget.

• Grant proposals are reviewed by a panel of AutoZone employees and funding decisions are made by this panel.

• Grant awards will be announced by October 2026, proposed projects should not begin before January 2027.

AutoZone Strategic Giving Pillars

Arts & Culture

• Ensuring access to the arts and a wide variety of cultural experiences (for capital campaign gifts only, refer to ArtsZone Grants for annual arts related grant funding.)

Health & Wellness

• Improving health and well-being through affordable healthcare options and preventative healthcare methods.

Education & Youth Development

• Fostering youth through Cradle to Career Education.

Community Development

• Advancing the Memphis community through placed-based development and social services.

AutoZone Projects of Importance

• High importance: Programming

• Medium importance: General operating support

• Low importance: Events and sponsorships (not suggested for grant applications)

Please note: AutoZone continues to not support event sponsorships for the purpose of fundraising (dinners, luncheons, etc.), such requests will not be considered in the application review process.

• AngelStreet Memphis | AngelStreet Musical Training Program 

• Ballet Memphis | Ballet Memphis Season 39

• Cazateatro Bilingual Theatre Group | Cazateatro Bilingual Theatre Group 2025-26 Season

• Circuit Playhouse, Inc. | Theatre Education and Outreach Programs

• Collage Dance Collective | Turning Pointe: In-School Dance Instruction by Collage Dance Collective

• Contemporary Arts Memphis | 2026 Operational Support 

• Dixon Gallery and Gardens | Art to Grow

• Everystory (formally Playback Memphis | Be The Peace Youth Programs

• GPAC l GPAC Season 31

• Hattiloo Theatre | Black Nativity: A Cross-Disciplinary Celebration of Faith, Culture, and Community

• Iris Collective | Iris Collective Community Engagement Programming + Arts Accessibility Ticket Subsidy Sponsorship

• Memphis Jazz Workshop | Memphis Jazz Workshop Spring 2026 Saturday School and Finale Concert

• Memphis Symphony Orchestra | We Play for Memphis - Memphis Symphony Orchestra 2025-2026 Institutional Sponsor

• Music Export Memphis | Ambassador Access 2026 Cohort

• New Ballet Ensemble & School | The Pathways Program, providing free dance training for K-12 students

• New Day Children's Theatre | Sensory Friendly Performances for the Season

• Opera Memphis | 2025 30 Days of Opera 

• Perfecting Gifts, Inc. | Perfecting Gifts Performing Arts Academy 

• Princeton James Project | 2006 Kooler Kids Camp Summer Camp

• PRIZM Ensemble | Mahogany Chamber Music Series

• Soulsville Foundation | Free Programming for Memphis Youth

• Tennessee Shakespeare Company | The Feast of Crispian-South: Memphis Veterans Project

• Theatre Memphis | A Christmas Choral - 2025 Presenting Sponsorship

• UrbanArt Commission | Voices Rising: Youth Transforming Neighborhoods Through Art

• Young Actors Guild | Young Actors Guild Performing Arts Academy

AngelStreet Memphis | General Operating Support

Ballet Memphis | Season 38 Support

Carpenter Art Garden | Art Intervention

Cazateatro Bilingual Theatre | FY 24-25 Season Support 

Circuit Playhouse, Inc. | Theatre Education and Outreach Super Sponsorship

Dixon Gallery and Gardens | Art to Grow

Germantown Community Theatre l The Full Spectrum Theatre Intiative Programming

GPAC l FY25 Operating Support

Hattiloo Theatre | General Operating Support

Indie Memphis | General Operating Support

Iris Collective | Iris Collective Community Engagement

Memphis Jazz Workshop | Winter Jazz Intensive Training Camp

Music Export Memphis | MEM Preview Parties

New Ballet Ensemble & School | NutRemix Student Performances 2024

New Day Children's Theatre | 2024-2025 Season Support: Sensory Friendly Performances and Community Outreach

Opera Memphis | 30 Days of Opera

Perfecting Gifts, Inc. | PGI Performing Arts Academy 

Playback Memphis | “Be the Peace!” in Gestalt Community Schools

Princeton James Project | Kooler Grandes Camp

PRIZM Ensemble | Mahogany Chamber Music Series

Tennessee Shakespeare Company | The Feast of Crispian-South: Memphis Veterans Project

Theatre Memphis | A Christmas Carol Presenting Sponsorship 2024

Young Actors Guild | Season 34 Support