We encourage you to:

• Read the guidelines thoroughly, check your eligibility, and carefully complete your application.

• Review the online application early so that you can plan ahead.

• Communicate with ARTSmemphis about any questions you have, or to review your draft application as early as possible before the deadline. We are happy to assist, but last-minute help is limited due to the timing and volume of requests.

• Be clear and concise in your application – panelists read and evaluate 6-10 applications.

• You may find it efficient to draft your narrative responses in a word processing document and then to copy and paste your final draft into the online system.

Click HERE to download a Word version of the LOI / Organization Profile.

Click HERE to download a Word version of the Application.

• November 27, 2023: Application Opens.

• November 30, 2023: Grant Information Session Recording

• December 12, 2023, 9:00 am : Grants 101 Session Recording

  Session Presentation

• December 15, 2023 DEADLINE: Organizations not previously funded through this program to schedule required eligibility interview with ARTSmemphis staff.

• Office Hours:

  • Tuesdays, 9:00-10:30 am, Jan. 9, 23, Feb. 6

  • Wednesdays, 12:00-1:00 pm, Jan. 3, 17, 31

  • January 8-12, 12:00-1:00

  • February 5-9, 12:00-1:30

• January 21, 2024 DEADLINE: LOI (Organization Profile). This must be submitted first to access the narrative application.

• February 9, 2024 DEADLINE: Narrative Application.

• Early March 2024: ARTSmemphis will notify organizations selected for Site Visits or Zoom meetings.

• Late March – April (Exact dates TBD): Site Visits or Zoom meetings with select organizations.

• July 2024: Organizations notified of grant award decisions.

• August 2024: Contracts issued.

• September 2024: First payments issued.

• Winter 2024-25: Semi-annual interviews with grantees scheduled in lieu of grant reports.

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

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

• 501c3 organizations that are not registered in Shelby County must demonstrate a permanent location in Shelby County and a history of minimally three years of providing programming in Shelby County.

2. Organization’s primary focus is arts-based.

• The organization creates, exhibits, and/or performs works in any of the following fine, performing, applied or literary art forms as a primary public function.

  • Dance

  • Literary Arts

  • Media Arts

  • Music

  • Performing Arts

  • Theater

  • Visual Art

  • Other

• The arts should be referenced in the organization’s mission and/or vision statement, strategic planning documents and/or other foundational materials.

3. Received at least one grant through ARTSmemphis since July 2021. This is to ensure your organization is familiar with the application process and ready to submit a competitive application.

• Includes any of the following grant programs:

  • Arts Build Communities

  • ArtsFirst

  • ArtsZone

  • Operating Support

4. Organizations that have received at least one ARTSmemphis grant since July 2021 but have not received an operating support grant previously, must contact ARTSmemphis staff by December 15, 2023 to discuss eligibility and application readiness. Following this meeting, staff will notify organizations if they are eligible to apply.

5. Offer programs that are accessible to all Shelby County citizens regardless of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, or any characteristic protected by law.

6. Have at least a three-year programming history and offer consistent programming throughout the calendar year, minimally 9 months out of the year.

7. Have a three-year expense average of no less than $30,000.

8. Have an active and financially (including in-kind) supportive Board of Directors.

Other Requirements:

• Have proof of compliance with all local, state, and federal laws or requirements (i.e., IRS form 990, state auditor forms, TN solicitation license, etc.).

  • Visit the Tennessee Secretary of State website on Charitable Organizations for links and helpful information.

• If a grant is awarded and your organization engages or serves youth under age 18, a Board-approved Child Protection Policy is required before funds will be distributed. Organizations should use resources provided by the Memphis Child Advocacy Center. ARTSmemphis staff can provide sample policies if needed.

The following entities are not eligible for a FY25 Operating Support Grant but may be eligible for other grant opportunities through ARTSmemphis.

• Organizations with a mission that is not arts-based.

• Organizations that have not received a grant through the Arts Build Communities, ArtsFirst, ArtsZone, or Operating Support programs since July 2021.

• Organizations with a three-year expense average of less than $30,000.

• K-12 schools, institutions of higher education or individual departments of colleges and universities.

• Religious organizations, churches or church-affiliated programs, and programs that have implicit religious content, express a particular religious view, or advance a religious purpose.

• Governmental institutions, i.e., public libraries, park and recreational facilities, schools, etc.

• Arts-missioned programs or projects operating under a fiscal agent that does not have an arts-based mission.

• Arts-missioned organizations with less than three years of programming history or that provide programs less than 9 months per year.

Organizations that are not eligible for the FY25 operating support grant are encouraged to apply for an Arts Build Communities grant, the deadline for which is typically around July 1.

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.

• This grant provides unrestricted funding, and therefore, the application process includes a comprehensive and thorough review of information about your organization’s operations.

• 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.

• 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.

• Grant awards may not be used for regranting funds to other organizations.

• 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.

Suggestions

• ARTSmemphis encourages grantee organizations to be organizational partners of Tennessee Nonprofit Network to take advantage of their resources, forums, and learning opportunities to ensure utilization of best practices and implementation of current trends in nonprofit administration.

• ARTSmemphis encourages grantee organizations to be members of Tennesseans for the Arts to advocate for state arts funding.

• ARTSmemphis encourages all applicant and grantee organizations maintain an up-to-date profile on LIVEGIVEmidsouth.org. If you need to create or update your profile, contact Aerial Ozuzu, Director of Grants & Initiatives, aozuzu@cfgm.org.

  • If you do not have a profile, you may still apply for this grant.

Group Designations

For review process logistics, organizations are grouped into one of three budget groups:

• Group A: Budgets under $500,000

• Group B: Budgets $500,000 - $1,000,000

• Group C: Budgets $1,000,000 +

  Review and Selection Process

• Review panels are comprised of ARTSmemphis board members and community volunteers, with attention to ensuring diverse and inclusive representation on each panel.

• An organization’s review may include a site visit, interview, or meeting with staff and/or review panel members.

  • Not all applicants will be visited or have an interview or meeting. Therefore, all critical information must be included in the grant application.

  • If your organization is scheduled for a site visit, it is recommended you have a board member present for the meeting.

  • Approximately half of applicant organizations will be scheduled for a site visit or meeting with review panelists.

  • Organizations not scheduled for a site visit or meeting will be reviewed through an administrative process conducted by staff and board members.

• A dedicated committee will review and evaluate the financial information submitted by all applicants.

  • This committee may identify questions to be clarified during the site visit or zoom meeting scheduled with selected organizations.

• Grant awards are determined through an administrative process following the review by panelists.

  • Our budget for FY25 is based on our fundraising and will be determined in June 2024. We anticipate a minimum of $1.2M and are working towards an increase.

  • These grants should supplement other revenue, both earned and contributed, generated by the organization.

  • Our goal is for the minimum grant award to be no less than $5000.

  • Typically, grant awards will not exceed the following:

    • Group A: 10% of FY24 budgeted expenses

    • Groups B & C: 5% of FY24 budgeted expenses

  • ARTSmemphis strives to exceed the Midsouth Philanthropy Network’s Equity Audit Task Force recommendation to provide minimally 35% of funds available to BIPOC-led and -serving organizations (see explanation below).

  • Award amounts will be determined by the following three components:

    • A base award determined by an organization’s budget size.

    • A possible merit award based on the organization’s score and ranking as determined by the review panelists.

    • A possible equity investment based on the demographics of the organization’s leadership and participants.

The following criteria will be considered in reviewing application data and information. Organizations receiving an average score of 24 or less will not be recommended for funding.

Mission, Capacity, and Impact (60%)

Mission (5 points)

• Does the organization demonstrate progress against their stated mission and goals?

• Do the organization’s goals align with ARTSmemphis’ mission and vision?

• Does the organization demonstrate artistic excellence and artistic merit?

Capacity (5 points)

• Is there stability within the organization and its leadership? Does the organization have the administrative capacity to carry out its goals today and plan for tomorrow?

• Does the organization have the artistic capacity to carry out its goals?

Impact (20 points)

• Does a program(s) or initiative noted in the application engage underserved populations?

  • As defined by the National Endowment for the Arts, underserved refers to those whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, ethnicity, economics, or disability. Age alone (e.g., youth, seniors) does not qualify a group as underserved.

• Does the organization currently collaborate with other organizations to expand impact, access and sustainability of programming?

• Does the organization present programs that increase relevance and/or inclusive representation of all members of the community or use art to tell stories that are inclusive and representative of all members of the community?

Governance and Fiscal Accountability (40%)

Governance (10 points)

• Does the Board financially (including in-kind) support the organization and is it actively involved in the organization?

Fiscal Health & Accountability (10 points)

• Organization demonstrates responsible financial stewardship, diverse revenue streams, and efforts to improve efficiency of operations and control expenses.

• If the organization is operating at a deficit, does it have a reasonable plan for reversing this trend?

• Does the organization have reserve funds available? Are there controls in place to maintain a reserve?

ARTSmemphis also considers if an organization is Black, Indigenous or Person of Color (BIPOC)-led and/or BIPOC-serving:

• BIPOC-led = CEO and majority of board members are BIPOC individuals.

• BIPOC-serving = majority of participants are BIPOC individuals.

• BIPOC-led and -serving = CEO and majority of board members are BIPOC individuals, and majority of participants are BIPOC individuals.

To Apply, please visit the ARTSmemphis Grant Platform.

• If you are new to your organization, contact ARTSmemphis staff to set up an account.

• If your organization is a new applicant, you may set up your own account.

The FY25 Operating Support grant application is in two parts:

1. LOI - serves as an organization profile.

2. Application - available after completing and submitting the LOI.

We recommend using a PDF or Word version of each form to compile your information/responses, and then transferring this information into the online application.

Please be aware that you must first submit the LOI form to access the online Application. BOTH parts are required for a complete application.

Application Requirements

• Organization Profile (referred to as LOI in the online grant system)

  • This step in the application process is used to collect basic organization information and data.

• Financial Report

  • Submit your financial data into the table in the online application.

  • Line items conform to the Tennessee Arts Commission grant applications for consistency and efficiency.

  • Information requested includes:

    • FY23 Revenue & Expense Actuals

    • FY24 Budget

    • FY24 Year-to-Date (YTD) Actuals or, for organizations with a fiscal year ending between July and December.

• List of top 10 donors (by total giving amounts) for your most recently completed fiscal year. Submit this information into the table in the online application.

  • If known, list name, amounts and if the gift was for a specific purpose. This includes individuals, corporations, foundations, grants, and other contributors. Anonymous donations or donors what wish to remain anonymous should be listed as such.

  • We ask for this information to understand the diversity of your support and understand which corporations/foundations are or are not providing significant support for the arts.

  • Please organize this list by donation amount in descending order.

  • For ARTmemphis' administered grants with corporate partners list ArtsFirst as First Horizon Foundation, ArtsZone as AutoZone, FedEx Arts Program as FedEx and ABC as Tennessee Arts Commission.

• Staff and Board list.

  • If you do not have a current LIVEGIVEmidsouth profile, you may provide a link to your lists on your website or upload a list.

  • Submit this information into the table in the online application.

• Form 990s, last three completed fiscal years, or total expenses for last three fiscal years if you file 990-N Postcard.

  • Required only if you do not have a current LIVEGIVEmidsouth profile.

• Groups B & C, additional requirements:

  • Balance sheet for last completed financial reporting period (e.g., last month, last quarter).

• Application

  • This is the narrative section of the application.

ACT/YADA

AngelStreet Memphis

Arkwings Foudation

Arrow Creative

Ballet Memphis

Carpenter Art Garden

Cazateatro Bilingual Theatre Company

Circuit Playhouse, Inc.

Collage Dance

Creative Aging Memphis

Crosstown Arts

Germantown Community Theatre

GPAC

Harmonic South String Orchestra

Hattiloo Theatre

Indie Memphis

Iris Collective

Memphis Black Arts Alliance Inc.

Memphis Brooks Museum of Art

Memphis ChoralArts

Memphis Jazz Workshop

Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum

Memphis Symphony Orchestra

Memphis Youth Symphony Program

Metal Museum

Music Export Memphis

New Ballet Ensemble & School

New Day Children's Theatre

On Location: Memphis

Opera Memphis

Orpheum Theatre Group

Overton Park Shell

Perfecting Gifts

Playback Memphis

PRIZM Ensemble

RiverArtsFest, Inc.

Soulsville Foundation

Tennessee Shakespeare Company

The Blues Foundation, Inc.

Theatre Memphis

TheatreWorks

TONE

UrbanArt Commission

WYXR

Young Actors Guild