Raleigh, N.C.— The North Carolina Arts Council’s 2018 grant guidelines for nonprofit arts organizations are now available at www.NCArts.org. The deadline for submitting applications is Thursday, March 1.

The N.C. Arts Council’s grant programs are designed to sustain and advance the arts infrastructure that reaches into all 100 N.C. counties, to enhance the education of children and youth, and to ensure that all North Carolinians have access to a wide range of high quality arts programs.

Funds distributed by the N.C. Arts Council are appropriated by the state General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The grants serve as a catalyst for public-private collaborations. For every $1 invested by the Arts Council, an additional $18 is leveraged in required matching funds.

New grant categories include Military and Veterans Healing Arts grants that will provide funding for arts projects that serve North Carolina’s military service men and women, veterans, and their families. The other new category is the Rural Touring and Outreach program that will expand or support arts programming in rural areas and is available to organizations currently funded in the State Arts Resources (SAR) category.

To be eligible to apply for Arts Council grants, an organization must:

• have nonprofit status
• have been producing quality arts programs for at least two consecutive years
• have prior-year organization cash operating expenses of at least $20,000

Grant awards are recommended by panels of civic leaders and experts in diverse arts fields based on artistic merit, benefit of the project to the state’s citizens, and the applicant’s organizational strength and capacity.

Information about grants for organizations is available at the Arts Council website, https://www.ncarts.org/resources/grants/grants-organizations. The grant application deadline is Thursday, March 1.

About the North Carolina Arts Council
The North Carolina Arts Council builds on our state’s long-standing love of the arts, leading the way to a more vibrant future. The Arts Council is an economic catalyst, fueling a thriving nonprofit creative sector that generates $2.12 billion in annual direct economic activity. The Arts Council also sustains diverse arts expression and traditions while investing in innovative approaches to art-making. The North Carolina Arts Council has proven to be a champion for youth by cultivating tomorrow’s creative citizens through arts education. http://www.NCArts.org

About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources

The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state’s natural and cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational and economic future of North Carolina. NCDNCR’s mission is to improve the quality of life in our state by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history, libraries and nature in North Carolina by stimulating learning, inspiring creativity, preserving the state’s history, conserving the state’s natural heritage, encouraging recreation and cultural tourism, and promoting economic development.

NCDNCR includes 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, two science museums, three aquariums and Jennette’s Pier, 39 state parks and recreation areas, the N.C. Zoo, the nation’s first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, State Preservation Office and the Office of State Archaeology, along with the Division of Land and Water Stewardship. For more information, please call (919) 807-7300 or visit www.ncdcr.gov.