Application deadline is August 5

Harnett County is now accepting applications for the 2022-2023 Grassroots Arts Program subgrant. The subgrants are made possible through the North Carolina Arts Council, which has partnered with Harnett County to provide grant funding for local artists and arts-based initiatives in the County.

Harnett County received more than $34,000 in grant funding in Fiscal Year 2021-2022, which funded arts programming across Harnett County in the form of plays, concerts, school programs, arts camps and more.

For the 2022-2023 fiscal year, Harnett County expects to receive two allocations in total of over $100,000 for the Grassroots Arts Program to support arts programming and arts organizations throughout the County. The allocation will include a state grant of $46,556, of which $18,977 must go towards the multicultural requirement, and an ARPA federal grant of $63,997, of which $26,086 must go towards the multicultural requirement.

State Grassroots Subgrant Funding

State Grassroots Arts Program funds may be used for expenditures to conduct quality arts programs or to operate an arts organization. Grant amounts start at $500 and may be used for program expenses such as professional artists’ fees and travel, space rental, advertising, marketing and publicity, website and electronic media, scripts, costumes, sets, props, music and equipment rental, as well as operating expenses for qualified art organizations not already receiving operating support from the N.C. Arts Council.

The state funds do require each recipient to match the subgrant dollar for dollar with cash from local sources during the applicable fiscal year.

Eligible organizations must have been in operation for at least a year. Nonprofit 501(c)3 status is preferred, but organizations that are nonprofit in nature may also apply. Organizations must operate and carry out projects within Harnett County and projects must take place between July 1, 2022, and June 15, 2023, to be eligible. The deadline to apply is 5:00 PM on Friday, August 5, 2022. Click here to download application.

ARPA Federal Grassroots Subgrant Funding

In November of 2021, the North Carolina General Assembly passed a comprehensive state budget that included an additional $10 million in funding for the Grassroots Arts Program (GAP). The source of the additional funds was money received from the American Recovery Act Plan (ARPA). The legislative intent of aligning the federal relief money with the Grassroots Arts Program was to ensure that every citizen has access to quality arts experiences with funding for the arts in all 100 counties in North Carolina.

ARPA Federal Grassroots Arts Program funds may be used to build sustainability of the arts ecosystem (beyond projects, investing in operations, and staff), develop new relationships with arts organizations that have not been previously engaged, and invest in capacity building for arts organizations (shared trainings, specific capacity-building tailored for individual organizations, strategic planning, board training, etc.).

The ARPA Federal funds do not require a match.

Eligible organizations must have been in operation for at least a year. Nonprofit 501(c)3 status is preferred, but organizations that are nonprofit in nature may also apply. Organizations must operate and carry out projects within Harnett County and projects must take place between July 1, 2022, and June 15, 2023, to be eligible. The deadline to apply is 5:00 PM on Friday, August 5, 2022. Click here to download application.

Harnett County will host an information session for prospective Grassroots Arts Program subgrant applicants prior to the August 5 application deadline. The session will be held virtually on Wednesday, July 20 at 2:00 PM. Interested individuals can click here to register online or sign up by contacting Ashley Bauer at abauer@harnett.org.

Applications may be submitted digitally to Ashley Bauer at abauer@harnett.org or mailed to the Harnett County Manager’s Office, Attn: Grassroots Subgrants, c/o Ashley Bauer, P.O. Box 759, Lillington, NC 27526. Applications may also be submitted in person at the Harnett County Manager’s Office in the Harnett County Resource Center, located at 455 McKinney Parkway in Lillington.

For more information on the Fiscal Year 2022-2023 Grassroots Arts Program subgrant, contact Ashley Bauer at 910-814-6001 or visit harnett.org/publicinfo/grant-opportunities.asp.