by CHARLOTTE – The City of Charlotte’s Arts and Culture Advisory Board is accepting new grant requests from Charlotte-Mecklenburg artists and arts and culture groups to receive Opportunity Fund support.
Grants will fund projects, programs and initiatives that advance strategies in the recently approved Charlotte Arts and Culture Plan.
Applicants can request up to $40,000 by submitting a letter of intent by March 28. After review of their letters, applicants who meet the eligibility requirements will be contacted to submit a full proposal.
Nearly $1 million is available in this new grant cycle. Grants will be awarded in late June and distributed in July. These grants will bring the total of the Opportunity Fund’s direct investments to more than $2.5 million since it was launched in 2022.
“Now that we have a completed community vision and long-term plan for arts and culture in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, we’re thrilled to be able to seed fund implementation of the plan by supporting projects generated by our community for our community,” said Priya Sircar, the city’s arts and culture officer. “Since we debuted this unique mechanism, the Opportunity Fund has been filling gaps for creatives and groups who have fresh ideas, but who may not qualify for other grants, align with longer grant cycles, or have access to financial support through existing relationships. This cycle takes that support to the next level by jumpstarting progress on the community’s plan to the tune of nearly $1 million.”
Another new feature of this funding cycle is the availability of grant-writing coaches to help applicants develop strong proposals.
“We’ve found that often the folks who need the most assistance with that are the ones who can afford it the least,” said Sircar. “We’re delighted to provide this support to applicants at no cost to them. It’s part of our commitment to eliminating barriers and working toward equitable support, both of which are top priorities in the plan.”
A virtual information session will be held from noon to 1 p.m. March 6. The board encourages anyone interested in applying to attend or to watch the recording that will be posted online. Learn more about the grant request, evaluation process, and what applicants should know to create a strong proposal. The letter of intent submission form will go live following the March 6 session.
Past Opportunity Fund supported projects include “I am Queen Charlotte” by Hannah Hasan and Scott Gardner; LOCAL/STREET by Carla Aaron-Lopez; the Confluence Music Project by Charlotte Center City Partners and Music Everywhere CLT; and Charlotte Reciprocity Circles by Charlotte Is Creative.
