April 21: Grant Application opens

April 23 : Virtual Information Session, Registration Required

April 23 - May 7: Virtual Office Hours, Wednesdays, 12:00-1:00 pm, REGISTRATION REQUIRED.

May 9: LOI Deadline

May 19: Application Invitations Distributed

June 13: Application Deadline

July TBD: Applicant Interviews

December: Funding decisions communicated with applicants

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 Director

• 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.

• 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.

If you are unsure about your eligibility, please contact Nur Abdalla.

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 December 2025, so proposed projects should not begin before January 2026.

• We strongly encourage you to complete your LIVEGIVE Midsouth Profile before submitting your ArtsZone application. For more information on how to build a LIVEGIVE Midsouth Profile, please click here.

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

Please note: AutoZone continues to not support event sponsorships for the purpose of fundraising (dinners, luncheons, etc.), and they will be highly discouraged in the application process.

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

AngelStreet Memphis | Building Creative Leaders

Arrow Creative | Creative Entrepreneur Advancement

Ballet Memphis | Ballet Memphis Season 37

Carpenter Art Garden | Art Education

Cazateatro Bilingual Theatre Group | Cazateatro Bilingual Theatre Group 2023-24 Season

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

Collage Dance Collective | Memphis Dance Festival

Dixon Gallery and Gardens | Art to Grow van purchase

GPAC l GPAC Season 29

Hattiloo Theatre | Sing, Sistah, Sing!

Indie Memphis |Indie Memphis General Operating Support

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

Memphis Jazz Workshop | Memphis Jazz Workshop General Operating Support

Music Export Memphis | Music Export Memphis General Operating Support

New Ballet Ensemble & School NutRemix 2023: Performance for Memphis Students

New Day Children's Theatre | 2023-2024 Production Season Support: Sensory Friendly Performances and Community Outreach

Opera Memphis | 2023 30 Days of Opera

Perfecting Gifts, Inc. | Performing Arts Academy /The Singing City

The Soulsville Foundation, Inc. | Stax Music Academy - The Soulsville Foundation General Operating Support

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

Theatre Memphis | Theatre Memphis' A CHRISTMAS CAROL - 46th Annual Production

Young Actors Guild | Young Actors Guild Performing Arts Academy