Arts Groups Get $1M in Operating Support Grants

Memphis Flyer - Staff Writer - ArtsMemphis has announced $1 million in grants through the nonprofit’s fiscal year 2023 cornerstone Operating Support program.

The grants have been awarded to 46 local arts organizations. (See the list here.) In a statement, ArtsMemphis said it has been “intentional in our approach to equitable funding and commitment to diversity in this process.”

In analyzing the arts organizations that are recipients of the grant, ArtsMemphis said that “57 percent operate with budgets below $500K, and 35 percent are led by a person of color with a board composed of majority people of color.”

The Midsouth Philanthropy Network’s Equity Audit has provided data collected through grant applications across ArtsMemphis grant programs for the past five years. The audit shows that grants to organizations that serve audiences that are majority people of color have jumped from 19 percent in 2017 to 50 percent in 2022, and dollars awarded have increased from 12 percent to 48 percent.