We are making a change to the grant timeline by splitting organizations between two groups. Please read carefully to determine which group your organization falls into.

Group 1: Organizations with Fiscal Year end between January to June:

• January 16

  • Application opens/LOI (organization profile)

  • Information Session Recording

  • If your organization is interested in conducting the interview option for the narrative application this must be completed by March 3. Please contact Grants staff for more details.

• January 21-March 6: Office Hours, Tuesdays & Thursdays, noon-1:00. REGISTRATION REQUIRED.

  • No session on Feb. 13.

• January 29: Deadline for organizations not previously funded through this program to schedule required eligibility interview with ARTSmemphis staff

• February 17: LOI/Organization Profile deadline. This must be submitted first to access the narrative application.

• February 24: Deadline to provide draft narrative application for ARTSmemphis feedback.

• March 3: Deadline to complete interview for narrative application, if interested in that option.

• March 10: Narrative application deadline

• April 7 - 28: Site Visits with select organizations. Organizations that do not have a site visit, will have a check in meeting with ARTSmemphis staff.

Group 2: Organizations with Fiscal Year end between July to December.

• May 12: Application opens

• June 11: LOI/Organization Profile deadline. This must be submitted first to access the narrative application.

• June 30: Deadline to provide draft narrative application for ARTSmemphis feedback.

• July 14: Narrative Application deadline

• August 11- 29: Site Visits with select organizations. Organizations that do not have a site visit, will have a check in meeting with ARTSmemphis staff.

Organizations must meet all the following criteria to be eligible to apply for funding consideration:

1. Have a current 501(c)(3) federal tax-exempt status, with a primary place of business in Shelby County.

   • 501c3 organizations that are not registered in Shelby County must demonstrate a permanent location in Shelby County and a history of minimally three years of providing programming in Shelby County.

2. Organization’s primary focus is arts-based.

   • The organization creates, exhibits, and/or performs works in any of the following fine, performing, applied or literary art forms as a primary public function.

     • Dance

     • Literary Arts

     • Media Arts

     • Music

     • Performing Arts

     • Theater

     • Visual Art

     • Other

   • The arts should be referenced in the organization’s mission and/or vision statement, strategic planning documents and/or other foundational materials.

3. Received at least two grants through ARTSmemphis since July 2022. This is to ensure your organization is familiar with the application process and ready to submit a competitive application.

   • Includes any of the following grant programs:

     • Arts Build Communities

     • ArtsFirst

     • ArtsZone

     • FedEx Arts Program

     • Operating Support

4. Organizations that have received at least two ARTSmemphis grants since July 2022 but have not received an operating support grant previously, must contact ARTSmemphis staff to discuss eligibility and application readiness. Following this meeting, staff will notify organizations if they are eligible to apply.

   • OS1 Deadline: January 29

   • OS2 Deadline: May 23

5. Offer programs that are accessible to all Shelby County citizens regardless of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, or any characteristic protected by law.

6. Have at least a three-year programming history and offer consistent programming throughout the calendar year, minimally 9 months out of the year.

7. Last fiscal year reported expenses are no less than $50,000.

8. Have one full-time equivalent staff. This means that minimally 40 hours per week are conducted in service of the organization by paid or unpaid staff.

9. Have an active and financially (including in-kind) supportive Board of Directors.

10. Evidence of fiscal responsibility, must have minimally:

    • Two revenue streams (earned, contributed, reserve or endowment)

    • Contributed revenue must represent one of these revenue streams.  Minimally three contributors are required

11.  Ability to provide all requested data and information.

Other Requirements:

• Have proof of compliance with all local, state, and federal laws or requirements (i.e., IRS form 990, state auditor forms, TN solicitation license, etc.).

  •   Visit the Tennessee Secretary of State website on Charitable Organizations for links and helpful information

• If a grant is awarded and your organization engages or serves youth under age 18, a Board-approved Child Protection Policy is required before funds will be distributed. Organizations should use resources provided by the Memphis Child Advocacy Center.  ARTSmemphis staff can provide sample policies if needed.

The following entities are not eligible for a FY26 Operating Support Grant but may be eligible for other grant opportunities through ARTSmemphis.

• Organizations with a mission that is not arts-based.

• Organizations that have not received minimally two grants through the Arts Build Communities, ArtsFirst, ArtsZone, FedEx Arts Program, or Operating Support programs since July 2022.

• Organizations with a previous fiscal year expenses of less than $50,000.

• K-12 schools, institutions of higher education or individual departments of colleges and universities.

• Religious organizations, churches or church-affiliated programs, and programs that have implicit religious content, express a particular religious view, or advance a religious purpose.

• Governmental institutions, i.e., public libraries, park and recreational facilities, schools, etc.

• Arts-missioned programs or projects operating under a fiscal agent that does not have an arts-based mission.

• Arts-missioned organizations with less than three years of programming history or that provide programs less than 9 months per year.

• Organizations without a full-time employee or equivalent, meaning less than 40 hours per week are conducted in service of the organization by paid or unpaid staff.

Organizations that are not eligible for the FY26 operating support grant are encouraged to apply for an Arts Build Communities grant, the deadline for which is typically around July 1. 

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.

• This grant provides unrestricted funding, and therefore, the application process includes a comprehensive and thorough review of information about your organization’s operations.

• 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.

• 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.

• Grant awards may not be used for regranting funds to other organizations.

• 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.

Suggestions

• ARTSmemphis encourages applicant organizations to be organizational partners of Tennessee Nonprofit Network to take advantage of their resources, forums, and learning opportunities to ensure utilization of best practices and implementation of current trends in nonprofit administration.

• ARTSmemphis encourages applicant organizations to be members of Tennesseans for the Arts to advocate for state arts funding.

• ARTSmemphis encourages all applicant and grantee organizations maintain an up-to-date profile on LIVEGIVEmidsouth.org. If you need to create or update your profile, contact Randy Truong, Community Impact Program Associate, randy@cfgm.org

  • If you do not have a profile, you may still apply for this grant

Review and Selection Process

• Review panels are comprised of ARTSmemphis staff and board members and community volunteers, with attention to ensuring a variety of experience and representation on each panel.

• An organization’s review may include a site visit, interview, or meeting with staff and/or review panel members.

  • Not all applicants will be visited or have an interview or meeting. Therefore, all critical information must be included in the grant application.

  • If your organization is scheduled for a site visit, it is recommended you have a board member present for the meeting.

  • Approximately half of applicant organizations will be scheduled for a site visit with review panelists. 

  • Organizations not scheduled for a site visit will be reviewed through an administrative process conducted by ARTSmemphis staff. ARTSmemphis staff will schedule a check-in meeting with these organizations.

• A dedicated committee will review and evaluate the financial information submitted by all applicants.

  • This committee may identify questions to be clarified during the site visit or check in meeting scheduled with applicant organizations.

• Grant awards are determined through an administrative process following the review by panelists, staff and board members.

  • Award amounts are determined by assigning a base award related to budget size and performance against evaluation criteria.

  • Our budget for FY26 is based on our fundraising and will be determined in June 2025. We anticipate a minimum of $1.2M and are working towards an increase.

  • These grants should supplement other revenue, both earned and contributed, generated by the organization.

  • Our goal is for the minimum grant award to be no less than $5000.

  • New grant recipients may expect a grant of no less than $5000 and no more than $10,000.

  • ARTSmemphis strives to increase funds distributed to organizations whose leadership and audiences are representative of our community.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

The following criteria will be considered in reviewing application data and information. Organizations receiving an average score of 24 or less will not be recommended for funding.

Mission, Capacity, and Impact (60%)

Mission (10 points)

• Does the organization demonstrate progress against their stated mission and goals?

• Do the organization’s goals align with ARTSmemphis’ mission and vision?

• Does the organization demonstrate artistic excellence and artistic merit?

Capacity (10 points)

• Is there stability within the organization and its leadership? Does the organization have the administrative capacity to carry out its goals today and plan for tomorrow?

• Does the organization have the artistic capacity to carry out its goals?

Impact (10 points)

• Does a program(s) or initiative noted in the application engage underserved populations?

• Does the organization currently collaborate with other organizations to expand impact, access and sustainability of programming?

• Does the organization present programs that increase relevance and/or representation of all members of the community or use art to tell stories that are representative of all members of the community?

• Does the organization have leadership and audiences that are representative of our community?

  • ARTSmemphis strives to support organizations that are reflective of and serving our community.

Governance and Fiscal Accountability (40%)

Governance (10 points)

• Does the Board financially (including in-kind) support the organization and is it actively involved in the organization?

Fiscal Health & Accountability (10 points)

• Organization demonstrates responsible financial stewardship, diverse revenue streams, and efforts to improve efficiency of operations and control expenses.

• If the organization is operating at a deficit, does it have a reasonable plan for reversing this trend?

• Does the organization have reserve funds available? Are there controls in place to maintain a reserve?

ARTSmemphis also collects data about the leadership and audiences of organizations, requesting information if an organization is Black, Indigenous or Person of Color (BIPOC)-led and/or BIPOC-serving:

• BIPOC-led = CEO and majority of board members are BIPOC individuals.

• BIPOC-serving = majority of participants are BIPOC individuals.

• BIPOC-led and -serving = CEO and majority of board members are BIPOC individuals, and majority of participants are BIPOC individuals.

APPLICATION

To Apply, please visit the ARTSmemphis Grant Platform.

• If you are new to your organization, contact ARTSmemphis staff to set up an account. 

• If your organization is a new applicant, you may set up your own account.

The FY26 Operating Support grant application is in two parts:

1.     LOI - serves as an organization profile. PDF or Word

2.     Application - available after completing and submitting the LOI. PDF or Word

We recommend using a PDF or Word version of each form to compile your information/responses, and then transferring this information into the online application.

Please be aware that you must first submit the LOI form to access the online Application. BOTH parts are required for a complete application.

Application Requirements

• Organization Profile (referred to as LOI in the online grant system)

  • This step in the application process is used to collect basic organization information and data.

• Financial Report

  • Submit your financial data into the table in the online application.

  • Line items conform to the Tennessee Arts Commission grant applications for consistency and efficiency. 

  • Information requested includes:

    • FY24 Revenue & Expense Actuals

    • FY25 Budget

    • FY25 Year-to-Date (YTD) Actuals.

List of top 10 donors (by total giving amounts) for your most recently completed fiscal year (FY24). Submit this information into the table in the online application. 

• If known, list name, amounts and if the gift was for a specific purpose.  This includes individuals, corporations, foundations, grants, and other contributors. Anonymous donations or donors what wish to remain anonymous should be listed as such.

  • We ask for this information to understand the diversity of your support and understand which corporations/foundations are or are not providing significant support for the arts.

  • Please organize this list by donation amount in descending order.

  • For ARTmemphis' administered grants with corporate partners list ArtsFirst as First Horizon Foundation, ArtsZone as AutoZone, FedEx Arts Program as FedEx and ABC as Tennessee Arts Commission.

• Staff and Board list.

  • If you do not have a current LIVEGIVEmidsouth profile, you may provide a link to your lists on your website or upload a list.  Please ensure that any linked  or uploaded list notes names, office or title, board member affiliation.

  • Submit this information into the table in the online application.

• Form 990s, last three completed fiscal years, or total expenses for last three fiscal years if you file 990-N Postcard.

  • Required only if you do not have a current LIVEGIVEmidsouth profile.

• Organizations with budgets over $500K:

  • Balance sheet and Income Statement for last fiscal year (FY24).

• Application

  • This is the narrative section of the application.

ACT/YADA

AngelStreet Memphis

Arkwings

Ballet Memphis

Beale Street Caravan

Blues City Cultural Center

Carpenter Art Garden

Cazateatro Bilingual Theatre

Circuit Playhouse, Inc.

Collage Dance

Contemporary Arts Memphis

Creative Aging Memphis

Crosstown Arts

Germantown Community Theatre

GPAC

Harmonic South String Orchestra

Hattiloo Theatre

Historic Clayborn Temple

Indie Memphis

Iris Collective

Memphis Brooks Museum of Art

Memphis ChoralArts

Memphis Jazz Workshop

Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum

Memphis Symphony Orchestra

Memphis Youth Symphony Program

Metal Museum

Music Export Memphis

New Ballet Ensemble & School

New Day Children's Theatre

On Location: MEMPHIS

Opera Memphis

Orpheum Theatre Group

Overton Park Shell

Perfecting Gifts

Playback Memphis

Princeton James Project

PRIZM Ensemble

RiverArtsFest, Inc.

Soulsville Foundation

Tennessee Shakespeare Company

The Blues Foundation

Theatre Memphis

TheatreWorks

UrbanArt Commission

WYXR

Young Actors Guild