Are you an artist or part of an arts and culture group in Charlotte-Mecklenburg?
Mecklenburg County’s new Opportunity Fund has just announced grants as high as $30,000 for local art and creative projects and initiatives.
This year, the Opportunity Fund has already invested more than $925,000 in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg arts and culture sector, and the Arts and Culture Advisory Board first tested the Fund in fiscal year 2022 and awarded roughly $235,000.
The fund supports projects, programs, and initiatives that:
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Take place primarily in Charlotte or Mecklenburg County or benefit the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area.
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Conclude by June 30, 2024.
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Do not require multiyear or unrestricted funding from the Infusion Fund.
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Do not fund capital expenses or infrastructure costs (a new requirement for this cycle).
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Have not received prior support through the Opportunity Fund.
The deadline to submit your letter of intent will be on March 31, and if you meet the eligibility requirements, you could be contacted to submit a full proposal. A total of $325,000 is available in this new grant cycle and will be awarded in late June and distributed by early July.
All interested applicants can submit a letter of intent using a form here on charlottenc.gov/arts-culture.
Letters should summarize the following:
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How the project or initiative meets the city’s guiding principles for arts and culture planning and Infusion Fund investments — principles such as more collaboration, equity and access, and financial sustainability and growth.
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The project’s timeliness.
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Why the project falls outside established or existing grant structures, or why it requires the type of support offered through the Opportunity Fund in particular.
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Challenges and conditions the grant funding may help address.
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How the project is open to the public and/or focuses on expanding the public’s access to arts and culture.