South Arts Announces $1.14M Cultural Sustainability Program
South Arts is pleased to announce the launch of a new grantmaking initiative, Cultural Sustainability, which will award approximately twelve organizations located among its nine-state region with general operating grants totaling more than $1.14 million.
In partnership with The Wallace Foundation, Cultural Sustainability launches as part of a national $6.6 million program offered by the six U.S. Regional Arts Organizations (USRAOs), acknowledging the invaluable contributions arts and cultural organizations of color make in our communities and the broader cultural landscape. The national program is designed to provide general operating support and collaborative learning opportunities for arts organizations rooted in communities of color with annual operating expenses under $500,000. Each USRAO has developed a unique granting program and guidelines for their region, totaling approximately 100 grants nationwide.
New initiative awards regional nonprofit organizations rooted in communities of color with general operating grants. Open call for applications through February 5, 2025.
“We’re thrilled to take part in stewarding this major support across our region,” said Susie Surkamer, President and CEO of South Arts. “Through this program, we look forward to growing our knowledge and understanding of how community-based arts organizations can advance our region’s sustainability and well-being through the arts and culture, while also highlighting their work at the helm of their communities.”
Funded in part by the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, South Arts’ program will strive to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion within the arts sector while learning how organizations that have historically been underrepresented advance sustainability. The initiative is guided by the question: How do arts organizations founded by, with, and/or for communities of color define and develop their well-being and that of their communities? Through this program, South Arts aims to provide support that benefits the communities of selected organizations and develop new knowledge and insights to catalyze broad impact.
“We're excited to introduce Cultural Sustainability as a new initiative at South Arts, though this concept has long been central to our mission. This marks a significant milestone in our journey toward realizing that vision,” said Joy Young, Ph.D., South Arts’ Vice President of Programs. “The program is dedicated to amplifying the unique heartbeat of each community among our region, recognizing organizations that excel in engaging their audiences and fostering a sustainable ecosystem where the arts can thrive.”
Through South Arts, Cultural Sustainability will award grants to a broad range of organizations encompassing the full scope of arts and culture disciplines and operational structures that engage and support communities of color among South Arts' nine-state region: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Eligible grant recipients may include, but are not limited to, designated nonprofit organizations, private entities, fiscally sponsored artist/ensemble organizations, and/or state and federally recognized tribal governments.
In addition to the grant, recipient organizations will also have the opportunity to participate in collaborative learning experiences rooted in themes, such as repair, solidarity, healing, wellness, preservation, and advocacy.
This new initiative is part of The Wallace Foundation’s Advancing Well-Being in the Arts initiative, which funds arts organizations rooted in communities of color to advance their well-being, enhance understanding of their contributions to community. Through this work, Wallace aims to help to build a more equitable and sustainable arts ecosystem.
As Cultural Sustainability grants will be administered by each of the USRAOs within their individual and multistate regions, applications for South Arts’ program will be open through February 5, 2025. There will be an informational webinar in early December 2024 for organizations considering to apply.
For more information on the program, and eligibility, or to apply, please visit southarts.org.