Cultural Festival Grants

Overview: The Arts & Science Council (ASC) developed the Cultural Festival Grant program in response to a growing number of requests to support festivals in the Cultural Project Grant program. Recognizing the differences between cultural festivals and other cultural projects, this program seeks to create a competitive process specific to festival support while continuing to increase access to arts, science, history and heritage offerings and the quality of cultural programming in neighborhoods and towns throughout Mecklenburg County.

Eligibility: For complete program eligibility and restrictions, please click here. Please consider applying if your festival meets the following eligiblity requirements:

  • The festival has a clear and compelling programmatic focus area of arts, science, history or heritage. Please note that simply including an arts, science, history or heritage component (such as a Perfoming Arts stage) does not make a festival eligible for support. Further, the festival participants/audience must have opportunities to engage and/or interact around the programmatic focus area.
  • The festival is an annual event and in at least it's second year.
  • The festival is occurring between July 1, 2013 and June 15, 2014.
  • At the time of application, applicant organization is a Mecklenburg County-based, non-profit, tax-exempt organization that is in good standing with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). (Individuals and groups that do not have tax-exempt status may apply through a Mecklenburg County-based fiscal sponsor organization – see FAQs.)
  • Religious Organizations and Institutions of Higher Education may apply provided the fetival reaches the broader community and does not contain religious content.

Restrictions:

  • Organizations that apply for ASC Operating Support are not eligible to apply for a Cultural Festival Grant. However, these organizations may serve as a partner or fiscal sponsor.
  • Festivals that are religious in nature or specifically serve only church membership or faculty/student body are not eligible.
  • Film Festivals should apply for support using the Cultural Project Grant application.
  • Organizations that have delinquent paperwork for a previously-funded ASC grant are not eligible to apply.
  • ASC will not consider multiple requests for the same festival OR from the same organization (with the exception of large 501(c)(3) organizations with multiple locations such as a library system, YMCA or College/University). If you would like to discuss the possibility of requsting support of multiple festivals using a single application, please contact the Grants Office at 704-335-3050.

What's required: Each applicant will be required to complete the online application form (link below).

  • In lieu of a narrative attachment, the application includes several open-ended response questions throughout the form. Each of these responses is limited to a maximum word count and includes a spell check option, utilized by clicking the red check mark to the right of the response field. Click here to view a list of the open-ended response questions that are included in the application.
  • Other application requirements include the following attachments: A short biography for each of the key paticipants, a copy of the Media Plan for the Festival, a budget form (template provided), and a document outlining Festival Sponsorship Levels.

Assistance: ASC is committed to helping applicants strengthen their request for funding. With a recent update to our online application system, you are now able to email a draft copy of your application from directly inside the form. Simply click the "Email a draft copy" button located in the top right corner of the application form and have the draft directed to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Drafts must be submitted by April 5, 2013 at 5pm in order to be reviewed. Feedback will be provided by April 8th, 2013 at 5pm.

Grant Amount: Applicants will not be asked for a Request Amount as part of the application, but will be required to submit a document outlining Festival Sponsorship Levels. Funding decisions will be made based upon competitive scoring and Festival Sponsorship Levels. All requests may not be funded.

Frequenly Asked Questions: Click here to view the full program guidelines and frequently asked questions.

Deadline to apply: Friday, April 12, 2013, at 12:00 noon.

How to Apply: All applicants are required to apply through our online application system.

Click here to begin a new application
Click here to continue a previously started application

Grant Recipients:

Click here to access the online system. All paperwork requirements are listed on the attachments page.
Click here to access the Guidelines and logos to acknowledge ASC support.

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