Creative Placemaking: Rural Arts Facilities Fund (RAFF) grants are designed to help rural communities carry out initiatives that build, renovate, or expand arts and cultural facilities.
Donor Name: Tennessee Arts Commission
State: Tennessee
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 01/17/2023
Size of the Grant: $20,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration:11 months 15 days
Details:
Project applications must demonstrate a history and/or commitment to arts and cultural programming in the community, cross-sector community support, feasible plans for revenue generation and facility management, and sustainable long-term operational goals. Public investment in rural arts and cultural facilities can help rural communities in a number of ways, including, but not limited to, expansion of arts and cultural opportunities for underserved audiences, job creation, tourism development, enhanced creative learning opportunities, as well as strengthening a community’s distinctive identity and quality of life.
The Tennessee Arts Commission is committed to advancing the arts as a driver of the creative economy and creative placemaking, as well as accelerating transformation of rural areas through the nonprofit arts and creative sector. The RAFF grant program builds upon work accomplished through the Creative Placemaking grant program and Tennessee Stages programs. Creative Placemaking grants provide funding for arts projects that enhance the distinctive local character of Tennessee places for positive economic and community outcomes. Many Creative Placemaking grants projects have helped renovate or enhance rural arts facilities.
Funding Information
Applicants may request from $20,000 to $100,000 for projects that build, renovate, restore, preserve, or enhance rural arts facilities, including performing arts centers, art museums and galleries, multi-purpose arts centers, amphitheaters, and mobile stages.
RAFF grants do not require a dollar-for-dollar match; however, applicants are asked to show all project related expenses and income in their application budget.
Grant Period
FY2024: July 1, 2023-June 15, 2024
Eligibility Requirements
An applicant is eligible to apply if the organization is located one of Tennessee’s Rural Counties and meets one of the following qualifications:
- The organization is an entity of local government
- The applicant is a nonprofit arts organization legally chartered in Tennessee and in possession of a determination letter from the
- Internal Revenue Service declaring the organization exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code
Applicants may only submit proposals to build, renovate, or expand facilities that are owned by nonprofit organizations or local government entities. Proposals for facilities that are privately held or owned are ineligible.
Unique Entity ID (UEI): All applicants are required to have a Unique Entity ID. Information and application instructions can be found here.
Schools, colleges, and universities are ineligible to apply.
For more information, visit Rural Arts Facilities Fund.