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Founders Grants

Founders Grants

ASC BELIEVES INVESTING DIRECTLY IN CREATIVE INDIVIDUALS MAKES THE CHARLOTTE-MECKLENBURG CULTURAL COMMUNITY MORE SUSTAINABLE. FOUNDERS GRANTS INDEND TO RESOURCE ARTISTS WHO DEMONSTRATE COMMITMENT TO THE CHARLOTTE-MECKLENBURG COMMUNITY AND PROVIDING INNOVATIVE CULTURAL EXPERIENCES THAT ENGAGE THE PUBLIC.

Overview

Since 2017, ASC has pursued innovative funding opportunities to resource the creative individuals across this community. It began by introducing the Creative Renewal Fellowship in 2017, followed by the Emerging Creator Fellowship and an expansion of the Artist Support Grants. In FY22 and FY23, it further expanded this by creating the SEED Grant program, an extension of the Fellowship opportunity. Through this program, ASC Fellows have opportunities to extend grants of $3,000 to other Charlotte-Mecklenburg creatives. This form of trust based grantmaking is grounded in ASC’s commitment to put creative individual at the center of our funding opportunities.

Founders Grants seek to support artists who build community by engaging Charlotte-Mecklenburg residents through innovative cultural experiences. Applicants should demonstrate an ongoing commitment to the community.

Distinct from other funding opportunities ASC provides for creative individuals, this award is intended to celebrate the commitment of Charlotte-Mecklenburg creatives to the community they call home and are intended to award their vision. As such, the applicants are not required to submit a budget or specify how they would leverage the resources. This is first and foremost an award celebrating the creative individual’s vision.

Why Founders?

Founders build community.

ASC intends for this funding opportunity to support visionary leaders in the creative sector who are engaging directly with Charlotte-Mecklenburg residents. Founders are building community by providing relevant and innovative cultural programming. They may be creative entrepreneurs or founders of grassroots or emerging non-profit cultural organizations.

Who Should Apply

ASC welcomes applications from Mecklenburg County based creative individuals who pursue their creative practice as their primary occupation. Applicants will be asked to articulate and demonstrate their commitment to the community by providing letters of support.

Funding Partners

Founders Grants are funded by the Infusion Fund and its generous donors.

Grant Amount

In 2024, ASC will award up to five $50,000 Founders Grants.

Payments will be made according to a Funding Schedule that will be issued to grantees. Each fellowship recipient will be required to submit an IRS (Internal Revenue Service) W-9 form so that an IRS 1099 income statement can be issued by ASC for the fellows’ tax records.

All taxes and reporting of taxes will be the responsibility of the fellowship recipient.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants are:

  • Residents of Mecklenburg County and have been residents for at least five consecutive years at the time of the application.
  • Creatives pursuing their creative practice as their primary occupation.
  • Creating new, innovative, and original work.

Applicants will be disqualified if:

  • They are not residents of Mecklenburg County.
  • They are full-time employees of a cultural organization unless they are the founder.
  • They are enrolled in a degree seeking program at the time of or during the grant period.

It is not a priority of this program to fund creatives working in an academic or educational setting. Creatives working in an academic setting are considered eligible if the proposed use of funds is related to their creative practice rather than their academic research or work in the classroom.

Application Components

Applicant Profile (demographic/geographic points of interest).

Narrative.

A work sample list providing an overview of the work samples included.

Written or video answers (500 words/ 3 minutes of video). Applicants who wish to provide video answers should upload those to a service such as Vimeo or YouTube and provide a link to the answer in the text box provided for an answer.

  • Describe your voice as an artist? What themes does your work explore? Who are your artistic influences?
  • What are you most proud of in your work?
  • Describe your connection to the Charlotte Mecklenburg community?
  • What are the communities you specifically intend to engage in your creative practice? How do use your creative practice to engage the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Community?
  • What is the benefit to your continued work to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg creative community?
  • Is there anything else you want the panel to know and understand about your work?
  • How would you be able to share insight you’ve learned at the end of this grant?

Work samples:

  • 20 images
  • 10 minutes (total), multiple samples are welcome, do not need to be professionally produced.
  • 20 pages of written work

Letters of support: Letters of support should be from community partners who the artist engage in their creative practice. We encourage letters of support that speak to the artist’s voice and the value of the partnerships. Letters should be specific to this funding opportunity.

  • 2 letters of support

A special note about audio & video work samples:

This application will only support 25mb of data. Video and Audio recordings tend to be large files. Do not uploaded video or audio files directly to this form (i.e., mp3, mp4, wav, etc.).

If you are uploading video and/or audio work samples, provide a link (YouTube, Vimeo, SoundCloud, Google Drive, etc.) where the panelist can access the work sample. This link should not be password protected. If the work sample is longer than the timeframe allotted by the application, specify which section of the work sample should be reviewed by the panelists.

Evaluation Process and Selection Criteria

ASC Grants & Services staff will review applications to confirm eligibility. Applications will be reviewed by a panel of local arts leaders, arts educators, and arts workers. The panel will select and recommend the 2024 class of Founders, and ASC’s Board of Directors will vote to approve the awards.

Expectations of Founders Grantees

  • Completing Initial Paperwork: each member of the 2024 class of Founders must execute a Signed Grant Agreement and Electronic Funds Transfer Form. ASC processes all payments via direct deposit.
  • Final Report: At the conclusion of the activity, the Founders should send a summary of their experience to the Grants & Services team at ASC to close their grant.
  • ASC will also convene the Founders for occasional meetings. 

Timeline and How to Apply

The Deadline to apply is Monday, April 29, 2024, at 12 p.m./noon. Late applications will not be accepted. 
Start New Application
Continue Previously Started Application

Virtual Info Sessions

ASC staff is hosting virtual Info Sessions for Mecklenburg County-based creative entrepreneurs or founders of grassroots or emerging non-profit cultural organizations to learn about the Founders Grant opportunity. 

Info sessions take place:

To stay updated on ASC funding opportunities and workshops, sign up for our monthly WorkshOpportunities email.