Founded in 1967, the North Carolina Arts Council promotes "arts for all citizens," aiming to develop and support the arts for North Carolinians and their communities across all 100 counties. By delivering resources for arts development in a fair, transparent, and accountable manner, the council, an agency of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and advised by a 24-member citizen board appointed by the Governor, furthers arts development statewide.
The grant program by the North Carolina Arts Council, specifically under the category of Statewide Service Organizations, aims to provide funding to organizations that serve their members, artists, arts organizations, and the arts community at large. The broad goals include supporting programs and services such as newsletters, listserv and website management, conferences, workshops, classes, consultations, research, resource publications, and the development and distribution of promotional materials. The funding supports both administrative and program expenses related to the proposed programs and services, with grant amounts typically ranging from $5,000 to $30,000, which must be matched by the organization. This program aims to ensure the availability of diverse and accessible arts programs across North Carolina.