The Orange County Arts Support Fund strives to support local artists, arts industry workers, and arts organizations facing financial hardship due to COVID-19. This is a money-in, money-out fund. The ArtsCenter in Carrboro is serving as our fiscal agent for this initiative, meaning all payments will be issued by them via personal check. However, please note this is not a fundraising effort by or for The ArtsCenter.
The third round of grants will reopen as funds allow. Please click here to to make a contribution. Applicant guidelines for past rounds are listed below. Please note, these requirements are subject to change.
Eligibility for funding – INDIVIDUALS
In order to be eligible to apply for our grants, you must meet one requirement in each of the three categories: Residency, Profession, and Financial Hardship. These requirements allow us to prioritize individuals who live and/or work in Orange County and do not currently have other sources of emergency funding.
1. Residency
You are a resident of Orange County, NC
OR
You are an employee of an Orange County-based nonprofit arts organization who has been laid off or furloughed or experienced a significant reduction of hours
OR
You are a freelance or contracted arts industry worker who has lost contracts/gigs in Orange County, NC, and are a resident of a county that does not currently have an arts relief fund.
2. Profession
You are a professional artist or arts industry worker whose primary source of income is through your art
OR
You are an employee of an Orange County-based nonprofit arts organization who has been laid off or furloughed or experienced a significant reduction of hours
3. Financial Hardship
You have experienced a drastic decrease (30% or more) in your total household income as a result of COVID-19 (this could be from other income sources other than your art)
AND
You have NOT received Unemployment Benefits
Eligibility for funding – ORGANIZATIONS
- You must be an Orange County, NC-based nonprofit organization with an arts or cultural-based mission.
- You must have been in operation for at least three years.