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City of Charlotte Infusion Fund Foundation For The Carolinas

Artists, creative groups and nonprofit organizations with a nonprofit fiscal agent or sponsor, that are located in Charlotte or Mecklenburg County can request dollars through the Opportunity Fund, which is a portion of the larger Infusion Fund.

The Opportunity Fund will support eligible projects that fall outside existing grant cycles or structures. Grants are restricted to projects, programs and initiatives that follow these guidelines:

  • Located primarily in Charlotte or Mecklenburg County or benefit the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area.

  • Must be completed by June 30, 2024.

  • Do not require multiyear or unrestricted funding from the Infusion Fund.

  • Do not fund capital expenses or infrastructure costs.

  • Have not received prior support through the Opportunity Fund. 

If you have received prior Infusion Funds, you are not eligible to apply for this grant unless this project application will be done in collaboration with local artists or creative nonprofits or groups.

For more information on this grant opportunity and eligibility requirements, please visit the Frequently Asked Questions page. 

The deadline to submit this Letter of Intent form is Friday, March 31, 2023. 

Section 1:  Applicant Data

Address (Lead organizations or artists must be located in Charlotte or Mecklenburg County)

    City of Charlotte Infusion Fund Foundation For The Carolinas

    Section 2:  Project Data

    Project Start Date:

    Project End Date (Must End by June 30, 2024)

    Select the artistic discipline(s) that most closely align with your project (select all that apply)

    Please indicate which area of Literary Arts your project falls under (select all that apply):

    Please indicate which area of Media Arts your project falls under (select all that apply):

    Please indicate which area of Visual Arts your project falls under (select all that apply):

    Please indicate what type of project (select all that apply)

    Seven guiding principles direct the city’s strategies for arts and culture. Please indicate which guiding principle(s) the project meets (select all that apply):

    City of Charlotte Infusion Fund Foundation For The Carolinas

    Section 3:  Financial Data

    You will be required to obtain a fiscal sponsor in order to be awarded funding from the Opportunity Fund.  If you currently do not have a fiscal sponsor and need more information, please visit this link. 

    If you have received prior Infusion Funds, you are not eligible to apply for this grant unless this project will be done in collaboration with local artists or creative nonprofits or groups.

    Prior Opportunity Fund grant recipients are ineligible for this round.

    Total cost of the entire project:

    Total amount are you requesting from the Opportunity Fund: (Maximum request is $30,000)

    City of Charlotte Infusion Fund Foundation For The Carolinas

    Section 4:  Project Description

    Your project description should summarize:

    • How the project or initiative meets the city's guiding principles for arts and culture planning and Infusion Fund investments — principles such as more collaboration, equity and access, and financial sustainability and growth.

    • The project's timeliness,

    • Why the project falls outside established or existing grant structures, or why it requires the type of support offered through the Opportunity Fund in particular.

    • Challenges and conditions the grant funding may help address.

    • How the project is open to the public and/or focuses on expanding the public's access to arts and culture.

    City of Charlotte Infusion Fund Foundation For The Carolinas

    After reviewing the text below, remember to click "submit"

    What's Next?

    City staff will review letters of intent. Staff will send an email within a week of your submission to the email address provided on this form.  Please make sure to look for the charlottenc.gov email address in your inbox or junk/ spam folders.

    Applicants that do not meet the eligibility requirements or whose projects do not align with the guidelines of the Opportunity Fund will be sent an email explaining the reasons for that determination and can re-submit a letter of intent that meets the eligibility requirements and aligns with the guidelines of the Opportunity Fund prior to March 31, 2023.

    Applicants that meet the eligibility requirements and whose projects align with the guidelines of the Opportunity Fund will be invited to submit a full proposal with a project budget using a provided form. For applicants invited to submit a full proposal, the proposal deadline will be May 5, 2023.

    Proposals will be provided to a grant review panel of artists and past Opportunity Fund recipients and then to a small group of advisory board members for additional evaluation. That small group will recommend vetted proposals to the full Arts and Culture Advisory Board. Finally, the full board will consider the recommendations and vote to award any grants in June 2023. 

    If awarded a grant, you will be notified via email on the week of June 19, 2023.  Funds will be dispersed in July 2023.  Please note, grantees are not guaranteed the full amount of funding they request.  The Foundation For the Carolinas will administer the grants, as it does for the rest of the Infusion Fund.

    Thank you for your interest in the Opportunity Fund. 

    Please click the blue "submit"  button to complete the application.