Grants of $30,000 to organizations in Appalachian Regional Commission counties in Kentucky, North Carolina, and Tennessee to support non-programming expenses that are often not fundable by most grants or are financially out of reach for organizations.

South Arts is pleased to announce the In These Mountains: Central Appalachian Folk Arts & Culture FY27 Infrastructure Grants opportunity.

At a Glance

• Open Application to Apply: July 15, 2026
• Close Application: September 30, 2026. Applications must be submitted by 11:59 PM ET
• Award announcement: December 1, 2026
• Applicants must be not-for-profit organizations located in Appalachian Regional Commission counties in Kentucky, North Carolina, and Tennessee
• Two organizations from each eligible state (Kentucky, North Carolina, and Tennessee) will be selected, for a total of six recipient organizations.
• Funds may support such activities and expenses as staff and volunteer professional development, emergency readiness planning, minor equipment purchases or software upgrades, staff travel and registration for conferences or research, marketing, strategic planning, etc. Grants may request funding for a single need or a combination of needs.
• Funds must be used by June 15, 2027
• Final Report due June 30, 2027.
• No award extensions will be considered.
• Non-match grants are awarded in the amount of $30,000.

Program Goals

The In These Mountains: Central Appalachian Folk Arts & Culture FY27 Infrastructure Grants advance the goals of the In These Mountains (ITM) initiative by supporting organizations that promote sharing, teaching, learning, preserving, documenting, and supporting the continuity of the folk arts and traditional culture of Central Appalachia. The ITM initiative specifically seeks opportunities to support the work of traditional artists and organizations engaged in handcrafts/material culture, foodways, and music.

ITM Infrastructure Grants are designed to support non-programming expenses that are often not fundable by most grants or are financially out of reach for organizations. These grants are intended to provide improved tools and resources to organizations so that they may advance their work in supporting the folk arts and traditional culture of Central Appalachia.

Capital improvements fundraising events are not eligible expenses for ITM Infrastructure Grants.

Up to 10% of grant funds may be used for overhead, including staff salaries.

This funding program is open to a wide variety of nonprofit organizations, including community cultural organizations, libraries, museums, performing arts presenters, community festival organizations, faith-based organizations, etc. Organizations must be located within and serve at least one Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) county in Kentucky, North Carolina, or Tennessee.

*Eligible organizations * may work with artists and communities who practice longstanding, deeply rooted African American, Anglo American, or Native American traditions, and/or newer immigrant traditional artists and communities who continue the practice of traditional handcrafts/material culture, foodways, and music who now make Central Appalachia home.

Two organizations from each eligible state (Kentucky, North Carolina, and Tennessee) will be selected, for a total of three recipient organizations.

Please note: Previous or current In These Mountains Partners (FY19-FY26) are not eligible to apply. Colleges and universities are not eligible to apply.

We strongly advise you to contact South Arts traditional arts staff to discuss your application prior to your submission. Please contact Taylor Burden (Director, Traditional Arts) at tburden@southarts.org.

What are Folk Arts and Cultures?
The South is home to an abundance of folk arts and traditional culture. Folk and traditional arts share the aesthetics, practices, and values of families, geographic communities, occupational groups, ethnic heritage groups, etc. Folk and traditional arts are learned orally or by observation and imitation, often through a mentor artist instructing an apprentice. They are usually maintained without formal instruction or academic training. Some traditional arts have a deep-rooted history with little change, while others are constantly evolving and adapting to their changing environment.

For the purposes of this application, the folk and traditional arts of Central Appalachia include handcrafts/material culture, foodways, and music. Some examples of traditional arts practiced in Central Appalachia are Cherokee stamped pottery, African American storytelling, Anglo American ballads, Latin American foodways traditions, Bharatanatyam Indian dance, Traditional Vietnamese Medicine, and many more.

What does ‘Infrastructure’ mean?

For the purposes of the In These Mountains Infrastructure Grant opportunity, the term ‘infrastructure’ is defined as the necessary resources and systems that may assist an organization to sustain current business or advance operations.

Important Dates and Deadlines

• Open Application to Apply: July 15, 2026
• Close Application: September 30, 2026. Applications must be submitted by 11:59 PM ET
• Award announcement: December 1, 2026
• Final reports due: June 30, 2027

*South Arts’ Commitments *

South Arts is committed to funding organizations in rural communities (with populations under 50,000)