Arts Capital | Atlanta's Redistribution Program provides unrestricted financial support to eligible nonprofit arts organizations throughout Metro Atlanta. Funding from philanthropic partners is pooled and redistributed across the region using a methodology developed with input from nonprofit arts organizations. The 2026 redistribution is the first cycle of this program and will also help AC|A learn and improve the process for the future.

No. Organizations are not competing against one another based on artistic quality, the strength of their application, or which organizations are considered most deserving. Applications are reviewed to determine whether organizations meet the published eligibility requirements. The goal is to distribute resources broadly across Metro Atlanta's nonprofit arts ecosystem. All eligible organizations will receive a share of the pooled fund.

More than $1 million has been contributed to AC|A's pooled fund for the inaugural redistribution.

Individual awards will depend on the total funding available and the number of organizations determined to be eligible. AC|A expects awards to be approximately $2,000–$5,000. Final awards will be calculated after eligibility has been determined for the full applicant pool.

Eligible applicants must meet all published eligibility requirements, including nonprofit or fiscally sponsored status, at least three years of continuous operation, a primary mission focused on the arts, public-facing arts programming, location and service within the 11-county Metro Atlanta region, an annual operating budget between $5,000 and $15 million, and organizational independence.

View complete eligibility requirements →

Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, and Rockdale counties.

Yes. Applicants must be headquartered in and primarily serve the 11-county Atlanta Regional Commission region.

The 11-county region was established by participating arts organizations early in the development of Arts Capital | Atlanta. We wanted to define a shared geography that reflected how the region functions while also aligning with existing data sources, particularly the Atlanta Regional Commission, so we could compare AC|A's research with other regional information over time.

At the time, Georgians for the Arts was also leading statewide arts advocacy and sector-building efforts. AC|A intentionally chose a regional focus so we could complement, rather than duplicate, that work. The 11-county footprint gives us a consistent boundary for research, funding, advocacy, and collaboration while allowing AC|A to focus deeply on the needs of Metro Atlanta's arts ecosystem.

Yes. Organizations operating under an established fiscal sponsorship arrangement may apply as long as they meet all other eligibility requirements. Fiscal sponsorship alone does not make an organization eligible.

No. Fiscal sponsorship is intended to make this opportunity accessible to nonprofit arts organizations that operate under an established fiscal sponsor rather than holding their own 501(c)(3) status. The fiscal sponsorship relationship must have been in place before this funding opportunity was announced. An organization may not establish a new fiscal sponsorship solely for the purpose of becoming eligible for the 2026 redistribution.

The redistribution is intended to support nonprofit arts organizations. A commercial or for-profit business is not eligible simply because it enters into a fiscal sponsorship arrangement. An organization structured as an LLC may only be considered if it is operating as a nonprofit charitable project under an established fiscal sponsorship arrangement that predates this opportunity and meets all other eligibility requirements.

The arts should be central to why your organization exists, and arts programming should represent your organization's principal public activity rather than a secondary or occasional part of its work.

Eligible programming may include folk and traditional arts, literary arts, media arts, multidisciplinary arts, performing arts, public art, and visual arts, including design.

View complete eligibility requirements →

Potentially. Programming does not have to be free. Organizations whose primary mission and public programming are arts-based may be eligible whether their programming is free or fee-based.

For eligibility purposes, annual operating budget is based on total operating expenses from your organization's most recently completed fiscal year. Extraordinary items such as capital campaigns, capital projects, and endowment gifts are excluded.

A 990-N alone is not sufficient because it does not contain the financial information AC|A needs to verify eligibility. If your organization does not prepare one of the other accepted documents, you may submit internally prepared year-end financial statements signed by your Executive Director or equivalent and Board Treasurer.

Applications open October 1 and close October 29, 2026. Applications must be submitted electronically by the deadline. The application link will be shared in our newsletter and on this webpage once it opens on the 1st.

These materials help AC|A verify that applicants meet the public arts programming requirement. They are not being used to evaluate artistic quality. Materials submitted separately through the optional "Share Your Story" section may be used for communications only if you give AC|A permission to do so.

AC|A may contact you for clarification or additional documentation. Organizations with incomplete applications or potential eligibility questions will have ten business days to provide requested information before eligibility determinations are finalized.

AC|A staff can answer questions about the eligibility requirements and help you understand what documentation is required. Final eligibility determinations are made through the formal review process after applications are submitted.

AC|A staff will first review applications against the published eligibility requirements. Applications requiring interpretation or presenting an eligibility question will be reviewed by the Redistribution Committee. The Committee reviews eligibility rather than artistic merit and recommends the final eligible applicant pool to the AC|A Board.

The Redistribution Committee includes representatives of nonprofit arts organizations and participating funders, with nonprofit representatives maintaining a supermajority. Committee members representing applicant organizations must recuse themselves from discussions and decisions involving their own organizations.

The 2026 Committee is:

• Leslie Gordon (Former Executive Director Breman Museum)

• Elizabeth Labbe-Webb (AC|A Board Chair, Executive Director Core Dance)

• Harrison Hackett (Trustee, Zeist Foundation)

• Rob Smulian (Executive Director, Imlay Foundation)

• Chandra Stephens-Albright (Former Managing Director, True Colors Theatre Company)

• Ginny Thompson (Executive Director, ATLANTA YOUNG SINGERS)

• DePriest Waddy (Executive Director, CFNEG)

• Tom West (Former Executive Director, Atlanta Ballet)

No. Applications are used to determine eligibility, not to rank organizations. Award amounts are calculated using the Board-approved redistribution methodology after the eligible applicant pool is finalized.

No. Applications are not reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis. All applications submitted by the October 29 deadline will receive the same consideration, regardless of when they are submitted. We encourage you to apply early enough to avoid last-minute technical issues, but there is no advantage to being first.

Applicants will be notified following completion of the eligibility review, award calculation, and Board approval process. AC|A's goal is to distribute all 2026 awards by the end of the calendar year.

AC|A is developing an organizational profile system to help us maintain accurate information about Metro Atlanta’s arts ecosystem. Organizations receiving funding will be asked to keep basic information, such as contact details, leadership, and organizational information, up to date. We’ll provide more details and instructions as this system becomes available.

AC|A may occasionally invite organizations to participate in advocacy efforts that support greater public investment in Metro Atlanta’s arts ecosystem. This could include sending a letter to your county commissioner or state representative, attending a public meeting, or sharing information about how public funding affects your organization. Specific opportunities will vary, and organizations are encouraged to participate when appropriate and as their capacity allows.

Awards are unrestricted. Recipient organizations may determine how the funding can best support their organization and mission.

Recipients will be asked to maintain an updated organizational profile, participate in AC|A's annual sector benchmarking survey, respond to advocacy opportunities when appropriate, and provide any required grant follow-up information.

The 2026 redistribution is a pilot. AC|A will evaluate applicant and committee feedback, administrative burden, eligibility questions, and how the distribution methodology performs before considering improvements to future cycles.