Community Connector Grant Nonprofits
Community Connector Grant Nonprofits supports Charlotte-Mecklenburg nonprofits with new or expanded arts, science, and history programs that remove access barriers and build sustained community engagement.
This grant was recently updated
Applications move from March 11–April 8, 2026 to February 23–March 23, 2027, opening and closing at noon. Projects must start July 1–December 31, 2027 instead of June 1–December 31, 2026, and may run through June 30, 2028 instead of June 30, 2027; application resources also changed.
Funder: Arts and Science Council
Due Dates: February 23, 2027, noon (Opens) | March 16, 2027, 5:00 p.m. (Optional draft review) | March 23, 2027, noon (Application)
Funding Amounts: Up to $25,000 in project support for projects ending by June 30, 2028
Summary: Supports new or meaningfully expanded Charlotte-Mecklenburg nonprofit programs that remove barriers to participation in arts, science, and history.
Key Information: Applicants must be Mecklenburg County 501(c)(3) public charities with at least 75% of programming in the county.
Description
The Arts and Science Council’s Community Connector Grant supports nonprofit organizations developing new programs or meaningfully expanding existing initiatives that broaden participation in arts and cultural experiences. Access is the central priority: projects must address practical, geographic, or economic barriers to creating and participating in arts, science, and history. The program also supports innovation and sustainable cultural infrastructure.
Projects should build sustained engagement through repeated community touchpoints, deeper participation, or long-term relationships. Alongside expanding access, every project must advance at least one secondary objective: cross-sector collaboration, artistic/scientific/historical development, or community well-being. The grant addresses priorities 3, 5, and 7 of the City of Charlotte Arts & Culture Plan, with support from Mecklenburg County, the City of Charlotte, individual donors, the private sector, and the North Carolina Arts Council.
