A new grant fund of more than $1 million for metro Atlanta arts nonprofits opens for applications Oct. 1.
Johns Creek organizations that meet the criteria could receive several thousand dollars each.
Arts Capital Atlanta, a metro nonprofit that pools philanthropic dollars for the region's creative sector, announced the inaugural fund Wednesday, Sept. 16, in a report by SaportaReport. The unrestricted grants mark the first time the organization has distributed money directly to arts groups.
The fund matters locally because Johns Creek is home to established arts nonprofits that already receive state support. The Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra and The Art Center, formerly the Johns Creek Arts Center, both appear on the Georgia Council for the Arts' FY2026 grant recipient list as general operating support grantees. Neither organization has been confirmed as an applicant for the new fund, but both could meet the eligibility requirements.
Georgia ranks near the bottom nationally in per-capita state arts funding. The state spends about 14 cents per person on its arts agency, according to the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA). When all public arts funding, including federal, state and local dollars, is counted, the 11-county metro Atlanta region averages about $1.96 per capita, compared with a national average of about $5.44, according to Arts Capital Atlanta. The organization said that gap creates an estimated $18 million shortfall in public arts investment across the metro area.
The need is real. Half of metro Atlanta's arts organizations operate on annual budgets under $150,000, Arts Capital Atlanta said.
"The goal is to invest broadly in the nonprofit arts ecosystem, not identify a handful of winners," Elizabeth Labbe-Webb, board chair of Arts Capital Atlanta and executive director of Core Dance, said in the announcement.
The organization estimates at least 200 nonprofits across the region may qualify. Awards are expected to range from $2,000 to $5,000 each, though the final number of recipients won't be set until applications close. The pooled fund draws from the Zeist Foundation, the Imlay Foundation, the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta and other philanthropic partners.
To qualify, an organization must be a nonprofit or operate under an eligible fiscal sponsor, have run continuously for at least three years, carry a primary arts-focused mission, offer public-facing programming in metro Atlanta and meet operating budget requirements.
Arts organizations themselves helped design the application process and will keep decision-making authority over how funds are distributed, according to Arts Capital Atlanta. The organization described the inaugural round as a starting point for its broader funding work.
Applications are open Oct. 1 through Oct. 29. Arts Capital Atlanta expects to distribute the funds by the end of 2026, after applications close. Eligibility details and materials are available at ArtsCapitalAtlanta.org.
