Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville
The Arts & Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville is a public charity based in Knoxville, Tennessee. It supports artists, arts organizations, and cultural institutions through grants, services, advocacy, and opportunities to create and present work. The Alliance says it serves eleven East Tennessee counties and has more than 700 members.
Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville at a glance
In short: Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville gave $951K across 41 grants in 2025 (avg $23K), mostly in Tennessee. 12% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $951,168
- -19.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 41
- +2.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $23,199
- -21.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $3,925,008
- +186.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 12% first-time grantees (5 of 41, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 2506, Knoxville, TN 37901
Phone: (865) 523-7543
Website: https://knoxalliance.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
7 open opportunities from Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville
Arts & Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville GRACE Fund Grant
Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville
Amount
Up to US $2,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Arts & Heritage Fund - General Operating Support Grants
Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Arts & Heritage Fund - Technical Assistance Grants
Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville
Amount
$500
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Dogwood Arts Festival ($93K). Together the top 10 received $401K.
Grant Size Distribution
175 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 153 grants of 175 (87%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Alliance says it serves eleven East Tennessee counties. Its Arts Build Communities service area is Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Knox, Loudon, Monroe, Morgan, Roane, Scott, Sevier, and Union counties. The 2025 grants listed in the filing went entirely to Tennessee recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 41 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville open to new grantees?
12%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 41 grantees (12%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $17K; repeat grants $24K. How we count
Medians: $20K first-time, $20K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $386K (2019) to $1.8M (2023). In 2025 it made 41 grants totaling $951K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Dogwood Arts Festival Knoxville, TN | Support Art in the C | $92,500 |
| Clarence Brown Theatre Knoxville, TN | Support Art in the C | $41,000 |
| Blount Mansion Knoxville, TN | Support Art in the C | $35,000 |
| James White Fort Knoxville, TN | Support Art in the C | $35,000 |
| Mabry-Hazen House Knoxville, TN | Support Art in the C | $35,000 |
| Marble Springs State Historic Site Knoxville, TN | Support Art in the C | $35,000 |
| TN Stage Company Knoxville, TN | Support Art in the C | $33,600 |
| Knoxville Museum of Art Knoxville, TN | Support Art in the C | $31,250 |
| Knoxville Opera Company Knoxville, TN | Support Art in the C | $31,250 |
| Knoxville Symphony Orchestra Knoxville, TN | Support Art in the C | $31,250 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,925,008 | $4,273,193 | $1,793,568 | $951,168 | 41 | $39,016 |
| 2024 | $1,368,293 | $2,581,776 | $1,940,346 | $1,176,509 | 40 | $5,746 |
| 2023 | $970,479 | $2,388,952 | $2,501,583 | $1,773,951 | 48 | $168 |
| 2022 | $1,199,560 | $1,108,020 | $1,004,381 | $399,813 | 23 | $21 |
| 2021 | $494,766 | $910,546 | $826,868 | $400,000 | 23 | $34 |
| 2020 | $404,657 | $830,589 | $840,325 | $410,000 | 24 | $115 |
| 2019 | $348,252 | $876,619 | $858,406 | $386,077 | 24 | $7 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Alliance’s mission is to serve and support a diverse community of artists, arts organizations, and cultural institutions. Its stated focus areas include expanding access to the arts, advocating for public and private investment, and strengthening artists and organizations through professional development, shared resources, and connections.
The Alliance describes providing artists and organizations with administrative assistance, planning tools, grant preparation support, and access to information services. It also acts as a unified voice for the arts and culture community.
The Alliance’s 2025 grants supported a range of local arts, cultural, and heritage organizations. For example, Dogwood Arts describes its mission as promoting and celebrating the region’s arts, culture, and natural beauty. The Knoxville Museum of Art says it promotes public interest, awareness, knowledge, and education in the visual arts in East Tennessee. Knox Heritage describes its work as preserving, restoring, and transforming historically or architecturally significant buildings, open spaces, and parks in Knoxville and Knox County. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the Alliance’s.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the Alliance reported 41 grants totaling $951,168. Grants ranged from $7,925 to $92,500, with a median award of $20,000. All reported grant dollars went to recipients in Tennessee.
The largest listed awards included $92,500 to Dogwood Arts Festival; $41,000 to Clarence Brown Theatre; and $35,000 each to Blount Mansion, James White Fort, Mabry-Hazen House, and Marble Springs State Historic Site. Other listed awards included $33,600 to TN Stage Company; $31,250 each to Knoxville Museum of Art, Knoxville Opera Company, and Knoxville Symphony Orchestra; $29,275 to Knox Heritage Inc; and $29,000 to Big Ears Festival. The filing describes these grants’ purposes as “support art in the c,” with the wording truncated in the available filing data.
The Alliance administers several programs. Its Arts & Heritage Fund provides general operating support and technical assistance grants to arts, heritage, and cultural organizations. The fund’s stated allocation is 85% for general operating support, 5% for technical assistance, and 10% toward an industry endowment. Technical assistance grants are for developing organizations that do not qualify for general operating support; the listed award range is $500–$500.
Arts Build Communities grants support publicly accessible arts projects that expand access, address community issues, strengthen cultural identity, support economic vitality or community development, or build organizational sustainability. The Alliance administers these grants in cooperation with the Tennessee Arts Commission. Awards are up to $5,000, and eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) nonprofits, government entities, and qualifying schools, colleges, or universities. The FY27 application deadline was July 1, 2026, which has passed; the listed project period is August 16, 2026–June 15, 2027.
Bailey Opportunity Grants support individual artists and small, professionally oriented arts and culture organizations with opportunities for artistic and professional growth. For the FY27 cycle, applicants had to meet residency or domicile requirements within 50 miles of downtown Knoxville, and organizational applicants could not have had annual budgets exceeding $100,000 in any of the prior five years. Applicants also had to be Arts & Culture Alliance members and have presented or published work publicly in Knox County within the previous 36 months. The FY27 deadline was March 22, 2026, and has passed; the website says the FY28 cycle will begin in spring 2027.
The GRACE Fund is described by the Alliance as an emergency fund for artists facing financial crises. Detailed eligibility and application requirements are not provided in the available program information.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Liza Zenni as executive director, Stephen Bailey as president, and James Jones as treasurer. Directors listed are Julia Bentley, David Butler, Margo Clark, Susan EsRequis, Claudio Gomez, Caesar Stair IV, and Larsen Jay.
Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville is led by Stephen Bailey, President on every filing since 2019; 1 of 16 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Stephen Bailey
President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Coral Turner
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Julia Bentley
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Susan Esrequis
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Claudio Gomez
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Reggie Law
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Margo Clark
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Greg Sellers
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Wendel Werner
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Butler
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Caesar Stair IV
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Powers
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Larsen Jay
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Liza Zenni
Executive Di
Executive Director → Executive Di, 2023
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$115K (2019) → $150K (2025)
Bob Thomas
Secretary
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
James H. Jones
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (13)
- Former: Allison Easterday (2019–2024) — Vice President
- Former: Cat Shteynberg (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Finbarr Saunders (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Mark Heinz (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Tatia Harris (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: David Wilson (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Duane Grieve (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Angela Pugh (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Rachel Ford (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Alan M. Jones (2019) — Director
- Former: Cherel Henderson (2019) — Director
- Former: Jon Gustin (2019) — Director
- Former: L. Caesar Stair III (2019) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $150K, to Liza Zenni (Executive Di).
Frequently asked questions about Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville
How much does Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville give each year?
Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville gave $951K across 41 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $1.2M across 40 grants.
What is Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville's typical grant size?
Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville's median grant in 2025 was $20,000, and its average grant was $23,199, across 41 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville that year got $17K on average.
Where does Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville give grants?
Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville gives mostly in Tennessee: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Knoxville, TN (41 grants).
Does Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 36 grants with a stated purpose on Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Support Art in the C" (35 grants).
Who are Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville's largest grantees?
Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville's largest 2025 grantees include Dogwood Arts Festival ($92,500), Clarence Brown Theatre ($41,000) and Blount Mansion ($35,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 18% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville?
Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville reported $3.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $4.3M.
What does Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville fund?
The Alliance’s mission is to serve and support a diverse community of artists, arts organizations, and cultural institutions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville?
Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check knoxalliance.com for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville's EIN?
Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 62-0962249. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 11, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS January 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 20, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 27, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 2, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS January 30, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Explore Open Grants
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/arts-and-culture-alliance-of-greater-knoxville-morg_fbc50b9fff29409189d73f5e72b205f3
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_620962249_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/arts-and-culture-alliance-of-greater-knoxville-morg_fbc50b9fff29409189d73f5e72b205f3},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-04. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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