Greater Augusta Arts Council Inc
Greater Augusta Arts Council Inc is a public charity based in Augusta, Georgia. Founded in 1968, it supports the arts and artists in the Augusta River Region and serves as the City of Augusta’s Public Art Agency.
Greater Augusta Arts Council Inc at a glance
In short: Greater Augusta Arts Council Inc reported $72K in grants paid in 2025 (a total; its filing lists no individual grants). 8% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Grants paid (2025)
- $71,710 — reported as a total on the IRS filing, without an itemized list
- -17.1% vs 2024
- Total assets
- $468,904
- -10.4% vs 2024
- Revenue (2025)
- $1,263,377
- +1.0% vs 2024
- Expenses (2025)
- $1,381,930
- +14.5% vs 2024
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Greater Augusta Arts Council Inc
- How to Apply
-
The website directs potential applicants to review the guidelines for the relevant grant and apply through the online application process.
- Review Cycle
- The FY25 City Arts Grants deadline was August 29, 2025, at 5:00 p.m.; this cycle has passed. The 2024 Augusta Regional Arts Grant deadline was March 10, 2024; that cycle has also passed.
- Deadline
- The FY25 City Arts Grants deadline was August 29, 2025, at 5:00 p.m.; this cycle has passed.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1301 Greene Street 2Nd Floor, Augusta, GA 30901
Phone: (706) 826-4702
Website: https://augustaarts.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Greater Augusta Arts Council Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
39 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 39 grants of 39 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Council describes its service area as the Augusta River Region and CSRA. The City Arts Grants support arts organizations providing programming in Augusta-Richmond County. The 2024 regional grant listed eligible counties in Georgia and South Carolina, including Richmond County, Georgia.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Is Greater Augusta Arts Council Inc open to new grantees?
8%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 1 of 12 grantees (8%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $7K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $6K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2024). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $36K (2022) to $186K (2023). In 2025 it reported $72K in grants paid, as a total without an itemized list.
Hatched bars: grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Augusta Mini Theater Augusta, GA | To Enhance Local Art | $13,529 |
| Barefoot Productions Creative Impressions Augusta, GA | To Enhance Local Art | $11,000 |
| Augusta Westobou Festival Inc Augusta, GA | To Enhance Local Art | $9,865 |
| Jessye Norman School of Arts Augusta, GA | To Enhance Local Art | $6,210 |
| Morris Museum of Art Augusta, GA | To Enhance Local Art | $6,146 |
| The Augusta Symphony Augusta, GA | To Enhance Local Art | $6,145 |
| The Augusta Players Augusta, GA | To Enhance Local Art | $6,081 |
| Gertrude Herbert Institute of Augusta, GA | To Enhance Local Art | $5,953 |
| Ron Colton Ballet Dance Augusta, GA | To Enhance Local Art | $5,825 |
| Creative Impressions Augusta, GA | To Enhance Local Art | $5,440 |
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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 | $468,904 | $1,263,377 | $1,381,930 | $71,710 | Total only | — |
| 2024 | $523,594 | $1,251,279 | $1,206,607 | $86,498 | 12 | — |
| 2023 | $655,864 | $1,280,544 | $1,192,229 | $186,094 | 12 | — |
| 2022 | $394,286 | $813,161 | $828,964 | $36,050 | 6 | $383 |
| 2021 | $224,721 | $473,074 | $498,139 | $50,900 | 9 | $38 |
| 2020 | $432,989 | $878,019 | $801,514 | $40,320 | 6 | $541 |
"Total only": grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Council’s stated mission is to enrich quality of life for citizens and visitors by advancing cultural arts. Its 2024 filing describes work to promote arts in the CSRA through community events, a weekly radio show, and a marketing campaign; manage City arts grants and the public art master plan; and advocate for cultural institutions, arts education, and cultural facilities.
The Council’s 2024 filing describes the Arts in the Heart of Augusta Festival as a 2½-day event featuring artists, local ethnic organizations, performances, and a children’s area. It reported approximate attendance of 60,000 for the festival.
Grants have supported arts organizations. For example, Westobou Festival Inc. describes its mission as fostering a vibrant, culturally rich community by supporting artists and their ideas. The Morris Museum of Art describes its mission as collecting and exhibiting art of the American South, encouraging artistic inquiry, and enriching the public and Augusta.
Grantmaking
IRS filing data reports 12 grants totaling $86,498 in 2024 and 12 grants totaling $186,094 in 2023. The 2025 filing reports a grant count of zero. The average grant was approximately $7,208 in 2024 and $15,508 in 2023, based on the reported totals and counts.
Reported 2024 recipients include Augusta Westobou Festival Inc. ($9,865) and the Morris Museum of Art ($6,146).
The Council administers City of Augusta arts funds for nonprofit arts organizations. Its website describes FY25 City Arts Grants for general operating expenses, up to $7,000, and specific art projects, up to $5,000. The Council’s 2024 filing says applicants submit information about planned use of funds; an independent committee reviews applications and makes award decisions. Recipients report how funds were spent and their impact. The website also says grant recipients must complete a final report and retain accounting records and supporting documents.
The Council announced a separate 2024 Augusta Regional Arts Grant for arts projects. That past cycle was open to eligible 501(c)(3) organizations in specified Georgia and South Carolina counties, required a 1:1 financial match, and limited funds to project costs.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Officers and directors listed on the 2025 filing are Brenda Durant (Executive Di), Trey Allen (Chancellor A), Bennish Brown (Director), Russell Joel Brown (Director), Kigwana Cherry (President), Menia Chester (VP of Develo), Karen Gordon (Director), Leon Maben (VP of Public), Tracie Parker (Director), and Mukti Patel (Director).
Greater Augusta Arts Council Inc is led by Kigwana Cherry, President since 2025 (on filings since 2020); 1 of 20 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Kigwana Cherry
President
Vice President of Development → Executive Vice President, 2023
Executive Vice President → President, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Karen Gordon
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mukti Patel
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sincerai Stallings
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stacy Pulliam
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bennish Brown
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tracie Parker
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joe Stevenson
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Russell Joel Brown
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brenda Durant
Executive Di
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$61K (2020) → $60K (2025)
Dennis Skelley
Governance C
Director → Vice President Public Ar, 2023
Vice President Public Ar → Governance C, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Paige Tom
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Trey Allen
Chancellor A
Director → Treasurer, 2022
Treasurer → Chancellor A, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Peltier
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mike Sleeper
Executive Vice President
Vice President of Development → Treasurer, 2024
Treasurer → Executive Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rhian Swain
Past President
Executive Vice Pr → President, 2023
President → Past President, 2025
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Leon Maben
Vice President of Public
Director → Vice President of Public, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Menia Chester
Vice President of Development
Director → Vice President of Development, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mickey Williford
City Art Grants
Director → City Art Grants, 2025
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Denise Tucker
Executive Di
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (36)
- Former: Lee Little (2020–2024) — Past President
- Former: Sanjeev Singhal (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Blaine Bailey (2023–2024) — Director
- Former: Jorge Cortes (2023–2024) — Director
- Former: Leslie Hamrick (2023–2024) — Director
- Former: Ma-Keisha Mullings (2024) — Director
- Former: Art Abdon (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Jay Markwalter (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Jonathan Davis (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Marsha Loda (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Ceretta Smith (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Joan Smith (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Christine Rhodes (2023) — Director
- Former: Natalie Bryan (2023) — Director
- Former: Christy Beckham (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: David Sulak (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Elle Prater (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Jody Smith (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Josh Gaudin (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Latasha Louis (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Laverne Gold (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Lillie Morris (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Mary Schroer (2020–2022) — Past President
- Former: Rebecca Rogers (2020–2022) — Vice President of Public
- Former: Rob Foster (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Ryan Abel (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Sean Frantom (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Tamera Toogood (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Tonia Gibbons (2020–2022) — Secretary
- Former: Wesley Stewart (2022) — Director
- Former: Alicia Cully (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Cedric Johnson (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Jason Craig (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Margaret Woodard (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Sheryl Jolly (2020–2021) — Imm. Past Pr
- Former: Tonia Farr (2021) — Secretary
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 $60K, to Brenda Durant (Executive Di).
Frequently asked questions about Greater Augusta Arts Council Inc
How much does Greater Augusta Arts Council Inc give each year?
Greater Augusta Arts Council Inc reported $72K in grants paid in 2025 on its 2025 IRS Form 990, as a total without an itemized list of grants. In 2024 it gave $86K across 12 grants.
How large is Greater Augusta Arts Council Inc?
Greater Augusta Arts Council Inc reported $469K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $1.3M.
What does Greater Augusta Arts Council Inc fund?
The Council’s stated mission is to enrich quality of life for citizens and visitors by advancing cultural arts. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Greater Augusta Arts Council Inc?
The website directs potential applicants to review the guidelines for the relevant grant and apply through the online application process. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
Where does Greater Augusta Arts Council Inc make grants?
The Council describes its service area as the Augusta River Region and CSRA. The City Arts Grants support arts organizations providing programming in Augusta-Richmond County. The 2024 regional grant listed eligible counties in Georgia and South Carolina, including Richmond County, Georgia.
What is Greater Augusta Arts Council Inc's EIN?
Greater Augusta Arts Council Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 58-6074146. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 27, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 2, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS January 23, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS January 16, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS December 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS January 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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