South Arts Inc
South Arts Inc is a public charity headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1975, it is a regional arts organization that supports artists, organizations, and communities and works to increase access to arts and culture.
Key facts about South Arts Inc
In short: South Arts Inc gave $9.3M across 233 grants in 2025 (avg $40K), top state North Carolina. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 56-1129587
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $9,253,512
- Grants made (2025)
- 233
- Average grant
- $39,715
- Median grant
- $36,266
- Total assets
- $18,339,996
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (8% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$18.3M
+21.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$9.3M
+269.3% YoY
Grant Count
233
+228.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$40K
+12.5% YoY
How South Arts Inc gives
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
South Arts states its mission as “advancing Southern vitality through the arts.” Its stated work includes supporting touring artists and public arts programs, building organizational capacity, and fostering partnerships between arts and non-arts sectors. Its programs also include support for literary arts, jazz, film screenings, and traditional arts.
The grantees named in its 2025 filing reflect a range of arts-related work. Ballet After Dark says it uses performing arts, dance therapy, and somatic interventions to support Black and Brown girls and youth affected by trauma. The Beautiful Project describes its work as using storytelling and visual arts to advance healing and representational justice for Black girls, gender-expansive youth, and women. PHAMALY Theatre Company says it provides a creative home for theatre artists with disabilities and models a disability-affirmative theatrical process.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, South Arts reported 233 grants totaling $9,253,512. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $130,000, with a median of $36,266. The largest listed awards included $130,000 each to Ballet After Dark, South Sudanese Foundation, and Wyandotte Nation of Kansas, all for FY25 NEA ArtsHERE. Other large awards included $126,972 to Border Youth Tennis Exchange for FY25 NEA ArtsHERE and $99,019 to the North Carolina Arts Council for S Arts Relief & Recovery.
South Arts’ program descriptions include the Southern Circuit Screening Partner Grant, which supports partner organizations hosting independent documentary screenings and filmmaker engagements. The Cross-Sector Impact Grants program described a three-year “Arts & Health and Wellness” model with matching grants of up to $15,000; its 2025 application deadline was July 30, 2025, so that cycle has passed. The 2025 Southern Prize and State Fellowships for Literary Arts cycle focused on poetry and described $80,000 in awards; that cycle is also past. Presentation Grants are described as paused.
Open Grants
26 open opportunities from South Arts Inc
Accessibility Grants
South Arts Inc
Amount
US $500 - US $2,500
Deadline
Deadline not published
Artist Creative Practice Grant
South Arts Inc
Amount
Up to US $3,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Arts in Rural Places Grant
South Arts Inc
Amount
US $500 - US $3,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Ready to take the next step with South Arts Inc?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
South Arts’ service region comprises Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Its 2025 grantmaking also included recipients outside that region, including organizations in Maryland, North Dakota, Kansas, Arizona, Indiana, New York, Washington, Wisconsin, Colorado, and New Mexico. North Carolina received 8% of grant dollars, Georgia 5%, and Florida, New York, and Texas 4% each.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 233 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $148K (2019) to $9.3M (2025). In 2025 it made 233 grants totaling $9.3M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Ballet After Dark Inc ($130K). Together the top 10 received $1.1M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($15,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
622 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 480 grants of 622 (77%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Ballet After Dark Inc Baltimore, MD | FY25 NEA ArtsHERE | $130,000 |
| South Sudanese Foundation Fargo, ND | FY25 NEA ArtsHERE | $130,000 |
| Wyandotte Nation of Kansas Inc McLouth, KS | FY25 NEA ArtsHERE | $130,000 |
| Border Youth Tennis Exchange Nogales, AZ | FY25 NEA ArtsHERE | $126,972 |
| The Indy Convergence INC Indianapolis, IN | FY25 NEA ArtsHERE | $122,000 |
| The Laundromat Project Brooklyn, NY | FY25 NEA ArtsHERE | $117,000 |
| North Carolina Arts Council Raleigh, NC | S Arts Relief & Recovery | $99,019 |
| The Beautiful Project Inc Durham, NC | FY25 NEA ArtsHERE | $98,750 |
| Indigenous Performance Productions Olympia, WA | FY25 NEA ArtsHERE | $97,500 |
| Ko-Thi Inc Milwaukee, WI | FY25 NEA ArtsHERE | $97,500 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $18,339,996 | $15,300,474 | $16,700,039 | $9,253,512 |
| 2024 | $15,041,398 | $8,298,403 | $10,383,597 | $2,505,674 |
| 2023 | $16,798,337 | $9,400,617 | $8,743,114 | $3,262,974 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $18,339,996 | $15,041,398 | $16,798,337 |
| Revenue | $15,300,474 | $8,298,403 | $9,400,617 |
| Expenses | $16,700,039 | $10,383,597 | $8,743,114 |
| Net Investment Income | $308,902 | $349,936 | $209,368 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 12, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 15, 2020)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Neil Barclay as Board Chair, Gretchen McLennon as Vice Chair, Elliott Knight as Treasurer, and William McKinney as Secretary. Directors listed include Alice Randall, Anne B Pope, Basu Monimala, Cathy Adams, Christopher Cathers, and David Lewis.
South Arts Inc is led by Suzette M. Surkamer, Executive Director since 2021 (on filings since 2019); 4 of 34 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Suzette M. Surkamer
Executive Director
Executive Director → President & CEO, 2020
President & CEO → Executive Director, 2021
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$149K (2019) → $300K (2025)
Neil Barclay
Board Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2020
Vice Chair → Board Chair, 2022
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Anne B Pope
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Cathy Adams
Director
Director → Vice Chair, 2022
Vice Chair → Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Christopher Cathers
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sandy Shaughnessy
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Platts
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Elmore DeMott
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Glenda E Hood
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John T Edge
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kara Olidge
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nina Parikh
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Olga Garay-English
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tina Lilly
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Alice Randall
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeff Bell
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mike Woodard
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Natalie Chanin
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Basu Monimala
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Lewis
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gina Charbonnet
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Justin Lemoine
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Keith Summerour
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Leea Russel
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Meg Reid
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Phillip March Jones
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sejal Mehta Chaudhuri
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Yvahn Martin
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael E. Bosarge
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Financial Officer → CFO, 2020
CFO → Chief Financial Officer, 2021
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$75K (2019) → $138K (2025)
Joy A. Young
Vice President of Programs
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$115K (2022) → $152K (2025)
Charles Phaneuf
Vice President of Strategy
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$120K (2023) → $141K (2025)
Elliott Knight
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2021
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
William McKinney
Secretary
Secretary → Secretary & Director, 2022
Secretary & Director → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gretchen McLennon
Vice Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (20)
- Former: Sonya Halpern (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Alejandro Aguirre (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Denis Scholl (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Susannah Johannsen (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Bill Medich (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Nigel Redden (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Sarah Story (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Ben Rex (2019–2021) — Board Chair
- Former: Ted Abernathy (2019–2021) — Past Chair
- Former: Wayne Martin (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Cheryl Castille (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: K. Clay Haynes (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Karen Paty (2019–2020) — Treasurer
- Former: Ken May (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Malcolm White (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Ann B. Pope (2020) — Director
- Former: James Harrison III (2019) — Vice Chair
- Former: Todd Lowe (2019) — Director
- Former: William Lewis (2019) — Director
- Former: Xavier Cortada (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 $300K, to Suzette Surkamer (Executive Director). 4 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Mailing address: 1800 Peachtree Street Nw 808, Atlanta, GA 30309
Phone: (404) 874-7244
Website: https://southarts.org
Frequently asked questions about South Arts Inc
How much does South Arts Inc give each year?
South Arts Inc gave $9.3M across 233 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $2.5M across 71 grants.
What is South Arts Inc's typical grant size?
South Arts Inc's median grant in 2025 was $36,266, and its average grant was $39,715, across 233 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does South Arts Inc give grants?
South Arts Inc's top state is North Carolina, with 8% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The most frequent recipient cities were Atlanta, GA (11 grants), Nashville, TN (6 grants), Durham, NC (5 grants) and New York, NY (4 grants).
Does South Arts Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 233 grants with a stated purpose on South Arts Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "FY25 NEA ArtsHERE" (110 grants), "FY25 SA/NEA Regional Engagement / Arts in Community" (40 grants) and "In These Mountains - Cargill 3rd Grant" (23 grants).
Who are South Arts Inc's largest grantees?
South Arts Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Ballet After Dark Inc ($130,000), South Sudanese Foundation ($130,000) and Wyandotte Nation of Kansas Inc ($130,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($15,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 4% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is South Arts Inc?
South Arts Inc reported $18.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $15.3M.
What does South Arts Inc fund?
South Arts states its mission as “advancing Southern vitality through the arts.” Its stated work includes supporting touring artists and public arts programs, building organizational capacity, and fostering partnerships between arts and non-arts sectors. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from South Arts Inc?
South Arts Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check southarts.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is South Arts Inc's EIN?
South Arts Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-1129587. 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.
Here's the math on researching South Arts Inc by hand.
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