The Arts Council Inc logo

The Arts Council Inc

Public charity · Grantmaker Winston-Salem, NC EIN: 56-0526856 Website

The Arts Council Inc is based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and supports arts and cultural activity through grants and access to venues. The Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County describes itself as an advocate for the region’s arts and cultural sector and says it provides grant funding, fiscal sponsorships, artist opportunities, and in-kind marketing support to arts partners.

Key facts about The Arts Council Inc

In short: The Arts Council Inc gave $1.2M across 38 grants in 2025 (avg $31K), mostly in North Carolina. 16% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.

EIN
56-0526856
Latest 990 filing
Form 990, 2025
Annual giving (2025)
$1,190,897
Grants made (2025)
38
Average grant
$31,339
Median grant
$28,043
New grantees (estimate)
16% first-time grantees (6 of 38, 2025)
Total assets
$10,578,104
Primary geography
North Carolina (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
How to apply
The website provides application information for specific grant programs. Full details ↓
Deadline
The General Operating Support Grants deadline listed for the cycle described above was October 15, 2025; the Artist…

Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing

Total Assets

$10.6M

-12.3% YoY

Annual Giving

$1.2M

-29.9% YoY

Grant Count

38

-13.6% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$31K

-18.9% YoY

Is The Arts Council Inc open to new grantees?

16%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 6 of 38 grantees (16%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $25K; repeat grants $33K. How we count

Medians: $25K first-time, $30K repeat.

  • 74% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−8%). Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The mission stated on the filing is to support and advance “the legacy of innovation in and access to the arts as a core community value,” by providing grants and venues for artists and arts organizations and creating an environment in which the arts flourish.

The Arts Council’s website describes support for arts education, venue access and programming, and funding and other support for artists and arts organizations. Its grants include operating support for arts and culture organizations and direct support for individual artists’ professional and artistic development.

The grantees’ own mission statements illustrate the range of organizations receiving support. MUSE WINSTON-SALEM says it connects and enriches the community through history and storytelling. Triad Cultural Arts describes itself as a community-based multidisciplinary organization focused on recognition of Black American history and culture. Authoring Action says it uses creative writing, spoken word, visual and media arts, filmmaking, and leadership education to transform lives and promote systemic change. These are grantees’ stated missions, not the Arts Council’s.

Grantmaking

In filing year 2025, the Arts Council reported 38 grants totaling $1,190,897. Awards ranged from $5,601 to $125,000, with a median of $28,042. All reported grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina.

Review Cycle

shown for that cycle was October 15, 2025, which has passed.

Open Grants

6 open opportunities from The Arts Council Inc

Show all 6 →
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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The 2025 filing reports that 100% of grant dollars went to North Carolina recipients. The website’s General Operating Support Grants require organizations to operate programs and services primarily in Forsyth County. The Artist Support Grant serves artists residing in Forsyth, Davidson, Davie, Guilford, and Randolph counties.

Grant Distribution by State

3states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 38 itemized grants.

Cities

Winston-SalemKernersvilleGreensboroCharlotteClemmonsGreenvilleJacksonvilleRaleigh

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$500K$1M$1.5M$2M22 grants2020 21 grants2021 23 grants2022 40 grants2023 44 grants2024 38 grants2025

From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $479K (2020) to $1.7M (2024). In 2025 it made 38 grants totaling $1.2M.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools: $125KWinston-Salem Forsyth CountySchools$125KSoutheastern Center for Contemporar: $102KSoutheastern Center forContemporar$102KMuse Winston-Salem: $89KMuse Winston-Salem$89KUniversity of North Carolina School of the Arts Foundation Inc: $67KUniversity of North CarolinaSchool of the Arts Foundation…$67KCommunidad Mujer Valiosa: $35KCommunidad Mujer Valiosa$35KRoyal Curtain Drama Guild Inc: $35KRoyal Curtain Drama Guild Inc$35KTriad Cultural Arts Inc: $35KTriad Cultural Arts Inc$35KWinston-Salem Mixxer Inc: $35KWinston-Salem Mixxer Inc$35KWake Forest University: $35KWake Forest University$35KCreative Center of North Carolina: $34KCreative Center of NorthCarolina$34K

The largest 2025 recipient was Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools ($125K). Together the top 10 received $592K.

Grant Size Distribution

166 grants across all recorded years

132<$50K28$50–100K5$100–250K$250–500K1$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 132 grants of 166 (80%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools Winston-Salem, NCOperating Assistance$125,000
Southeastern Center for Contemporar Winston-Salem, NCOperating Assistance$101,749
Muse Winston-Salem Winston-Salem, NCOperating Assistance$89,425
University of North Carolina School of the Arts Foundation Inc Winston-Salem, NCOperating Assistance$67,211
Communidad Mujer Valiosa Winston-Salem, NCOperating Assistance$35,000
Royal Curtain Drama Guild Inc Winston-Salem, NCOperating Assistance$35,000
Triad Cultural Arts Inc Winston-Salem, NCOperating Assistance$35,000
Winston-Salem Mixxer Inc Winston-Salem, NCOperating Assistance$35,000
Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NCOperating Assistance$34,500
Creative Center of North Carolina Winston-Salem, NCOperating Assistance$34,003

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Assets Revenue Expenses Grants reported
2025 $10,578,104 $3,398,838 $4,609,971 $1,190,897
2024 $12,059,455 $5,498,748 $6,181,158 $1,699,498
2023 $12,738,849 $3,345,650 $4,795,140 $1,223,777

The filings report 44 grants in 2024 and 40 in 2023.

Revenue
Expenses
Net Investment Income
$0$2M$4M$6M$8M2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets$10,578,104$12,059,455$12,738,849
Revenue$3,398,838$5,498,748$3,345,650
Expenses$4,609,971$6,181,158$4,795,140
Net Investment Income$89,934$17,836$-33,744

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 17, 2021)
  2. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 12, 2022)
  3. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 14, 2023)
  4. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 14, 2024)
  5. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS September 25, 2025)
  6. Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 17, 2026)
  7. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Howard Upchurch as chairman and Samantha Howard End 7425 as CEO. It lists Dr. Lynn Anthony, Courtney Benfield, Cindy Gindrich, Iris Cole, Melinda McConnell, Whitney Harness, Sue Henderson, and Stephanie Brown as board members.

The Arts Council Inc is led by Shannon Henry, Interim President since 2025 (on filings since 2020); 1 of 23 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Shannon Henry

    Interim President

    Board Member → Interim President, 2025

    On filings since 2020

    40 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Howard Upchurch

    Chairman

    Interim President → Chairman, 2025

    On filings since 2024

    40 hrs/week

    $46K (2024) → $59K (2025)

  • Cheryl Lindsey

    Board Member

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Iris Cole

    Board Member

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Lynn Anthony

    Board Member

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Melinda McConnell

    Board Member

    Chair → Board Member, 2021

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Rosa Otera

    Board Member

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Mike Lancaster

    Treasurer

    On filings since 2021

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Sue Henderson

    Board Member

    On filings since 2021

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Talitha Vickers

    Board Member

    On filings since 2021

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Kenneth Pettigrew

    Board Member

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Courtney Payne Benfield

    Board Member

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Robin Miller

    Board Member

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Ben Schwab

    Board Member

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Cindy Gindrich

    Board Member

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Darrell Farewell

    Board Member

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Erica Palmiter

    Board Member

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • John Caraway

    Board Member

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Jon Pierce

    Board Member

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Richard Davis III

    Board Member

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Stephanie Brown

    Board Member

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Stephen Berlin

    Board Member

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Whitney Harness

    Board Member

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (38)
  • Former: Samantha Howard (2025) — CEO · Filing note: Ended 7425
  • Former: Camille Kluttz-Leach (2020–2024) — Board Member
  • Former: Chad Cheek (2020–2024) — President
  • Former: Claire Tuttle (2020–2024) — Board Member
  • Former: Clare Fader (2020–2024) — Board Member
  • Former: Drew Gerstmyer (2020–2024) — Board Member
  • Former: Jake Wharton (2020–2024) — Board Member
  • Former: Jason Kaplan (2020–2024) — Board Member
  • Former: Jeff Lindsay (2020–2024) — Board Member
  • Former: Peggy Reingold (2020–2024) — Board Member
  • Former: Steve Berlin (2020–2024) — Secretary
  • Former: Chase Law (2021–2024) — President · Filing note: Ended 21624
  • Former: Jacinta White (2021–2024) — Board Member · Filing note: Ended December
  • Former: Linda Gaskins (2022–2024) — Board Member
  • Former: Todd Bankhead (2022–2024) — Board Member
  • Former: Amy Reynolds (2024) — Board Member
  • Former: Rich Geiger (2024) — Board Member
  • Former: Stephan Dragisic (2024) — Board Member
  • Former: Tracy Preston (2024) — Board Member
  • Former: Christina Soriano (2020–2023) — Board Member
  • Former: Eric Swaim (2020–2023) — Board Member
  • Former: Michael Kelley (2020–2023) — Board Member
  • Former: Michael Suggs (2020–2023) — Board Member
  • Former: Nigel Alston (2020–2023) — Board Member
  • Former: Paula McCoy (2020–2023) — Board Member
  • Former: Richard Geiger (2020–2023) — Board Member
  • Former: John Helmle (2020–2022) — Board Member · Filing note: Ended 62022
  • Former: Lance Latham (2020–2022) — Board Member · Filing note: Ended 72022
  • Former: Rick Moss (2020–2022) — Chair
  • Former: Robert Slappey (2020–2022) — Board Member · Filing note: Ended 42022
  • Former: Dana Caudill Jones (2020–2021) — Board Member
  • Former: Randy Eaddy (2020–2021) — President · Filing note: Ended 123120
  • Former: Silvia Rodriguez (2020–2021) — Board Member
  • Former: Ken Pettigrew (2021) — Board Member
  • Former: Adriana Granados (2020) — Board Member
  • Former: Holly Pavlika (2020) — Board Member
  • Former: Portia Mount (2020) — Board Member
  • Former: Shaheen Syal (2020) — Vice Chair

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

Howard Upchurch — Chairman: $59KHoward UpchurchChairman$59KSamantha Howard End 7425 — CEO: $36KSamantha Howard End 7425CEO$36K

The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $59K, to Howard Upchurch (Chairman). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.

Contact

Mailing address: 251 North Spruce St, Winstonsalem, NC 27101
Phone: (336) 722-2585
Website: https://intothearts.org

Frequently asked questions about The Arts Council Inc

How much does The Arts Council Inc give each year?

The Arts Council Inc gave $1.2M across 38 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $1.7M across 44 grants.

What is The Arts Council Inc's typical grant size?

The Arts Council Inc's median grant in 2025 was $28,043, and its average grant was $31,339, across 38 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Arts Council Inc that year got $25K on average.

Where does The Arts Council Inc give grants?

The Arts Council Inc gives mostly in North Carolina: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Winston-Salem, NC (35 grants).

Does The Arts Council Inc give general operating support?

Yes: 100% of The Arts Council Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (38 of 38) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990.

Who are The Arts Council Inc's largest grantees?

The Arts Council Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools ($125,000), Southeastern Center for Contemporar ($101,749) and Muse Winston-Salem ($89,425), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 27% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is The Arts Council Inc?

The Arts Council Inc reported $10.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $3.4M.

What does The Arts Council Inc fund?

The mission stated on the filing is to support and advance “the legacy of innovation in and access to the arts as a core community value,” by providing grants and venues for artists and arts organizations and creating an environment in which the arts flourish. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from The Arts Council Inc?

The website provides application information for specific grant programs. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is The Arts Council Inc's EIN?

The Arts Council Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-0526856. 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.

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