The Arts Council of Fayetteville
The Arts Council of Fayetteville | Cumberland County is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Founded in 1973, the organization serves as the primary steward of public and private funding for arts, cultural, and history activities in the Cape Fear Region. The Arts Council operates as a link between artists, arts and cultural organizations, and the greater community by administering grant programs, producing public events and festivals, maintaining gallery exhibitions, and providing artist residencies and educational programming.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$4.5M
+11.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.2M
-1.9% YoY
Grant Count
20
+42.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$59K
-31.3% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission Statement: The Arts Council of Fayetteville | Cumberland County connects our communities, embraces diversity, promotes individual creativity, fosters lifelong learning, and advances tourism and economic development through the arts.
Core Values: Excellence, accountability, transparency, collaboration, and innovation.
Primary Program Areas:
- Grant Administration: Administers funding for operating support, project support, and arts education grant programs for Cumberland County, as well as individual artist grants for a five-county region
- Community Events & Festivals: Produces free and open-to-the-public multi-disciplinary festivals and events, and other community collaborative events
- Gallery & Exhibitions: Maintains a facility tailored for community arts with galleries open to the public six days a week during exhibit displays; presents series of gallery exhibitions featuring local and national artists
- Artist Services & Education: Provides artist residencies, workshops, and performances in Cumberland County, Fort Liberty, and private schools along with community collaborations
Grantmaking
The Arts Council distributes substantial grant funding annually to arts and cultural organizations, artists, and municipalities throughout Cumberland County and the surrounding region.
Grant Types
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Arts Council serves Cumberland County as its primary service area, with individual artist grant programs extending to a five-county region. Programming and services are provided in Cumberland County, Fort Liberty, and private schools throughout the area.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Fiscal Year 2024 (ending June 2024):
- Total Revenue: $3,152,194
- Total Expenses: $2,847,296
- Total Assets: $4,524,902
- Total Liabilities: $343,000
Staffing: The organization employs 12 staff members.
Funding Sources: Grants, programs, and services are funded in part by contributions from community partners, and through grants from the City of Fayetteville, Cumberland County, and the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural & Cultural Resources.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $4,524,902 | $4,049,538 | $3,779,003 |
| Revenue | $3,152,194 | $3,172,476 | $2,578,724 |
| Expenses | $2,847,296 | $3,041,068 | $2,331,137 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $123,780 | $53,132 | $-15,193 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
83 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from The Arts Council of Fayetteville
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Cape Fear Regional Theatre ($314,441), Various ($207,310), Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra ($135,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| CAPE FEAR BOTANICAL GARDENS FAYETTEVILLE, NC | SUPPORT OF THE ARTS | $106,287 |
| CAPE FEAR REGIONAL THEATRE FAYETTEVILLE, NC | SUPPORT OF THE ARTS | $314,441 |
| CAPE FEAR STUDIOS FAYETTEVILLE, NC | SUPPORT OF THE ARTSSUPPORT OF THE ARTS | $10,000 |
| CAPE FEAR VALLEY MEDICAL FOUNDATION FAYETTEVILLE, NC | SUPPORT OF THE ARTS | $16,000 |
| COMMUNITY CONCERTS FAYETTEVILLE, NC | SUPPORT OF THE ARTS | $10,000 |
| CUMBERLAND CHORAL ARTS FAYETTEVILLE, NC | SUPPORT OF THE ARTS | $17,570 |
| FAYETTEVILLE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA FAYETTEVILLE, NC | SUPPORT OF THE ARTS | $135,000 |
| GILBERT THEATER FAYETTEVILLE, NC | SUPPORT OF THE ARTS | $42,000 |
| GROUNDSWELL PICTURES FAYETTEVILLE, NC | SUPPORT OF THE ARTS | $10,800 |
| SWEET TEA SHAKESPEARE FAYETTEVILLE, NC | SUPPORT OF THE ARTS | $84,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Robert Pinson: Interim President
- Sheila Cuffee: Board Member
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| RICK ALLEN | BOARD MEMBER | 2 | — |
| DEVIN TREGO | CHAIRMAN | 2 | — |
| PAVAN PATEL | TREASURER | 2 | — |
| WALTER WHITE | SECRETARY | 2 | — |
| JUELLE MCDONALD | BOARD MEMBER | 2 | — |
| SHARON SMITH MCNAIR | BOARD MEMBER | 2 | — |
| BETTY GOOLSBY | BOARD MEMBER | 2 | — |
| CHANCER MCLAUGHLIN | BOARD MEMBER | 2 | — |
| DR MARY FERGUSON | BOARD MEMBER | 2 | — |
| DR ERICKA WHITAKER | BOARD MEMBER | 2 | — |
| DR KENJUANA MCCRAY | BOARD MEMBER | 2 | — |
| CAITLYN BARNETT | BOARD MEMBER | 2 | — |
| RAY THOMAS | BOARD MEMBER | 2 | — |
| TONI S KING | BOARD MEMBER | 2 | — |
| TANESHIA KERR | BOARD MEMBER | 2 | — |
| KERRI THOMPSON TILLETT | BOARD MEMBER | 2 | — |
| JOY MELVIN | BOARD MEMBER | 2 | — |
| LUIS COLLAZO | VICE CHAIRMAN | 2 | — |
| ANDREW HENRICKSON | BOARD MEMBER | 2 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Arts Council of Fayetteville | Cumberland County announced a major overhaul of its grant funding structure with the introduction of two new programs. Recent grant cycles have awarded funding to support arts, tourism, and community vibrancy, including spring cycle funding distributions of $182,679 and awards of $169,280 to $170,000 in other grant cycles.
Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County announces major overhaul ofFrequently Asked Questions
What does The Arts Council of Fayetteville fund?
**Mission Statement:** The Arts Council of Fayetteville | Cumberland County connects our communities, embraces diversity, promotes individual creativity, fosters lifelong learning, and advances tourism and economic development through the arts. **Core Values:** Excellence, accountability, transparency, collaboration, and innovation. **Primary Program Areas:** • **Grant Administration:** Administers funding for operating support, project support, and arts education grant programs for Cumberland …
How do I apply for a grant from The Arts Council of Fayetteville?
The Arts Council distributes substantial grant funding annually to arts and cultural organizations, artists, and municipalities throughout Cumberland County and the surrounding region. **Recent Grant Activity:** • In fiscal year 2021-22, the Arts Council distributed almost $1 million in grant funds and allocations • In fiscal year 2020-21, the Arts Council distributed $1.1 million in grant funds and allocations • Recent grant awards include $314,441 to Cape Fear Regional Theatre (CFRT) for supp…
Where does The Arts Council of Fayetteville make grants?
The Arts Council serves Cumberland County as its primary service area, with individual artist grant programs extending to a five-county region. Programming and services are provided in Cumberland County, Fort Liberty, and private schools throughout the area.
What size grants does The Arts Council of Fayetteville award?
In 2024, The Arts Council of Fayetteville awarded 20 grants totaling $1.2M — an average of about $59K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is The Arts Council of Fayetteville's EIN?
The Arts Council of Fayetteville's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7411600. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Arts Council of Fayetteville's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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