United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County Inc
United Arts Council of Raleigh is a public charity based in Raleigh, North Carolina. It supports arts education and community arts programming in Wake County and redistributes funds through grants to schools, municipalities, artists, and arts organizations.
United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County Inc at a glance
In short: United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County Inc gave $368K across 33 grants in 2025 (avg $11K), mostly in North Carolina. 24% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $368,241
- -64.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 33
- -50.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $11,159
- -29.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $11,300
- Total assets
- $1,200,087
- -13.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 24% first-time grantees (8 of 33, 2025)
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (98% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- 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 United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County Inc
- How to Apply
-
The website provides program guidelines and application information for Mission Support Grants; the listed eligibility requirements and use-of-funds restrictions apply to that program.
- Contact
Mailing address: 410 Glenwood Ave Ste 170, Raleigh, NC 27603
Phone: (919) 839-1498
Website: https://unitedarts.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Artspace Inc ($26K). Together the top 10 received $150K.
Grant Size Distribution
257 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 250 grants of 257 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The organization is based in Raleigh and describes its work as serving Wake County. Its 2025 grant dollars went primarily to North Carolina recipients (98%), with 2% going to South Carolina recipients. Its Mission Support Grants are for arts organizations based in and operating most of their programming in Wake County.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 33 itemized grants.
Cities
Is United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County Inc open to new grantees?
24%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 33 grantees (24%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $9K; repeat grants $12K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $11K repeat.
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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $368K (2025) to $1.5M (2021). In 2025 it made 33 grants totaling $368K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Artspace Inc Raleigh, NC | Programming Support | $25,751 |
| Pinecone Inc Raleigh, NC | Programming Support | $16,397 |
| Arts Access Raleigh, NC | — | $16,372 |
| Diamante Inc Cary, NC | Community Spotlight | $15,666 |
| Visual Art Exchange Raleigh, NC | Community Spotlight | $15,125 |
| Raleigh Little Theatre Raleigh, NC | — | $14,035 |
| The Justice Theater Project Raleigh, NC | Mission Support | $11,785 |
| Arts Together Raleigh, NC | — | $11,735 |
| Hum Sub Inc Cary, NC | Mission Support | $11,735 |
| Artsplosure the Raleigh Arts Festival Raleigh, NC | Missions Support | $11,723 |
Ready to take the next step with United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The organization was formed in 1962.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,200,087 | $1,905,497 | $2,004,579 | $368,241 | 33 | $48,171 |
| 2024 | $1,381,832 | $2,166,668 | $2,209,859 | $1,045,387 | 66 | $19,512 |
| 2023 | $1,244,176 | $2,248,784 | $2,149,392 | $1,052,694 | 57 | $31,615 |
| 2022 | $1,188,992 | $1,453,000 | $1,442,865 | $489,061 | 37 | $47,413 |
| 2021 | $1,299,106 | $2,647,753 | $2,308,792 | $1,500,690 | 64 | $21,688 |
| 2020 | $986,405 | $1,451,667 | $1,446,963 | $382,425 | 34 | $16,343 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization identifies three aims: championing arts education, serving Wake County’s larger metropolitan area and emerging population centers, and building capacity for the local arts community. Its arts education program supports performances, workshops, residencies, field trips, and professional development in Wake County K–12 schools. For the year ended June 30, 2025, it reported supporting more than 460 programs by professional teaching artists, 14 field trips, five eight-week internships, and 18 hours of teacher workshops across 155 schools.
Its community development program supports performances, exhibitions, festivals, and arts classes outside school. For the year ended June 30, 2025, it reported supporting 844 performances, festivals, and exhibitions, along with 358 art classes or camps for adults and 1,061 for children.
Examples of supported organizations illustrate the range of arts work represented among its grantees. Artspace says its mission is to cultivate positive community impact through art, education, and community programming. Arts Access says it enables North Carolinians with disabilities to access arts programs and facilities and participate in cultural life. Visual Art Exchange says it produces, funds, and exhibits socially engaged art through community collaboration. Raleigh Little Theatre describes itself as a welcoming community using theatre to enrich, educate, entertain, and engage people of all ages.
Grantmaking
The organization’s grant programs support schools, organizations, individual artists, and municipalities. Its website describes Artist Support Grants for artists’ professional and artistic development; Arts for Towns Grants for arts programming by North Carolina-based artists in Wake County municipalities; Community Spotlight Project Grants for arts projects featuring or led by historically underrepresented communities; and Mission Support Grants for Wake-based arts organizations.
In filing year 2025, it reported 33 grants totaling $368,241. Grants ranged from $5,277 to $25,751, with a median of $11,300. The largest listed awards included $25,751 to Artspace Inc. for programming support, $16,397 to Pinecone Inc. for programming support, $16,372 to Arts Access, $15,666 to Diamante Inc. for Community Spotlight, and $15,125 to Visual Art Exchange for Community Spotlight. Other listed recipients included Raleigh Little Theatre ($14,035), The Justice Theater Project ($11,785), Arts Together ($11,735), and Community Music School ($11,698).
Separately, the organization reports investing $309,000 in Mission Support Grants to 38 arts organizations for 2025–2026. These grants provide general operating support. For the 2026–2027 cycle, the application period has closed; the organization says new guidelines for the following cycle will be available in January 2027.
Mission Support applicants must be nonprofit arts or cultural organizations with 501(c)(3) status, be based in and operate most of their programming in Wake County, have produced arts programming in the county for at least one year, maintain a board that meets at least quarterly, and have nondiscrimination, conflict-of-interest, and accessibility policies. Applicants must also meet at least one secondary criterion, such as offering youth programming, programming in specified Wake County municipalities, qualifying as culturally specific, or having 501(c)(3) status for less than eight years. The guidelines exclude uses such as deficit reduction, capital expenses, fundraising activities, and contributions to reserves or endowments.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Officers and directors listed on the 2025 filing are Jennifer McEwen, President; Cindy Botts, VP of Finance; Chanda Branch, Chair; Heather Gray, Vice Chair; Hazel Edmond, Treasurer; Jasmin Cruell, Secretary; and directors Slee Arnold, Lyman Collins, Lizette Cruz Watko, and Jamie Dawson.
United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County Inc is led by Jennifer McEwen, President on every filing since 2022; 2 of 20 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jennifer McEwen
President
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$52K (2023) → $114K (2025)
Chanda Branch
Chair
Director → Chair, 2025
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jessica West
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lizette Cruz Watko
Director
Director → Vice Chair G, 2021
Vice Chair G → Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lorna Knick
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Seth Palmer
Director
Treasurer → Chair, 2023
Chair → Director, 2025
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Slee Arnold
Director
Director → Vice Chair A, 2022
Vice Chair A → Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Anna Tison
Director
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John Samuel
Director
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michele Tylka
Director
Secretary → Director, 2025
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lyman Collins
Director
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sean Gargan
Director
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
West Ludwig
Director
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jamie Dawson
Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeannie Sollars
Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Shana Tucker
Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Cindy Botts
Vice President of Financ
New on the 2025 filing
20 hrs/week
$49K (2025)
Hazel Edmond
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Heather Gray
Vice Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jasmin Cruell
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (32)
- Former: Heather Allen Zucchino (2020–2024) — Immediate Pa
- Former: Rachael Pair (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Cynthia Botts (2021–2024) — Director of
- Former: Alexander Zan Gormley (2022–2024) — Treasurer
- Former: Esther Hall (2023–2024) — Director
- Former: Ragen Carlile (2021–2023) — Interim President
- Former: Seth Peress (2023) — Director
- Former: Zan Gormley (2023) — Treasurer
- Former: Allison Itin (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Andrea Kanter (2020–2022) — Vice Chair D
- Former: Anna Churchill (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Charles Phaneuf (2020–2022) — Former President
- Former: Erika M. Rosenthal (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Jason Newton (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Joyce Kohn (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Kay A. Bailey (2020–2022) — Chair
- Former: Ryan Cottrell (2020–2022) — Immediate Pa
- Former: Sandy Ceppos (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Shelley Crisp (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Su Shearin (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Susan Edwards Batchelor (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Suzie Koonce (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Yolanda Rabun (2022) — Director
- Former: Eleanor H. Oakley (2020–2021) — Former President
- Former: Mark Steward (2020–2021) — Past Chair
- Former: Michele Tykla (2020–2021) — Secretary
- Former: Adrienne Kelly Lumpkin (2020) — Immediate Pa
- Former: Diane Kuehn (2020) — Director
- Former: Kal Trinkner (2020) — Director
- Former: Martin Seligson (2020) — Director
- Former: Mike Tadych (2020) — Director
- Former: Robert Hash (2020) — Director
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 $114K, to Jennifer McEwen (President). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County Inc
How much does United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County Inc give each year?
United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County Inc gave $368K across 33 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $1.0M across 66 grants.
What is United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County Inc's typical grant size?
United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County Inc's median grant in 2025 was $11,300, and its average grant was $11,159, across 33 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County Inc that year got $9K on average.
Where does United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County Inc give grants?
United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County Inc gives mostly in North Carolina: 98% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Raleigh, NC (20 grants), Cary, NC (8 grants) and Durham, NC (2 grants).
Does United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 28 grants with a stated purpose on United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Mission Support" (16 grants) and "Community Spotlight" (9 grants).
Who are United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County Inc's largest grantees?
United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Artspace Inc ($25,751), Pinecone Inc ($16,397) and Arts Access ($16,372), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 16% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County Inc?
United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County Inc reported $1.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $1.9M.
What does United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County Inc fund?
The organization identifies three aims: championing arts education, serving Wake County’s larger metropolitan area and emerging population centers, and building capacity for the local arts community. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County Inc?
The website provides program guidelines and application information for Mission Support Grants; the listed eligibility requirements and use-of-funds restrictions apply to that program. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County Inc's EIN?
United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-0770175. 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 January 9, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 9, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 26, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS November 14, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/united-arts-council-of-raleigh-and-wake-county-inc-morg_88e81cbe548f4cb6868abe845601a188
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_560770175_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/united-arts-council-of-raleigh-and-wake-county-inc-morg_88e81cbe548f4cb6868abe845601a188},
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 United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County Inc'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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