Professional Development Grants for Arts Organizations

South Arts, Inc. offers Professional Development Grants for Arts Organizations to enhance the skills and knowledge of Southern arts entities. These grants aim to support operational stability and growth, focusing on organizations with budgets of $500,000 or less. Eligible applicants include a range of arts organizations within South Arts' nine-state service area. The program emphasizes first-time opportunities and requires a dollar-for-dollar cash match, ensuring a commitment to professional development in the arts.

Applications must be submitted at least 60 days prior to the professional development start date. Projects must take place between October 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026.
Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, South Arts is a nonprofit regional arts organization empowering artists, organizations, and communities, and increasing access to arts and culture.
In partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the State Arts Agencies of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee — with additional funding from other public and private donors such as the Doris Duke Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and Mellon Foundation — South Arts supports artists and organizations through a rich and responsive portfolio of grants, fellowships, and programs.
Why? Because South Arts believes that the arts elevate the region, increasing connectedness and inspiring meaningful change in the process.
Program Description
South Arts strongly believes that skill and knowledge building for arts organizations are integral to success and sustainability. These grants are designed to support the professional development needs of Southern arts organizations for increasing organizational capacity to achieve long-term sustainability, growth, and/or operational stability. This grant program is open to film, visual arts, performing arts, traditional arts, literary arts, and multidisciplinary arts organizations.
Funding can support staff or board participation at conferences, workshops, and other professional development opportunities and events. In addition, these grants can support expenses for in-person and virtual professional development for organization-wide staff learning and training. Funds support travel expenses (for example, lodging and air/ground transportation), admission/registration fees, or other related expenses (for example, consultant/service fees for staff learning/training sessions).

Eligibility

The following is a top-level list of the main eligibility requirements necessary to be considered for a Professional Development Grant:Be a tax-exempt nonprofit, an official unit of local, county, or state government, or a federally recognized tribal community based within South Arts' nine-state service area (AL, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, or TN)
Be an arts organization, including but are not limited to artist ensembles, producing and presenting organizations, visual and performing arts centers, museums, film festivals, arts service organizations, community arts organizations, and art councilsHave an operating budget of $500,000 or less
Be for “first time” opportunities and relate to the applicant’s arts programming/services
Provide a dollar-for-dollar cash match
Please be aware of the following updates to the 2025-2026 Professional Development Grants cycle:
This grant program is open to 501(c)(3) arts organizations with operating budgets of $500,000 or less. Arts organizations can include but are not limited to artist ensembles, producing and presenting organizations, visual and performing arts centers, museums, film festivals, arts service organizations, community arts organizations, and art councils.

Ineligibility

Ineligible applicants include:
Organizations based outside of AL, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, or TNFiscally sponsored organizationsFor-profit businesses or organizationsIndividual artistsNon-arts organizations