The Durham Arts Council Inc
Durham, NC · EIN 56-0599829. Reported 277 grants totalling $1,578,519 to 104 organizations across tax years 2020-2023, on Form 990 Schedule I.
Does this grantmaker accept applications?
Its tax return does not say, and we will not guess. Private foundations file Form 990-PF, which asks outright whether they fund only organizations they select themselves -- 78% say yes, and that one answer is what lets the rest of this site tell you which foundations are worth approaching. Grantmaking charities like this one file a regular Form 990 instead, and the IRS never puts the question to them. Anyone claiming to know the answer from the filing is inventing it.
Three things in the filing do bear on it:
- What kind of organization it is. For The Durham Arts Council Inc, the IRS classifies it under arts & culture rather than as a grantmaker (NTEE A26) -- it is an operating charity that also makes grants.
- How spread out its giving is. 104 distinct organizations, with 15% of the dollars going to the largest single recipient. That is genuinely spread out -- the mark of a funder making many independent decisions rather than underwriting one institution.
- How much its list changes. 69% of one year's grantees are funded again the next, across 3 year-to-year transitions. That is about the 57% median for grantmaking charities -- noticeably lower than the 67% private foundations manage. Organizations like this one rotate more of their list each year, which is where an opening for a newcomer tends to be.
How big are its grants?
The median reported grant is $4,658. Half of what it reported fell between $1,271 and $6,996; the smallest was $50 and the largest $71,029. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong organization.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Recipients are grouped by the EIN the filer reported, not by name, so an organization that was typed differently in two years appears once rather than twice.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina Theatre of Durham Inc | Durham, NC | $233,691 | 7 | 4 | 2023 |
| St Josephs Historic Foundation Inc | Durham, NC | $74,217 | 8 | 4 | 2023 |
| African American Community Collaborative | Durham, NC | $61,416 | 8 | 4 | 2023 |
| Northstar Church of the Arts Inc | Durham, NC | $45,505 | 7 | 4 | 2023 |
| Mallarme Chamber Players Inc | Durham, NC | $42,581 | 7 | 4 | 2023 |
| Walltown Childrens Theatre | Durham, NC | $40,825 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| The Southern Documentary Fund | Durham, NC | $40,395 | 6 | 4 | 2023 |
| The Beautiful Project Inc | Durham, NC | $39,510 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| North Carolina Arts in Action Inc | Raleigh, NC | $39,231 | 4 | 3 | 2023 |
| Durham Art Guild Inc | Durham, NC | $39,186 | 6 | 4 | 2023 |
| Carolina Wren Press Inc | Durham, NC | $39,003 | 6 | 4 | 2023 |
| Kidznotes | Durham, NC | $37,498 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| American Dance Festival Inc | Durham, NC | $36,173 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Shaleigh Dance Works | Rougemont, NC | $35,833 | 6 | 4 | 2023 |
| Bump Inc | Durham, NC | $33,908 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Durham Ballet Theatre | Durham, NC | $30,993 | 6 | 4 | 2023 |
| The Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle Inc | Durham, NC | $30,202 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Durham Symphony Incorporated | Durham, NC | $27,852 | 6 | 4 | 2023 |
| Artists Standing Strong Together | Durham, NC | $24,951 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Spanish Dance Arts Company Inc | New York, NY | $24,051 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Orange County Arts Alliance | Hillsborough, NC | $22,775 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| The Durham Savoyards Limited of Durham North Carolina | Durham, NC | $22,697 | 5 | 3 | 2023 |
| Duke University | Durham, NC | $22,045 | 6 | 4 | 2023 |
| Choral Society of Durham Inc | Durham, NC | $21,840 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Liberty Arts Inc | Durham, NC | $21,733 | 6 | 4 | 2023 |
| Museum of Durham History Inc | Durham, NC | $20,946 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Durham Childrens Choir Inc | Durham, NC | $20,905 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Claymakers Arts Community Inc | Durham, NC | $19,596 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Empower Dance Foundation | Durham, NC | $18,500 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| The Scrap Exchange Inc | Durham, NC | $17,863 | 3 | 2 | 2021 |
| Gaspard&dancers Inc | Durham, NC | $17,653 | 4 | 3 | 2023 |
| Chatham County Arts Council Incorporated | Pittsboro, NC | $16,604 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| The Durham Chorale Inc | Durham, NC | $16,178 | 4 | 3 | 2023 |
| Full Frame Documentary Film Festival | Durham, NC | $15,778 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Girls Rock North Carolina | Durham, NC | $14,477 | 4 | 3 | 2023 |
| The Mill Stage at Golden Belt | Rye Brook, NY | $14,405 | 3 | 2 | 2021 |
| United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County Inc | Raleigh, NC | $14,125 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Triangle Artworks Inc | Raleigh, NC | $13,950 | 4 | 3 | 2023 |
| Backbone Press | Durham, NC | $13,468 | 4 | 3 | 2023 |
| Durham Medical Orchestra Foundation | Durham, NC | $13,218 | 4 | 3 | 2023 |
| Chatham Arts Council | Pittsboro, NC | $10,075 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County | Raleigh, NC | $9,223 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Maya Freelon LLC | Durham, NC | $9,196 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Triangle Cultural Awareness Foundation | Durham, NC | $9,065 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Blankspace LLC | Durham, NC | $8,849 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Nuevo South LLC | Durham, NC | $8,849 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| The Common Woman Chorus | Chapel Hill, NC | $8,563 | 3 | 2 | 2021 |
| North Carolina Folklife Institute | Durham, NC | $8,515 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Oxente Brazilian Arts | Greensboro, NC | $8,491 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Bulldog Ensemble Theater | Durham, NC | $7,405 | 2 | 1 | 2023 |
| Durham Central Park | Durham, NC | $7,355 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| North Carolina Folklife Institute | Durham, NC | $7,175 | 3 | 2 | 2021 |
| Sonic Pie Productions LLC | Durham, NC | $6,996 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| The Art of Cool Project | Durham, NC | $6,760 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Mettlesome Theater | Durham, NC | $6,388 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| North Carolina Youth Tap Ensemble | Chapel Hill, NC | $5,940 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Nancy Frame Design | Durham, NC | $5,826 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Morning Choir LLC | Durham, NC | $5,779 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Griot and Grey Owl (fiscal Sponsor Vae Raleigh) | Durham, NC | $5,611 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Durham Jazz Workshop | Durham, NC | $5,400 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Standup-Speakout-Nc | Durham, NC | $5,184 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Country Soul Songbook (fiscal Sponsor Tk Dubs) | Durham, NC | $4,943 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Association for the Preservation of the Eno River Valley Inc | Durham, NC | $4,918 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Bullhorn Arts and Education Inc | Durham, NC | $4,656 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Fractured Atlas Inc | New York, NY | $4,618 | 3 | 2 | 2021 |
| Agape Theatre Project | Durham, NC | $4,542 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Arts Center | Carrboro, NC | $4,079 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Triangle Youth Ballet | Chapel Hill, NC | $3,519 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Durham Community Concert Band | Durham, NC | $3,394 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Artzhub | Durham, NC | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Vault Theatre Limited | Durham, NC | $2,450 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Young Peoples Performing Company Inc | Durham, NC | $2,412 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Huron Stage Music Venue (fiscal Sponsor Mallarme Music) | Durham, NC | $2,300 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Redbird Arts (fiscal Sponsor Fractured Atlas) | Durham, NC | $2,300 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| The School for Living Futures (fiscal Sponsor Durham Art Guild) | Durham, NC | $2,300 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Threshold Inc | Durham, NC | $2,266 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Stone Soup Theatre Company | Durham, NC | $2,050 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| The Monti | Chapel Hill, NC | $2,034 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Empower Dance Foundation | Durham, NC | $2,017 | 2 | 1 | 2021 |
| 10BY10 Inc | Durham, NC | $1,875 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Tkdubs Productions | Durham, NC | $1,553 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Al Strong Music Productions | Durham, NC | $1,550 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Be Connected Durham and Beyond | Durham, NC | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Indie Strings | Durham, NC | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| No Regret Productions LLC | Durham, NC | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Spectacular Magazine | Durham, NC | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Triangle Friends of African American Arts | Durham, NC | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| 100 Men in Black Male Chorus Inc | Durham, NC | $1,300 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| 5 Points Gallery | Durham, NC | $1,300 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Cecy's Gallery LLC | Durham, NC | $1,300 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Daylight Community Arts Foundation Inc | Bronx, NY | $1,271 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Brick Scholars | Wilson, NC | $1,200 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Brown Boulevard LLC | Chapel Hill, NC | $1,200 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Integrity Strings | Wake Forest, NC | $1,200 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Leela School of Dance | Cary, NC | $1,200 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Your Own Greatness Affirmed | Los Angeles, CA | $1,200 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Family Bizness LLC | Durham, NC | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Second Shift a Cappella | Morrisville, NC | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| North Carolina Jazz Ensemble | Durham, NC | $800 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Puppet Show Incorporated | Savannah, GA | $600 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Maria Rocha - Takiri Academy | Durham, NC | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| The Magic of African Rhythms | Durham, NC | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Pittbull Martial Arts Center | Durham, NC | $200 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Mn Music & Dance LLC | Hillsborough, NC | $50 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
53 of 104 (51%) received money in more than one year over the 4 years we hold. Remember the $5,000 floor: an organization funded every year at $3,000 shows up here as never funded at all.
What the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose column of its filings, largest first. This is the closest thing to a statement of what it funds, in its own words.
- Carolina Theatre of Durham
ANNUAL SEASON SUPPORT, NC CARES COVID RELIEF, BIG NIGHT COVID RELIEF - The Carolina Theatre of Durham Inc
FLETCHER PERFORMING ARTS FUND GRANT - NOPROFIT SUBSIDIES - North Carolina Arts in Action
ANNUAL OPERATIONS, NC CARES COVID RELIEF, BIG NIGHT COVID RELIEF, ARTS RECOVERY COVID RELIEF - St Joseph's Historic Foundation
PROJECT-POETRY AND SPOKEN WORD, NC CARES COVID RELIEF, BIG NIGHT COVID RELIEF - Walltown Children's Theatre
ANNUAL OPERATIONS, NC CARES COVID RELIEF, BIG NIGHT IN COVID RELIEF - American Dance Festival
NC CARES COVID RELIEF GRANT, BIG NIGHT COVID RELIEF
What kind of organizations it funds
By each recipient's own IRS classification, for the 55 of 104 recipients we could match to a registered organization. These are assigned categories, not our guesses -- Schedule I reports the recipient's EIN, so this is a lookup rather than a name match.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants reported | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 76 | $589,883 | $5,209 |
| 2021 | 90 | $256,184 | $1,017 |
| 2022 | 31 | $267,752 | $7,323 |
| 2023 | 80 | $464,700 | $5,261 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- Form 990 arrives about a year after the year it covers, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a grantmaker winding down.
Where its money goes
97% of its giving went to organizations in North Carolina. Community foundations and federated funds are usually the most geographically bounded funders there are -- being outside the footprint is normally disqualifying in a way that a weak programme fit is not.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These grantmakers and private foundations gave to organizations this one also funded. Shared grantees are the strongest signal available that two funders have overlapping priorities -- and a funder already backing your peers is a far warmer prospect than one that merely lists your cause.
How to approach this grantmaker
- Look for a published programme first. Unlike most private foundations, organizations of this kind often do run open, deadlined grant cycles with written guidelines. Its own website is the authority on that; this page is the authority on who it has actually paid.
- Check you are its size. The median reported grant is $4,658 -- and because grants under $5,000 need not be reported, it very likely writes smaller cheques than this page can see.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving concentrates in North Carolina.
- Read the recipient list for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer and a cheap one to get.
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Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from The Durham Arts Council Inc's own Form 990 Schedule I filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 4 returns (tax years 2020-2023). Nothing here is scraped, inferred or estimated.
On its most recent return it told the IRS it made grants to 71 section 501(c)(3) organizations and 9 other organizations. That is the filer's own count for one year; the totals above cover every year we hold.
Address of record on the latest return: 120 Morris Street, Durham, NC, 27701.
EIN 56-0599829 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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