Our Mission and History

We are convinced that arts philanthropy is key to launching and sustaining arts initiatives. We bring private and public sector partners into collaborations that extend the benefits of the arts to residents in rural, urban, and metropolitan counties across our state.

Originally created as a support group for the N.C. Arts Council, the North Carolina Arts Foundation transitioned into a fully independent public charity in 2022. While the Arts Council remains an important partner, our administrative costs are not funded with state or federal grants, and we collaborate with many organizations and individuals that help us achieve our mission.

Arts education, a key to helping young people achieve success in school and in life, is our priority as North Carolina emerges from the pandemic. We negotiated a groundbreaking partnership between private donors and the state on behalf of A+ Schools of North Carolina, a school choice program that has received national attention for its success in using the arts to teach the state’s educational curriculum. This public-private collaboration greatly increases funding for the program and allows it to grow its present network of 67 schools.

Musician Ben Folds approached the Arts Foundation in 2022 and together we created Keys for Kids, which provides music lessons and keyboards to low-wealth students who might not otherwise have access to these resources. Keys for Kids is now starting its second year with sites in seven counties across the state.

Our foundation also supports a rising generation of traditional musicians, dancers, and crafts artists in North Carolina by funding folklife apprenticeships and afterschool programs.