The North Carolina Arts Council will invest $269,663 in grants for arts programs and projects in Chatham, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Montgomery, Moore and Randolph counties during 20062007.

Across North Carolina, $6,589,660 was distributed through 390 grants to 281 grantees. That total includes $1 million in non-recurring funds for the Grassroots Arts Program and $650,000 in non-recurring funds for general support organizations.

The Arts Council of Moore County received $2,500 for the Classical Concert Series; $3,500 for arts-in-education plan; and $25,842 for other programs and subgrants.

Grassroots grants provide funding on a per capita basis to arts councils and other local organizations, which in turn program and fund the arts in their communities.

"We estimate that last year, more than 13 million people participated in projects funded by the Arts Council including children's programs, arts exhibitions, performances and projects at senior centers," said Mary B. Regan, executive director of the North Carolina Arts Council. "We are grateful to the General Assembly for their funding support."

Building a better state through the arts, the Arts Council develops more vibrant communities, creative and productive citizens and cultural vitality in everyday lives. Through a combination of grant programs, partnerships and services for nonprofit organizations, schools, communities and individual artists, the Arts Council builds and encourages excellence in arts programming and services and promotes access, diversity and education of the arts to the citizens of the state.

To be eligible for Arts Council grants, organizations must produce quality arts programs that provide community benefit. Most grants require that matching funds be raised by the applicant organization. Last year, each $1 invested by the N.C. Arts Council was matched by approximately $12 in funds raised by the organizations.

The North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, www.ncculture.com, serves as an economic catalyst as it invests in local communities and offers technical assistance to artists and organizations.

The majority of Arts Council funding comes from the North Carolina General Assembly. Partial funding for the Arts Council also comes from the National Endowment for the Arts.