Two hundred arts and cultural organizations across Fulton County will share $3 million in grants after the Board of Commissioners approved the funding on July 15. The money restores arts spending to pre-cut levels and launches a first-ever Veterans Creative Arts Pool for programming that serves county veterans and their families.
The initial round awards $2,857,643 to organizations in 14 categories, with another $142,357 to follow in subsequent rounds, according to a county announcement published Monday, July 27. Individual grants range from $1,000 to $50,000.
The program, called Contracts for Services, is administered by the Fulton County Department of Arts & Culture under Director David Manuel. Eligible recipients include nonprofit arts groups, cultural institutions, colleges, schools, municipalities, and community-based nonprofits throughout the county, including those serving Alpharetta and Milton residents. The full list of FY2026 recipients is posted at www.fultonarts.org.
Chairman Robb Pitts said the grants expand creative access for residents of all ages and reflect the county's commitment to its arts sector.
"This Board is in full support of providing funding for the arts, our arts partners, and all residents impacted by the arts," District 6 Commissioner Khadijah Abdur-Rahman said in November 2025, when she sponsored the resolution that set the $3 million level. "Our goal is to review all needs, then work together to ensure those needs are met, all while being fiscally responsible."
Funding restored after FY2025 cuts
The $3 million marks a return to the prior funding level. In FY2025, the county cut arts grants from $3 million to roughly $1.3 million to redirect money toward federally mandated repairs at the Fulton County Jail following a Department of Justice investigation. The Board voted unanimously on October 15, 2025, to restore the FY2026 arts budget to $3 million. That resolution was co-sponsored by Vice Chair Bob Ellis and Commissioners Bridget Thorne and Marvin S. Arrington Jr.
New veterans program debuts
The Veterans Creative Arts Pool is the newest piece of the program. Established under Resolution No. 21-0282, it creates a dedicated funding stream for organizations that deliver creative arts programming to Fulton County veterans and their families. The county has not disclosed how many organizations received veterans pool grants or the dollar amount set aside for the pool.
The county has not published a breakdown showing which of the 200 grantees are based in or serve Alpharetta and Milton specifically. Residents can call Fulton County Arts & Culture at 404-612-4000 to ask about North Fulton recipients.
