Event Grants
The Grant Funding Period for Jan-June 2023 is closed.
- APPLICATION PERIOD closed December 15, 2022, for events happening between Jan 1 and June 30, 2023.
Engage Downtown Activation Grant Offered for Community-Building, Creative, Fun, and Artistic Ideas in Downtown Memphis!
The DMC’s Engage Downtown Grant offers funding for events/activations that recruit people into Downtown; utilize public, outdoor, or highly visible space; and provide unique or uniquely joyful experiences in Downtown Memphis.
There are no restrictions on the type of activations/events we are looking to fund. Activations can be music, art, fashion, fitness, community-related, or something else altogether! All we require is that proposed activations enhance our Downtown experience. We want to find new ways to bring more people into Downtown and to continue to support events that showcase the true community spirit and soul of Downtown Memphis.
Our grants range between $250 and $1500 depending on scope, concept, and engagement opportunity. We give extra points for events that are free, inclusive, large-scale, and unexpected.
We believe in building a Downtown for everyone and want to empower creative people with inspiring ideas, even if the idea is for a first-time event! We are looking to partner with you to make our collective Downtown more vibrant, interesting, and fun.
Remember – at least a portion of your event/activation has to take place outdoors or be highly visible to be eligible for the Engage Downtown Grant. Downtown outdoor space includes parks, plazas, streets, alleys, riverfront spaces, and retail spaces with open doors and activated sidewalks.
Evaluation factors:
- Location – outdoor events and events that can be seen from street-level are given preference
- Inclusivity – events open to all ages are given preference
- Cost to patrons – events that are free or low cost are given preference
- Collaboration – events that support other Downtown organizations, or are produced with Downtown partners are given preference
- Scope – only grants with total costs less than $15K will be considered – this grant is designed to help smaller activators realize their events.
2023 Deadline: December 15, 2022.
Want to do something really different? We are open! Want to gather people in a truly unexpected place? We want to know more! Have a great idea, but not sure how to make it happen? Share it with us – we might be able to pair you with another organizer who can help make your dream a reality!
If you have questions about the activation grant – please email downtown@downtownmemphis.com and use the subject line: ACTIVATION GRANT QUESTION
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If you are looking to host a larger-scale event, or your expenses are expected to be more than $15,000 total – please reach out to our VP of Marketing – Penelope Huston, at huston@downtownmemphis.com to discuss other partnership opportunities!
Past Event Grant Recipients:
Beale Street Art Crawl
Diner en Blanc!
CreativeWorks
Lyfe is Dope
River Arts Fest
Over the Edge
Explore Bike Share for Downtown Dining Week
Sunet Jazz in Court Square
Harlem Fashion Row 10th Anniversary
Memphis Adults Sports
Edge Motor Festival
Memphis in May
Tambourine Bash
Farm Fest
And dozens more!
Parks in Downtown:
Army Park – Ashburn-Coppock Park – Barking Lot – Bickford Community Center – Big River Crossing – Butler Park – Central Bark Dog Park – Chickasaw Heritage Park – Church Park – Court Square – Crump Park- Fourth Bluff – Greenbelt Park – Handy Park – Health Sciences Park – Madison Ave Park – Martyr’s Park – MLK Riverside Park – Morris Park – Mud Island – Mud Island Dog Park – Navy Park – Ravine – River Garden – Tom Lee Park – Vance park – Wolf River Greenway
