Programs & Resources
Alternate ROOTS’ programs provide financial and other resources for the creation and presentation of original art rooted in community, place, tradition, or spirit. In addition to our Fiscal Sponsorship Program, our current partnership programs include:
- Artistic Assistance (Project Development and Professional Development).
- Partners in Action
- Partners for Change
Other ROOTS programs focus on coalition-building and member-led initiatives that support social and economic justice:
- Intercultural Leadership Institute
- YOOTS (Youth at ROOTS)
Artistic Assistance
Artistic Assistance is a program that supports partnership between the Alternate ROOTS Community and ROOTS members who are individual artists/cultural workers living and working in the US South. ROOTS invests grant resources into our members’ creative and professional capacity and their community-building work. In addition to providing grant money, ROOTS also offers our members coaching, connections, publicity, and other forms of support. Two Artistic Assistance funding cycles are offered each year: Professional Development ($250-$2,500) and Project Development ($250-$5,000)
Partners In Action
Partners in Action (PIA) is a program that allows ROOTS the opportunity to be a supportive partner working with artists and cultural organizers from all artistic disciplines. PIA provides funding for partnership projects focused on social justice, climate justice, and cultural equity in grassroots communities throughout ROOTS’ 14 state region in the U.S. South. Artist(s)-led partnerships may include social services organizations, arts and cultural organizations, a group of teachers, community associations, an extended family, or a group organized around an issue, cause, or concern.
- The partnership period is for 18 months.
- Partners receive funding of $10,000-$20,000
- Partners are eligible for non-monetary technical assistance
Partners For Change
The Partners for Change program offers significant support to artists, cultural workers, and small organizations of color. This support aims to deepen the network of artists, communities, and partnerships committed to a progressive southern movement. Projects led by artists, art collectives, and small arts organizations of color that envision and create racially just systems are eligible for this funding. Partners for Change is co-designed with the Surdna Foundation.
Fiscal Sponsorship
Fiscal Sponsorship is a formal arrangement in which Alternate ROOTS (an organization with 501(c)(3) status) sponsors a member project without 501(c)(3) status that makes them eligible to apply for grants and tax deductible individual donations. The sponsored project could be an individual project, a one time collaboration, or a new organization. In return for this service, Alternate ROOTS collects a fee based on the total donations received by the sponsored organizations.
Intercultural Leadership Institute (ILI)
The Intercultural Leadership Institute is a year-long intensive leadership experience for artists, culture bearers and other arts practitioners. ILI is a collaborative program of Alternate ROOTS, First Peoples Fund, National Association of Latino Arts & Cultures (NALAC) , PA’I Foundation, Sipp Culture, First Alaskans Institute, and The International Association of Blacks in Dance. The effort grew out of our direct experiences as leaders of these founding cultural organizations. We often found that many personal and professional leadership programs emphasized dominant cultural norms, modes of learning and social approaches that didn’t match our commitment to cultural equity and change-making in our own communities.
YOOTS : Youth At ROOTS!
Alternate ROOTS has always benefited from the presence and leadership of young people at our events and in our community. Colloquially these young people have been called YOOTS or YOOTers. Today, Team YOOTS is made up of contracted organizers and operates under the guidance of ROOTS’ Cultural Organizing team. Team YOOTS aims to:
- Create art and relationship-building opportunities for young and emerging artists within Alternate ROOTS
- Develop programs that highlight creative and organizing work by and for young people in the region.
- Empower young artists and culture workers with the resources they need to thrive in their practice and beyond, allowing them to be their authentic selves.
