Earlier this month, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced two new grant program guidelines to distribute approximately $80 million in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds directly to nonprofit arts and culture organizations and local arts agencies to subgrant deeper into communities across the country. Applicants for programs will NOT have to be a previous NEA grantee to be eligible to apply.
NEA’s ARP Direct Grants to Arts and Culture Organizations will go to eligible organizations to support their own operations, and the application deadline is Thursday, August 12, 2021. Unlike other Arts Endowment funding programs that offer project-based support, Rescue Plan funds are intended to support day-to-day business expenses/operating costs, not specific programmatic activities. Cost share/matching funds are not required.
Approximately $60 million will be available for this category for grant amounts of $50,000, $100,000 or $150,000. Register on AFTA’s website for its ArtsU Free Webinar on Tuesday, July 6 at 3:00 p.m. to learn more about the specific guidelines for the arts and culture organization grant program.
In addition, the application and guidelines are available for Grants to Local Arts Agencies for Subgranting. The application deadline is Thursday, July 22, 2021. Approximately $20 million will be available for this category for grant amounts of $150,000, $250,000 or $500,000.
