From the Chairman

The National Endowment for the Arts is committed to bringing the best of the arts to all Americans. Our grants range from supporting new presentations of theatrical classics and contemporary art to providing arts workshops in schools -- across all fifty states in communities large and small.

These Grants for Arts Projects guidelines outline the Arts Endowment’s primary funding opportunities for organizations. Support for projects in all of the arts disciplines is available through the following grant categories:

Access to Artistic Excellence: To encourage and support artistic excellence, preserve our cultural heritage, and provide access to the arts for all Americans. Support is available for a wide range of projects including the creation, performance, and exhibition of work; the preservation of significant works of art or cultural traditions; and expansion and diversification of audiences.

Challenge America: Reaching Every Community Fast-Track Review Grants: To enable primarily small and mid-sized organizations to extend the reach of the arts to underserved populations. A simplified application review results in actions on grant awards more quickly than in the other categories.

Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth: To advance arts education for children and youth in schools and community-based settings. All projects must include the following components: experience of excellent art, study of that art, student creation of artwork, and assessment of student learning according to national or state arts education standards.

This year marks the final phase of our three-year transition to Grants.gov, the federal government’s online application system. All applicants now are required to apply to the NEA through Grants.gov. If you've used Grants.gov before, make sure that your registration is current. If you're new to Grants.gov, I encourage you to familiarize yourself with the system (particularly the registration requirements) well in advance of any deadline in which you might be interested.

We look forward to receiving and reviewing your applications for Grants for Arts Projects. It is through our support of the best of these projects that we will continue to make excellent art and arts education available throughout the United States.

Dana Gioia
Chairman

National Endowment for the Arts · an independent federal agency
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20506