Deadline: 19-Jan-24
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in partnership with South Arts and in collaboration with the five other U.S. Regional Arts Organizations (RAOs) has launched a new grant program, ArtsHERE.
ArtsHERE supports organizations that have demonstrated a commitment to equity within their practices and programming and have undertaken consistent engagement with underserved groups/communities. Grants are for specific projects that will strengthen the organization’s capacity to sustain meaningful community engagement and increase arts participation for underserved groups/communities. Grantees have access to peer-learning and technical assistance opportunities designed to share knowledge and build networks.
The intent of ArtsHERE is to strengthen the capacity of organizations that are already engaging with underserved groups/communities to boost arts participation, learn from their experiences in undertaking this work, and connect these organizations to each other and to other relevant entities through technical assistance and peer-learning opportunities intended to bolster, amplify, and extend effective strategies and ways of working. In the long-term, investments made through the ArtsHERE program will build grantees’ capacity to sustain meaningful community engagement, and increase arts participation for underserved groups/communities.
Why apply for an ArtsHERE grant?
- ArtsHERE grantees will benefit from:
- Investment: Non-matching, project-based grants ranging from $65,000 to $130,000 each will be awarded to approximately 95 eligible organizations across the country. Applicants must provide evidence of their commitment to equity within their practices and programming as well as demonstrate previous experience of successful engagement with underserved groups/communities.
- Learning: ArtsHERE offers grantees additional resources and assistance beyond grant funds. Grantee leadership and staff will participate in technical assistance and peer-learning communities with other ArtsHERE grantees for knowledge-sharing, network-building, peer-based learning, and many other offerings. Learning opportunities to be provided are monthly cohort sessions (1.5-2 hrs per month), one-on-one meetings (30-60 min per month) with their assigned coach, and workshops with topic-based experts (1.5 hrs provided quarterly).
- Evaluation: As a pilot program, ArtsHERE will be documented and evaluated by the National Endowment for the Arts to better understand the project activities supported through this program and how grantees approached the work. The evaluation will result in a summary of lessons learned and may inform the future of the ArtsHERE program. Reporting on grant activities, including annual progress and final reports, and completing forms or surveys intended to collect information or feedback that can inform ArtsHERE services will be required of all grantees.
Funding Information
- Grants range from $65,000 to $130,000 each. Grants do not require a cost share/match from the grantee.
Period of Performance
- The support of a project can begin no sooner than October 1, 2024 and must end not later than June 30, 2026. Grantees must complete all project activities within the Period of Performance. Grantees are expected to participate in the cohort throughout the entire Period of Performance.
Eligibility Criteria
- The following are eligible to apply:
- Nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3), U.S. organizations;
- Federally recognized tribal communities or tribes; or
- Non-federally recognized tribal communities or tribes that are also nonprofit, tax exempt 501(c)(3), U.S. organizations.
- Applicants from the nation’s 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. jurisdictions are eligible to apply.
- The applicant organization must have programs or services centered in arts and/or cultural activities.
- Prior to January 19, 2024, the applicant organization must have completed a three-year history of arts and/or cultural programming.
- For eligibility purposes, “three-year history” refers to when an organization began its programming and not when it incorporated or received nonprofit, tax-exempt status.
- Programming is not required to have taken place during consecutive years.
- Organizations that previously operated as a program of another institution may include arts programming it carried out while part of that institution for its three-year history.
- All applicants must have a Unique Entity Identifier through the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) for the grant to be made.
Ineligible
- The following are not eligible to apply:
- Individuals;
- Applications through a fiscal sponsor/agent (an organization must apply directly on its own behalf and cannot act as a pass-through entity);
- Federal agencies or local departments of federal agencies;
- For-profit entities;
- Units of state or local government;
- Colleges or universities; or
- Individual educational preschools, K-12 schools, or private K-12 institutions.
- Organizations that have had their IRS status revoked are not eligible to apply for a grant. Tax-exempt status must be current at the time of application.
- Late or incomplete applications are considered ineligible, and will not be considered for funding.
For more information, visit U.S. Regional Arts Organizations.