Deadline: 30-Apr-24
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is inviting applications to support primarily to small organizations for projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved groups/communities.
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is proud to support the nation’s arts sector with grant opportunities so that together they can help everyone live more artful lives.
“Artful lives” is an inclusive concept encompassing everything from the creation, presentation, and consumption of art, to active arts engagement by all people through making, teaching, and learning in their everyday lives. The arts contribute to the individual well-being, the well-being of their communities, and to their local economies. The arts are crucial to helping us make sense of their circumstances from different perspectives.
Principles
- The program is rooted in principles that include, but are not limited to, their recognition that:
- Some groups/communities and some geographic areas with rich and dynamic artistic and cultural identities have limited grant funding opportunities, and/or have been historically underserved by national arts funding;
- Some small organizations may face barriers to accessing grant funding; and
- Some applicants to the NEA may benefit from enhanced technical assistance resources.
- Challenge America seeks to address these potential barriers for organizations seeking funding.
Funding Information
- Challenge America features an abbreviated application, a robust structure of technical assistance, and grants for a set amount of $10,000. Grants require a cost share/match of $10,000 consisting of cash and/or in-kind contributions. Total project costs must be at least $20,000 or greater.
Period of Performance
- Grants awarded under these guidelines generally may cover a period of performance of up to two years. The two-year period is intended to allow an applicant sufficient time to plan, execute, and close out its project, not to repeat a one-year project for a second year.
Eligible Projects
- Challenge America supports arts projects in many artistic disciplines including Artist Communities, Arts Education, Dance, Design, Folk & Traditional Arts, Literary Arts, Local Arts Agencies, Media Arts, Museums, Music, Musical Theater, Opera, Presenting & Multidisciplinary Arts, Theater, and Visual Arts.
- Projects must extend the reach of the arts to underserved groups/communities. Possible projects include, but are not limited to: arts programming, including the commissioning or presentation of artists or artwork; marketing and promotional activities; and organizational planning. Projects may consist of one or more specific events or activities, and must not cover all of your programming for a season. They do not offer funding for general operating support or to support an entire season of programming.
- As applicable, engagement with the following constituencies is encouraged (in accordance with White House Executive Orders), including but not limited to:
- Historically Black Colleges and Universities,
- Tribal Colleges and Universities,
- American Indian and Alaska Native tribes,
- Predominantly Black Institutions,
- Hispanic Serving Institutions,
- Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, and
- Organizations that support the independence and lifelong inclusion of people with disabilities.
- Projects may focus on reaching a particular group or demographic (such as gender, disability, economic status, race, color, or national origin, including limited English proficiency); however, they may not be exclusionary under Federal civil rights laws and policies prohibiting discrimination. This extends to hiring practices, artist selection processes, and audience engagement.
Eligibility Criteria
- If an organization applies to the Challenge America category, it may not also apply to the Grants for Arts Projects category during the same calendar year. If your organization submitted an application to the February 2024 Grants for Arts Projects or will submit an application to the July 2024 Grants for Arts Projects, you may not also apply to the April 2024 Challenge America.
- The following are eligible to apply:
- Non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3), U.S. organizations;
- Units of state or local government; or
- Federally recognized tribal communities or tribes.
- Applicants fitting the above eligibility requirements may be arts organizations, local arts agencies, arts service organizations, local education agencies (school districts), or other organizations that can help advance the goals of the NEA.
- To be eligible, the applicant organization must:
- Be a first-time applicant to the NEA, or
- Be a previous NEA applicant that was not recommended for funding in any of the three most recent Fiscal Years (FYs 2022, 2023, or 2024) in any of the following grant programs:
- Grants for Arts;
- Research Grants in the Arts; or
- Our Town.
- Previous NEA applicants recommended for funding in Grants for Arts projects, Research Grants in the Arts, or Our Town in FY 2022, FY 2023, or FY 2024, are not eligible to apply
- Previous Challenge America, American Rescue Plan (ARP), and CARES Act applicants and grantees are eligible to apply, as long as they were not recommended for FY 2022, FY 2023, or FY 2024 funding in Grants for Arts Projects, Research Grants in the Arts, or Our Town.
Ineligible
- The following are not eligible to apply:
- Individuals;
- Applications through a fiscal sponsor/agent (organizations must apply directly on their own behalf, see more information on fiscal sponsors/agents); or
- Designated state and jurisdictional arts agencies (SAAs) and their regional arts organizations (RAOs).
For more information, visit NEA.