Deadline: 24-Apr-2025
The National Endowment for the Arts is seeking applications for its grant program to support projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved groups/communities.
The term “underserved,” as defined by the NEA’s legislation and agency policy, refers to those whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited relative to geography, ethnicity, economic status, or disability. The program welcomes applications from applicants that are primarily small organizations, first-time applicants to the NEA, and/or returning Challenge America applicants.
Goals and Objectives
- Challenge America seeks to address these potential barriers for organizations seeking funding for their projects. The program is rooted in principles that include, but are not limited to, the NEA’s recognition that:
- Some communities have limited grant funding opportunities, and/or have been 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.
Funding Information
- Total amount of funding expected to award: $2,800,000
- Expected dollar value of awards (range): $10,000
- Grants awarded in this program 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.
- NEA support of a project can start no earlier than January 1, 2026.
Eligible Projects
- Challenge America supports arts projects from a range of arts and non-arts organizations in artistic disciplines that include Artist Communities, Arts Education, Dance, Design, Film & Media Arts, Folk & Traditional Arts, Literary Arts, Local Arts Agencies, Museums, Music, Musical Theater, Opera, Presenting & Multidisciplinary Works, Theater, and Visual Arts.
- Projects must extend the reach of the arts to underserved groups/communities. Projects may consist of one or more specific events or activities but cannot cover all of an organization’s seasonal programming. The NEA does not fund general operating support or support for an entire season of programming.
- Project activities may include, but are not limited to:
- Arts programming, including the commissioning or presentation of artists or artwork;
- Audience and community engagement, including educational activities;
- Marketing and promotional activities; and
- Organizational planning.
Eligibility Criteria
- The following are eligible to apply:
- Nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3), U.S. organizations;
- Units of state or local government; and
- Federally recognized tribal communities or tribes.
- To be eligible, the applicant organization also must:
- Meet the NEA’s Legal Requirements including nonprofit, tax-exempt status at the time of application.
- Have an active registration with the System for Award Management (SAM) and have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) at the time of application. Applicants must maintain an active SAM registration until the application process is complete, and throughout the life of an award.
- Have completed a three-year history of arts programming prior to the application deadline.
- Programming may have taken place prior to when the organization incorporated or received nonprofit, tax-exempt status.
- Programming is not required to have taken place during consecutive years. Applicants will provide examples of previous programming in the application.
- Organizations that previously operated as a program of another institution may include arts programming carried out while part of that institution for its three-year history.
Ineligibility Criteria
- The following are not eligible to apply:
- Individuals;
- Commercial and for-profit enterprises;
- Applications using a fiscal sponsor/agent (organizations must apply directly on their own behalf); and
- State and jurisdictional arts agencies (SAAs), and Regional Arts Organizations (RAOs). SAAs and RAOs may serve as partners in projects. However, they may not receive NEA funds through Challenge America.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.