Grants for organizations support exemplary projects in artist communities, arts education, dance, design, folk and traditional arts, literature, local arts agencies, media arts, museums, music, musical theater, opera, presenting and multidisciplinary works, theater, and visuals arts.
We fund projects only. Projects may be large or small, existing or new, and may take place in any part of the nation’s 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. Projects may consist of one or more specific events or activities.
Funding is available through four categories:
Art Works | Challenge America | Our Town | Research: Art Works
Art Works
These grants support artistically excellent projects that celebrate our creativity and cultural heritage, invite mutual respect for differing beliefs and values, and enrich humanity. Matching grants generally range from $10,000 to $100,000. A minimum cost share/match equal to the grant amount is required.
Deadlines:
First Art Works Deadline:
Part 1 – Submit to Grants.gov | February 14, 2019 |
Prepare application material so that it’s ready to upload when the Applicant Portal opens | |
Part 2 – Submit to Applicant Portal | February 19-26, 2019 |
Earliest Announcement of Grant Award or Rejection | November 2019 |
Earliest Beginning Date for National Endowment for the Arts Period of Performance | January 1, 2020 |
Note: To allow time to resolve any problems you might encounter, we strongly recommend that you register/renew your Grants.gov/SAM registration by at least January 23, 2019 and submit to Grants.gov by at least February 5, 2019.
Second Art Works Deadline:
Part 1 – Submit to Grants.gov | July 11, 2019 |
Prepare application material so that it’s ready to upload when the Applicant Portal opens | |
Part 2 – Submit to Applicant Portal | July 16-23, 2019 |
Earliest Announcement of Grant Award or Rejection | April 2020 |
Earliest Beginning Date for National Endowment for the Arts Period of Performance | June 1, 2020 |
Note: To allow time to resolve any problems you might encounter, we strongly recommend that you register/renew your Grants.gov/SAM registration by at least June 19, 2019 and submit to Grants.gov by at least July 2, 2019.
Challenge America
These grants support projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved populations. Matching grants are for $10,000. A minimum cost share/match equal to the grant amount is required. Total project costs must be at least $20,000 or greater.
Deadlines:
Part 1 – Submit to Grants.gov | April 11, 2019 |
Prepare application material so that it’s ready to upload when the Applicant Portal opens | |
Part 2 – Submit to Applicant Portal | April 16-23, 2019 |
Earliest Announcement of Grant Award or Rejection | December 2019 |
Earliest Beginning Date for National Endowment for the Arts Period of Performance | January 1, 2020 |
Note: To allow time to resolve any problems you might encounter, we strongly recommend that you register/renew your Grants.gov/SAM registration by at least March 20, 2019 and submit to Grants.gov by at least April 2, 2019.
Our Town
Our Town is the National Endowment for the Arts’ creative placemaking grants program. These grants support projects that integrate arts, culture, and design activities into efforts that strengthen communities by advancing local economic, physical, and/or social outcomes. Successful Our Town projects ultimately lay the groundwork for systemic changes that sustain the integration of arts, culture, and design into strategies for strengthening communities. Our Town offers support for projects in two areas:
- Place-Based Projects. Through arts engagement, cultural planning, design, and/or artist/creative industry support, these projects contribute to improved quality of life in local communities. These projects require a partnership between a nonprofit organization and a local government entity, with one of the partners being a cultural organization. Matching grants range from $25,000 to $200,000, with a minimum cost share/match equal to the grant amount.
- Knowledge Building Projects. These projects build and disseminate knowledge about how to leverage arts, culture, and design as mechanisms for strengthening communities. These grants are available to arts service or design service organizations, and/or other national or regional membership, policy, or university-based organizations. These projects require a partnership that will facilitate the knowledge sharing and/or exchange. Matching grants range from $25,000 to $100,000, with a minimum cost share/match equal to the grant amount.
Upcoming deadlines:
Part 1 – Submit SF-424 to Grants.gov | August 9, 2018 |
Part 2 – Submit Materials to Applicant Portal | August 14-21, 2018 |
Earliest Announcement of Grant Award or Rejection | April 2019 |
Earliest Beginning Date for National Endowment for the Arts Period of Performance | July 1, 2019 |
Note: To allow time to resolve any problems you might encounter, we strongly recommend that you register/renew your Grants.gov/SAM registration by at least July 19, 2018 and submit the SF-424 to Grants.gov by at least July 30, 2018.
Research: Art Works
These grants support research that investigates the value and/or impact of the arts, either as individual components of the U.S. arts ecology or as they interact with each other and/or with other domains of American life. Research: Art Works offers support for projects in two areas:
- Track One: Value and Impact. These are matching grants ranging from $10,000-$30,000 for research projects that aim to examine the value and/or impact of the arts in any topic area(s) by using data and methods appropriate to the proposed research questions.
- Track Two: Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Designs. These are matching grants ranging from $30,000-$100,000 for research projects that aim to test the causal or inferred-causal impact of the arts on individual or cohort outcomes by using experimental or quasi-experimental design methods appropriate to the proposed research questions.
Upcoming deadlines:
Part 1 – Submit SF-424 to Grants.gov | October 9, 2018 |
Part 2 – Submit Materials to Applicant Portal | October 12-19, 2018 |
Earliest Announcement of Grant Award or Rejection | April 2019 |
Earliest Beginning Date for National Endowment for the Arts Period of Performance | May 1, 2019 |