The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has announced two new grant program guidelines to distribute approximately $80 million in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds directly to nonprofit arts and culture organizations and to local arts agencies to subgrant deeper into communities across the country. Applicants for this new grant program will not have to be a previous NEA grantee to be eligible to apply.

Approximately $20 million will be available to Local Arts Agencies for subgrant amounts of $150,000, $250,000, or $500,000. The Local Arts Agency Subgranting Guidelines are available now and the application deadline is Thursday, July 22, 2021. 

Approximately $60 million will be available to arts and culture organizations for grant amounts of $50,000, $100,00, or $150,000. Guidelines for direct grants to arts and culture organizations are available now and the application deadline is Thursday, August 12, 2021.

Americans for the Arts will host two free webinars on ArtsU with Nina Ozlu Tunceli, executive director of the Arts Action Fund, and staff from the National Endowment for the Arts for members of the arts and culture field to learn more about these grant programs:

• Applying For the New NEA American Rescue Plan Grant Program For Local Arts Agencies To Subgrant, June 29 at 3:00 pm ET – This session is intended for staff and representatives of local arts agencies. Register here.
• Applying For the New NEA American Rescue Plan Direct Grant Program For Arts And Culture Organizations, July 6 at 3:00 pm ET – This session is intended for staff and representatives of nonprofit arts and culture organizations. Register here.

Americans for the Arts President and CEO Nolen V. Bivens enthusiastically applauds the NEA’s goal for this supplemental federal recovery program for the arts, as stated by the NEA’s Acting Chairman Ann Eilers: “A primary goal for the National Endowment for the Arts is to incorporate principles of equity, access, and inclusion in its implementation of the ARP grant program. These efforts constitute a critical step in the agency’s engagement with communities traditionally underserved by government.” Bivens added, “At a time when much of the arts and culture sector is still unemployed—arts jobs are down 21% since before the pandemic according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics—I fully support NEA’s funding which will assist the relief and recovery of the arts and culture sector.” 

Nina Ozlu Tunceli also is available for weekly Zoom Office Hours, held Fridays at 11:00 am ET, to answer any questions you may have related to federal COVID-19 relief, including the latest updates on Shuttered Venues Operator Grants.