National Endowment Grants
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent federal agency that aims to advance artistic creativity and innovation through the United States. The Arts Endowment awards a variety of funding opportunities each year that support artistic programs in communities across the country, from those in urban neighborhoods to pre-kindergarten and after-school programs.
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History
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The National Endowment for the Arts has awarded more than $4 billion in funding for arts initiatives in the United States since its founding in 1965. Notable projects assisted under the endowment include the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Sundance Film Festival, the American Film Institute and the PBS Great Performances series. The endowment also works with federal agencies, state organizations, and public and private organizations in the planning and execution of exhibitions, festivals and artist residencies.
Available Grants
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The National Endowment for the Arts grants funding almost strictly to organizations, with the exception of a few individualized grants including literature fellowships, jazz masters fellowships and opera honors. Local arts groups can apply to grants such as "Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth," which aims to assist causes that advance arts education for children. The "Save America's Treasures" grant assists groups who work on the preservation or conservation of nationally significant cultural artifacts, structures and sites. Other grant categories include theater, visual arts, design, media arts, music and musical theater.
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Application Process
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Interested applicants can apply for grants through the organization's website and the government grant website Grants.gov. Applications must be received by the endowment by the deadline to be considered. Endowment program staff review all applications for eligibility and often contact candidates to request additional information. Each application is then reviewed and rated after the prospective group meets and presents its application to a panel of experts who specialize in that particular field of the arts. Qualified applicants are then reviewed by the National Council on the Arts in open session, where winners are selected.
21st Century Developments
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To promote the efforts of the National Endowment for Arts, President Barack Obama declared October 2010 as National Arts and Humanities month. Obama's appointed director of the endowment, Rocco Landesman, increased efforts to enhance the presence of the organization in both the public sector and among other facets of the government. In the early 2000s, the NEA began to establish new partnerships with other government agencies to expand the exposure of the program. This included art-centered community-improvement-based efforts in concert with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Future Grants
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If your group or organization is interested in applying for a grant through the NEA, the website Grants.gov provides information on upcoming funding opportunities via e-mail. Groups are encouraged to read and follow the guidelines closely as applications that do not comply or that have incomplete information are not considered. In fact, most applications are not considered for the simple reason that they do not comply with guidelines. Grantees are encouraged to develop a comprehensive line item budget to give reviewers a clear idea of how and when funds will be allocated.
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References
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