National Endowment for the Arts Creative Forces Community Engagement Grant Program

Connecting Communities and Military

The Creative Forces Community Engagement Grant is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in partnership with the Mid-America Arts Alliance (M-AAA). This grant program aims to improve the health, well-being, and quality of life for military service members and veterans exposed to trauma as well as their families and caregivers through experiences of art or art-making.

MAAA will award approximately thirty-five matching grants ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 for arts-based community engagement projects that engage targeted military-connected communities. These Creative Forces Community Engagement Grants are intended to support non-clinical arts engagement programs taking place in healthcare, community, or virtual settings. The grants will be awarded in two tiers, emerging and advanced, which reflect the capacity of the project at the time of the application.

Creative Forces Community Engagement Grant Submission Deadlines

IMPORTANT: Finalize your SAM.gov registration and submit early to allow time to resolve any issues you might encounter during the submission process. No later than December 1, 2021
Grant Guidelines and Application Form Available: September 15, 2021
Application Submission Deadline: December 15, 2021
Application Panel Reviews: December 2021–March 2022
Anticipated Grant Award Announcement: April 2022
Earliest Start Date for Awarded Projects: July 1, 2022

Informational Webinar: Wednesday, October 13, 2021, 2:00–3:00 p.m. CST (Register here.)
Online Office Hours: Tuesdays, October 26–November 30, 2:00–3:00 p.m. CST (Register for Office Hours here.)