Grants for Organizations
Grants for organizations support exemplary projects in artist communities, arts education, dance, design, folk and traditional arts, literary arts, 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:
Grants for Arts Projects | Challenge America | Our Town | Research Awards

Research Awards

The National Endowment for the Arts invites applicants to engage with the agency’s five-year research agenda through two funding opportunities for research projects:

Research Grants in the Arts funds 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. Matching/cost share grants of $10,000 to $100,000 will be awarded.
NEA Research Labs funds transdisciplinary research teams grounded in the social and behavioral sciences, yielding empirical insights about the arts for the benefit of arts and non-arts sectors alike. Matching/cost share cooperative agreements of up to $150,000 will be awarded.
Research Grants in the Arts offers grants, and NEA Research Labs offers cooperative agreements. The difference between grants and cooperative agreements is the Arts Endowment’s involvement. The Arts Endowment is substantially involved with cooperative agreements. Therefore, the Arts Endowment will be substantially involved in the direction and accomplishments of NEA Research Labs.

Upcoming deadlines:
Part 1 - Submit to Grants.gov March 30, 2020
Prepare application material so that it’s ready to upload when the Applicant Portal opens
Part 2 - Submit to Applicant Portal April 2-9, 2020
Earliest Announcement of Award or Rejection November 2020
Earliest Beginning Date for National Endowment for the Arts Period of Performance Research Grants in the Arts:
January 1, 2021
NEA Research Labs:
March 1, 2021