CFDA#
45.024
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Funder Type
Federal Government
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IT Classification
C - Funds little to no technology
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Authority
National Endowment For The Arts (NEA)
Summary
The National Endowment for the Arts is the only arts funder in America—public or private—that provides access to the arts in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. Through their grantmaking to thousands of organizations each year, they support the creative capacity of communities to provide all Americans with diverse opportunities for arts participation.
Since 2001, the Challenge America program has extended the Arts Endowment's reach by promoting equal access to the arts in communities across America. Challenge America offers support primarily to small organizations for projects in all artistic disciplines that extend the reach of the arts to populations that are underserved.
The program is rooted in principles that include, but are not limited to, their recognition that:
- Some groups/communities and some geographic areas with rich cultural identities have limited grant funding opportunities, and/or have been historically underserved by national arts funding;
- Some small organizations may face barriers to accessing grant funding; and
- Some applicants to the NEA may benefit from enhanced technical assistance resources.
Challenge America seeks to address these potential barriers for organizations seeking funding. The program features an abbreviated application, a standardized $10,000 grant amount, and a robust structure of technical assistance to facilitate entry to NEA funding opportunities. This category may be a good entry point for organizations that are new to applying for federal funding.
History of Funding
Previous awards can be viewed on the program page here: https://www.arts.gov/grants/recent-grants
Additional Information
This program does not fund:
- General operating or seasonal support.
- Direct grants to individuals.
- Direct grants to individual elementary or secondary schools -- charter, private, or public -- directly. Schools may participate as partners in projects for which another eligible organization applies. Local education agencies, school districts, and state and regional education agencies are eligible. If a single school also is a local education agency, as is the case with some charter schools, the school may apply with documentation that supports its status as a local education agency.
- Projects that replace arts instruction provided by an arts specialist.
- Generally, courses/coursework in degree-granting institutions
- Literary publishing that does not focus on contemporary literature and/or writers.
- Generally, publication of books, exhibition of works, or other projects by the applicant organization's board members, faculty, or trustees.
- Generally, exhibitions of, and other projects that primarily involve, single, individually-owned, private collections.
- Projects for which the selection of artists or art works is based upon criteria other than artistic excellence and artistic merit. Examples include festivals, exhibitions, or publications for which no jury/editorial/curatorial judgment has been applied.
- Social activities such as receptions, parties, galas, community dinners, picnics, and potlucks.
- Awards to individuals or organizations to honor or recognize achievement.
- Commercial (for-profit) enterprises or activities, including concessions, food, T-shirts, artwork, or other items for resale. This includes online or virtual sales/shops.
- Lobbying, including activities intended to influence the outcome of elections or influence government officials regarding pending legislation, either directly or through specific lobbying appeals to the public.
- Voter registration drives and related activities.
- Construction, purchase, or renovation of facilities. (Design fees, preparing space for an exhibit, installation or de-installation of art, and community planning are eligible. However, no NEA or cost share/matching funds may be directed to the costs of physical construction or renovation or toward the purchase costs of facilities or land.)
- Subgranting or regranting.
- Cash reserves and endowments.
- Costs for the creation of new organizations.
- Costs to bring a project into compliance with federal grant requirements. This includes environmental or historical assessments or reviews and the hiring of individuals to write assessments or reviews or to otherwise comply with the National Environmental Policy Act and/or the National Historic Preservation Act.
- Expenditures related to compensation to foreign nationals and/or travel to or from foreign countries when those expenditures are not in compliance with regulations issued by the U.S. Treasury Department Office of Foreign Assets Control. For further information, see https://www.treasury.gov/about/organizational-structure/offices/pages/office-of-foreign-assets-control.aspx or contact our Office of Grants Management at grants@arts.gov.
- Project costs supported by any other federal funding. This includes federal funding received either directly from a federal agency (e.g., National Endowment for the Humanities, Housing and Urban Development, National Science Foundation, or an entity that receives federal appropriations such as the Corporation for Public Broadcasting or Amtrak); or indirectly from a pass-through organization such as a state arts agency, regional arts organization, or a grant made to another entity.
- Alcoholic beverages.
- Gifts and prizes, including cash prizes as well as other items (e.g., electronic devices, gift certificates) with monetary value.
- Stipends/fees to individuals who are incarcerated.
- Contributions and donations to other entities.
- General miscellaneous or contingency costs.
- Fines and penalties, bad debt costs, deficit reduction.
- Marketing expenses that are not directly related to the project.
- Audit costs that are not directly related to a single audit (formerly known as an A-133 audit).
- Rental costs for home office workspace owned by individuals or entities affiliated with the applicant organization.
- The purchase of vehicles.
- Visa costs paid to the U.S. government.
- Costs incurred before the beginning or after the completion of the official period of performance.
Eligibility Details
Nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3), U.S. organizations; units of state or local government; or federally recognized tribal communities or tribes may apply. Applicants may be arts organizations, local arts agencies, arts service organizations, local education agencies (school districts), and other organizations that can help advance the goals of the Arts Endowment.
To be eligible, the applicant organization must:
- Be a first-time applicant to the NEA or
- Be a previous NEA applicant that was not recommended for funding in any of the three most recent Fiscal Years (FYs 2022, 2023, or 2024) in any of the following grant programs:
- Grants for Arts Projects;
- Research Grants in the Arts; or
- Our Town.
Previous Challenge America, American Rescue Plan (ARP), and CARES Act applicants and grantees are eligible to apply, as long as they were not recommended for FY 2022, FY 2023, or FY 2024 funding in Grants for Arts Projects, Research Grants in the Arts, or Our Town.
Deadline Details
Applying is a two-part process. Part 1 is to submit SF-424 to www.grants.gov by April 25, 2024. Part 2 is to submit materials to the applicant portal by April 30 – May 14, 2024, at 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time. A similar deadline is anticipated annually.
Award Details
Awards are for a fixed amount of $10,000. The project period is up to 2 years and may not start until January 1, 2025.
Grants cannot exceed 50% of the total cost of the project. All grants require a non-federal cost share/match of at least 1 to 1. For example, if an organization receives a $10,000 grant, the total eligible project costs must be at least $20,000 and the organization must provide at least $10,000 toward the project from non-federal sources.
Cost share/matching funds may be all cash, all in-kind (third-party) contributions, or a combination of cash and in-kind contributions. Cash match refers to cash contributions (including items, services, or organizational cash that are provided by the applicant), grants, and revenues that are expected or received for the project. In-kind match refers to donated space, supplies, volunteer services, etc. that are donated by individuals or organizations (third-party) other than the applicant. Cost share/matching funds cannot include funds from any National Endowment for the Arts or other federal awards.
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