NEA's Civil Rights (External) Complaint Process

The National Endowment for the Arts processes complaints of discrimination

• Complaint must be filed within 90 days of the alleged discriminatory act;
• The Civil Rights Office determines if the Endowment funded the program or activity;
• If the NEA has funding jurisdiction, the complaint will be investigated;
• A letter of Finding will be issued to the recipient organization if the investigation reveals a violation of  any civil rights regulations;
• The NEA will enter into a voluntary compliance agreement with the recipient organization; and,
• The NEA may initiate enforcement actions if the recipient organization is unwilling to voluntarily comply.

Please contact the Civil Rights Office at (202) 682-5454 if you have any questions.