GRANTS FOR ARTS PROJECTS: Applicant Resources
Webinars
All webinars are free to attend; however, registration is required. Recordings of the webinars will be posted shortly after the presentations.
Join NEA staff for a webinar covering the basics of the Grants for Arts Projects (GAP) grant program.
FY26 General GAP Guidelines Webinar
Wednesday, January 8, 2025 3:00-4:00pm Eastern Time
REGISTER
Tribal Communities
Thursday, January 16, 2025 4:00-5:00pm Eastern Time
Register
Discipline-specific GAP Application Guidelines Webinars
NEA program staff will present an overview of the GAP grant program, along with more detail about their specific discipline area, and answer questions from attendees. All times are Eastern Time.
Artist Communities
Thursday, January 9, 2025, 3:00-4:00pm Eastern Time
Register (registration TBD)
Dance
Thursday, January 23, 2025 3:00-4:00pm Eastern Time
Register
Design
Wednesday, January 22, 2025 2:00-3:00pm Eastern Time
Register
Film & Media Arts
Tuesday, January 21, 2025 2:00-3:30pm Eastern Time
Register
Office Hours
Register for informal virtual sessions with NEA staff to answer questions about submitting your application. All times are Eastern Time.
Arts Education: Feb 10 | Feb 11 (registration TBD)
Film & Media Arts: Jan 28 | Feb 6
Literary Arts: Jan 30
Local Arts Agencies: Feb 5
Presenting & Multidisciplinary Works: Jan 23 | Jan 24 (registration TBD)
Theater / Musical Theater: Jan 14
Tribal Communties: June 12
Tools
Our First-Time Applicant Guide for Organizations covers the basics of registration and provides some links to helpful resources for new applicants.
An outline of the application steps and questions can be found in the Application Checklist: PDF | Word
Common Application Mistakes covers common mistakes to avoid when submitting your application.
The Online Tutorial: Using the Grant Application Form (GAF) provides a step by step visual guide to entering information into the applicant portal.
Each artistic discipline has selected a few Sample Application Narratives from real applications that were successfully funded through their program. While these examples do not cover every type of project, the sample narratives can give you a sense of how some applicants framed their responses.
You can find summaries of all of our recently funded grants, including a searchable database going back to 1998.
If your project involves directly collecting sensitive data from program participants, such as personally identifiable information or data from vulnerable populations, review Resources on Program Evaluation and Performance Measurement.
To find out when new guidelines are released, sign up for the notification service provided by Grants.gov, the federal government’s online application system. To receive our discipline-specific newsletters, sign up on our website.
Federal Civil Rights and Your Grants Application
In this webinar you can learn about federal Civil Rights compliance requirements when applying for a NEA grant and find guidance on how to accurately communicate your project description and plan.
Accessibility
Projects funded by the NEA must be accessible to people with disabilities.
The Accessibility Requirements for Applicants and Grantees webinar gives a detailed overview, and provides information about the application Assurance of Compliance, post-award accessibility questionnaire, and 504 Self Evaluation requirements. It also provides tips for ensuring access to your programs and facilities.
The Accessibility Checklist is a user-friendly tool to assist you in making your organization and project inclusive and available to everyone. The checklist includes links to a wide variety of Accessibility resources.
The Accessibility Questions for Recommended Applicants form is required for all recommended grantees. You may preview the form to see what kinds of information we will request if you are recommended for a grant.
National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA)
Projects supported by the NEA are subject to the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), which is legislation intended to protect historic and archeological sites. You can learn about what kinds of projects require additional review to ensure compliance with NHPA regulations, as well as how our internal review process works in this webinar.