National Endowment for the Arts 2015 Funding Guidelines Posted

Washington, DC—Guidelines and application materials for two National Endowment for the Arts funding categories have been posted on the NEA's website. The 2015 Art Works and Challenge America programs support projects anticipated to take place beginning in 2016. Any nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, unit of state or local government, or federally recognized tribal community with at least a three year programming history is eligible to apply for project-based support through these two programs. Together, Art Works and Challenge America constitute approximately 75 percent of the NEA's annual direct grantmaking (exclusive of state and regional partnership agreements). CATEGORY DESCRIPTIONS

Art Works is the NEA's largest funding category, supporting the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence, public engagement with diverse and excellent art, lifelong learning in the arts, and the strengthening of communities through the arts. Matching grants generally range from $10,000 to $100,000.  In fiscal year 2014, the NEA supported 1,799 grants totaling $49.4 million through Art Works. The deadlines for Art Works applications are February 19 and July 23, 2015, depending on the artistic discipline and/or type of project for which an organization seeks support.

Challenge America offers support primarily to small and mid-sized organizations for projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved populations—those whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, ethnicity, economics, or disability. In fiscal year 2014, Challenge America funded 147 grants totaling $1.47 million. The deadline for Challenge America is April 16, 2015.

Guidelines and application materials are in the Apply for a Grant section of the NEA website. PAST ART WORKS AND CHALLENGE AMERICA GRANTS To see the kinds of projects supported through these two categories, go to the Recent Grants section of the NEA website. WEBINARS: SIGN UP AND ARCHIVES In order to offer potential applicants the highest level of technical assistance, the NEA has scheduled webinars covering the basics of the Art Works and Challenge America funding categories, including how to apply to the NEA, how to select work samples, and how to prepare a strong application. After each presentation, there will be time for Q and A with NEA staff. The Art Works webinar is scheduled for January 21, 2015 at 3:00 p.m. ET. The Challenge America session will be on March 11, 2015 at 3:00 p.m. ET. To sign up for either or both webinars, go to the webinar section of the NEA website. Both webinars will be archived shortly after each event and posted on the NEA website in the webinar section. About the National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts was established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. To date, the NEA has awarded more than $5 billion to strengthen the creative capacity of our communities by providing all Americans with diverse opportunities for arts participation. The NEA extends its work through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector. To join the discussion on how art works, visit the NEA at arts.gov.