Arts Funding

The NEA serves as the designated arts organization of the federal government. The NEA, together with allied and independent state, regional, and jurisdictional arts agencies and councils, provides public funding for arts and culture. Congress established the NEA as the federal agency tasked with advancing artistic excellence, creativity, and innovation through grantmaking, fellowships, awards, research, and special initiatives that promote the development and preservation of artistic and [...] 40 percent of its annual grants budget to the six Regional Arts Organizations (RAO) and state arts agencies (SAAs). The RAOs receive competitive funding from the NEA, which they re-grant through regional programs and fellowships. The SAAs fund a wide variety of work in the arenas of arts education, artistic heritage, cultural infrastructure, arts accessibility, and arts participation; this work is funded through a range of public funding mechanisms. [...] cultural mediums. Since its founding, the NEA has awarded over $5 billion towards projects that aim to "strengthen the creative capacity of our communities."