Did You Know?

According to NASAA’s new database of grant programs, state arts agencies manage approximately 650 grant programs each year. State arts agency grants are one of the most important public investments SAAs make. These grant programs are designed to foster educational success, arts participation, accessibility, cultural infrastructures, innovation and artistic heritage.

While similar programs–such as those providing grants for general operating support, individual artist fellowships and arts education residencies–are common among many agencies, there exists a wide variety of state arts agency grant programming. Many of these less common programs are designed to address the particular needs of a particular state or particular state policy issues, such as international exchange, early childhood education, technology and economic development.

In aggregate, state arts agencies invested 39% of their grant dollars in general operating support and 22% on arts education. SAAs invested 3% of grant dollars in individual artists and an additional 3% on folk and traditional arts.

In addition to collecting grant-making statistics, NASAA maintains a database of state arts agency grant programs. This database helps NASAA answer member questions regarding specific grant-making policies and programs across the country, as well as monitor national trends in the types of grants state arts agencies are currently awarding.

Source: National Assembly of State Arts Agencies. Grant Program Database. Collected December 2005. Extracted March 2006. Fiscal Year 2004 Final Descriptive Reports as submitted to NASAA and the NEA, March 2006.