From the Research Team

Explore Updated Facts on SAA Grant Making

NASAA’s updated grant making facts are now available, offering an in-depth look at how state and jurisdictional arts agencies (SAAs) invest public dollars to strengthen arts ecosystems nationwide. Drawing on fiscal year 2024 data and 5- to 10-year trends (FY2015-2024), these resources illustrate funding patterns across key areas while showcasing the breadth and reach of SAA support.

These latest grant making facts highlight structural shifts in public arts funding, suggesting that grant making has stabilized at higher baselines rather than returning to prepandemic norms. For instance, in FY2024:

General operating support, which provides flexible, unrestricted funding often unavailable from philanthropic sources, totaled $207.5 million (30% of all grant dollars).
Arts education investments, which support residencies, instruction and professional development, reached $155.2 million, representing the largest category by number of grants, at nearly 10,000 awards.
Rural investment reached $104.2 million through close to 6,000 grants, demonstrating sustained commitment to geographic outreach.

Enhanced with maps showing grant locations, multiyear trend analyses, and breakdowns by artistic discipline and institution type, the updated facts also document the extensive training, technical assistance, research and partnership services SAAs provide beyond direct grant making.

These insights complement NASAA’s contribution to the Grantmakers in the Arts report, Public Funding for the Arts 2025, and join comprehensive data visualizations and detailed reports available on NASAA’s Grant Making and Funding pages. For customized analyses, state-specific information or per capita rankings, contact NASAA Research Director Mohja Rhoads.