Mapping the Reach of State and Federal Grants

As a national source of information on public arts funding, NASAA provides a knowledge network and fact base to help state arts agencies make informed policy decisions and put their own state’s needs and experiences in context. Providing customized responses to member questions is a hallmark of NASAA. This column offers specific examples of the NASAA research services available and shows how they can be customized to meet your needs.

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), state arts agencies and regional arts organizations all provide grants across the country as a part of their work to increase public access to the arts and ensure that every community in America enjoys the cultural, civic, economic and educational benefits of a thriving arts sector.

Each year, the NEA supports approximately 2,000 projects through direct grant support. These projects take place all across the country, in every congressional district.

The NEA is required by law to allocate 40% of its grant funds to states and regions. These dollars are used to leverage matching funds, to address local need, and to expand the reach and impact of federal arts funding across the country.

State arts agencies and regional arts organizations support more than 25,000 projects through grant support each year. These projects take place in more than 5,000 communities in every state and jurisdiction.

These U.S. maps show the geographic distribution of these grants. Collectively, nearly 30,000 projects are supported each year with state and federal public dollars. Many grantees receive support from both federal and state/regional funders.

NEA and North Carolina Arts Council Grants in North Carolina

Members can request custom maps showing grants information at different scales to meet their needs. Here, the North Carolina Arts Council wanted to illustrate the relationship between its grants, NEA grants, and American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grants awarded by the NEA.

Interested in a map of NEA and SAA grants for your state? Have an idea for a future topic? Contact us!