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(Boston, MA) The New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) has received a two-year grant of $1,000,000 from the Mellon Foundation.
This grant recognizes the leadership of NEFA’s executive director, Harold Steward, as NEFA launches its new strategic plan and celebrates its 50th anniversary. Harold Steward is a modern philosopher, strategist, and educator. Since joining NEFA as executive director in 2023, Harold oversees NEFA’s strategic vision, governance, and overall organizational excellence. This support from the Mellon Foundation will amplify NEFA’s work as a social impact organization in alignment with a bold agenda for the future of the cultural sector.
“We are deeply grateful for the Mellon Foundation’s $1,000,000 investment in NEFA. The Mellon Foundation has been a longstanding important partner to NEFA, and I am honored by this support of my leadership and NEFA’s future. This grant will have deep impacts on all areas of our organization, as well as on the artists and communities we serve,” said NEFA executive director Harold Steward.
From 1998 to 2023, the Mellon Foundation has invested a remarkable $42.8 million in NEFA’s National Dance Project and National Theater Project, underscoring a deep commitment to supporting the performing arts.
NEFA envisions a world where the arts and culture ecosystem thrives, artists flourish, and the transformative power of the arts is valued as essential to a more vibrant and equitable society. Over the next year, NEFA is celebrating a milestone anniversary with stories from its first 50 years and plans for the future.
About NEFA
The New England Foundation for the Arts invests in artists and communities, fostering equitable access to the arts and enriching the cultural landscape in New England and across the United States. Founded in 1976, NEFA has grown into a vital national and international leader, advancing opportunities for artists and strengthening the arts infrastructure through grantmaking, partnerships, convenings, and knowledge sharing.
NEFA’s work is made possible through generous support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the six New England state arts agencies, private foundations, corporations, and individual donors. As NEFA celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2026, it continues to lead with creativity, resilience, and vision, affirming the vital role of the arts in civic life and advancing a cultural landscape where all people have equitable access to artistic expression. www.nefa.org
Contact: Ann Wicks | 617-423-1390