A Collective Regional Arts Organizations Statement on the NEA

This letter can also be found on the U.S. Regional Arts Organizations website, USRegionalArts.org.

Dear valued member of our community,

On Friday, many active and pending grants from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) were abruptly terminated. This comes alongside the president’s proposal to eliminate the NEA entirely in the FY26 federal budget. Together, these actions will have devastating impacts on communities throughout the country. 

We, the national collective of US Regional Arts Organizations, strongly urge Congress to restore the grant funding in support of the arts, culture, and creativity that was passed during the last budgetary approval process, in addition to maintaining its broad bipartisan commitment to funding the NEA in next year’s budget. As the landscape of support for our cultural infrastructure continues to be eroded, we remain steadfast in our commitment to stand with you in defending and preserving our nation’s artistic and cultural agencies. 

When Congress passed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965, it declared that “the arts and the humanities belong to all the people of the United States.” Since its inception, the NEA has played a critical role in broadening access to the cultural, educational, and economic benefits of the arts in every Congressional District. In fact, federal arts funds support thousands of communities across the nation, including 678 counties that private foundations do not reach. 

Collectively, the NEA, Regional Arts Organizations, and State Arts Agencies serve thousands of communities across the country. And yet this work is funded by just 0.004% of the federal budget—less than 62 cents per American per year. 

This low-investment, high-return model is a shining example of good government. Federal funds are successfully leveraged many times over by states and private funders to increase the impact of public dollars. Federal dollars don’t replace private investment—they attract it. 

Without seed support by the NEA, many states, cities and towns would struggle to secure the additional public or private funds that enable them to deliver programs that serve their constituents. And sadly it is rural communities, which often lack access to private funding sources, who will be disproportionately impacted by a loss of NEA funding and will lose the power to shape their own cultural infrastructure. 

The NEA is critical to ensuring that every citizen, in every corner of our vast country, receives the economic, cultural, civic, educational, and health benefits of the arts and creativity. Now is the moment to act to fully restore the NEA and its fellow cultural agencies, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences (IMLS), so that they can fulfill their congressional mandate and ensure that communities across the country benefit from the many advantages that arts engagement provides. 

Thank you for all that you do to support arts, culture and creativity in your community. We stand shoulder to shoulder with you and all of the advocates fighting to ensure that your vital work continues for generations to come.

In solidarity,

Torrie Allen, Arts Midwest President & CEO

Christian Gaines, Creative West (formerly WESTAF) President & CEO and USRAO Chair

Todd Stein, Mid-America Arts Alliance President & CEO

Juan Souki, Mid Atlantic Arts Executive Director

Harold Steward, New England Foundation for the Arts Executive Director

Susie Surkamer, South Arts President and CEO

Shannon Daut, USRAO National Director

Important Actions for Current NEA Grantees 

If Your NEA Grant Has Been Terminated 

If you have recently received a termination notice from the NEA, we strongly encourage you to file an appeal by Friday, May 9th and to draw down any allowable funds by the May 31, 2025 deadline.

Here are some resources to support your appeal: 

To submit an appeal, email grants@arts.gov and provide documentation that your project supports one of the NEA’s priorities, projects that: 

  • Elevate the Nation’s HBCUs and Hispanic Serving Institutions
  • Celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence
  • Foster AI competency
  • Empower houses of worship to serve communities
  • Assist with disaster recovery
  • Support Tribal communities
  • Foster skilled trade jobs
  • Make America healthy again
  • Support the military and veterans
  • Make the District of Columbia safe and beautiful
  • Support the economic development of Asian American communities. 

Many of the cancelled projects likely provide health benefits for participants. If you plan to appeal based on the health priority, here are some resources related to arts and health that may help: 

If Your NEA Grant Has Not Been Terminated 

Out of an abundance of caution, we strongly urge all grantees to stay current on reimbursement requests and to submit final reports as quickly as possible. 

Speak Up for Federal Cultural Funding 

If you’ve benefited from NEA support or seen the impact of public funding for arts and culture in your community, now is the time to share your story. Hearing from constituents helps legislators understand the real-world value of the National Endowment for the Arts.

Reach out to your Senators and Representatives to let them know:

  • What public funding for the arts looks like in your community;
  • How federal support for the arts has helped you or your organization;
  • Why continued investment in the NEA, NEH, and IMLS matters.

Your voice helps ensure that every community can continue to benefit from the educational, cultural, and economic power of the arts. Need a place to start?

Get Involved in National Campaigns

Below are additional national campaigns and advocacy tools you can use to speak up for federal cultural funding. 

National Endowment for the Arts

Institute of Museum and Library Services 

National Endowment for the Humanities 

About the U.S. Regional Arts Organizations

The United States Regional Arts Organizations (USRAOs)—Arts Midwest, Creative West (formerly WESTAF), Mid-America Arts Alliance, Mid Atlantic Arts, New England Foundation for the Arts, and South Arts—are a collective of six nonprofit arts service organizations committed to strengthening America’s infrastructure by increasing access to creativity for all Americans. The USRAOs partner with the National Endowment for the Arts, state arts agencies, individuals, and other public and private funders to develop and deliver programs, services, and products that advance arts and creativity. Together, the USRAOs work to activate and operate national arts initiatives, encourage, and support collaboration across regions, states, and communities, and maximize the coordination of public and private resources invested in arts programs. In 2024, they invested over $33.6 million across the United States and Jurisdictions, through nearly 3,000 grants that reached more than 1,300 communities. Learn more at usregionalarts.org.

Contact

Ann Wicks | 617-423-1390

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