NEA Challenge America, FY 2026
- Posted
- December 12, 2024
- Closed
- February 6, 2025
- Award ceiling
- $10,000
- Award floor
- $10,000
- Program funding
- $2,800,000
- Expected awards
- 280
- Cost sharing
- Yes
- Instrument
- Grant
- Assistance listing
- 45.024
- Category
- Arts
Program funding history
Awards made under Assistance Listing 45.024 across FY2024–FY2026, from public federal spending records.
- FY2024 obligated
- $92.1M
- FY2025 obligated
- $46.3M
- FY2026 (to date) obligated
- $34.6M
- Awards in window
- 5,104
Top recipients: The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Arts Midwest, Incorporated, Mid-america Arts Alliance, Multiple Recipients, National Council for the Traditional Arts, Inc.
Source: USAspending.gov · refreshed September 2026 · Program page: awards, recipients and the opportunities under this listing →
Synopsis
Challenge America supports projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved groups/communities. The program welcomes applications from applicants that are primarily small organizations, first-time applicants to the NEA, and/or returning Challenge America applicants. Eligible applicants include: nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3), U.S. organizations; units of state or local government; Federally recognized tribal communities or tribes; and applicants that have not been recommended for funding in any of the three most recent Fiscal Years in the NEA’s Grants for Arts Projects, Our Town, or Research Awards grant programs. Funding in this category is not available for individuals, fiscally sponsored entities, commercial/for-profit enterprises, State Arts Agencies (SAA), or Regional Arts Organizations (RAO).
Who can apply
- Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- County governments
- Special district governments
- Private institutions of higher education
- State governments
- City or township governments
- Independent school districts
- Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
- Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
The official record
Grants.gov published the official terms and dates of this opportunity; this page keeps them as they were listed.
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