Federal Arts Funding Update

Dear NEFA friends,

Many NEFA constituents have reached out to us with questions and concerns related to recent news reports about the possible elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the privatization of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. We at NEFA are concerned, too, about federal arts funding in the new administration. 

We want to reassure you that all of our upcoming open grant cycles will be fully funded, and you can confidently submit for any of our current deadlines. 

As we look ahead, at this point the president has not released his budget, so the demise of federal arts funding is still in the realm of speculation. If the administration’s budget eliminates federal arts funding, we will work through Congress to try to reinstate it into the federal budget.

That said, the time is now to start advocating with our elected officials for federal support for the arts and National Endowment for the Arts. 

If you are interested in being heard when it comes to the value of the arts, what can you do? 

On a national level, we suggest that you sign up for the Americans for the Arts' Arts Action Fund; it is free to join, and you will receive current information and action steps you can take.
 
We also suggest that you contact your federal elected officials and their staff (either by a phone call or by scheduling an in-person meeting), and communicate the value of the arts and your belief that the federal government should support the cultural sector. Share specific stories with them about how the arts enrich your local community. The NEA provides nationwide grants that impact every congressional district, and fuels the national funding structure that gives critical support for state arts agencies, local arts agencies, and regional arts organizations such as NEFA.
 
We also encourage you to be connected on the state level. Check with your state arts agency to see how you can sign up to be kept informed of legislative efforts. Some of New England’s states have state-wide advocacy groups, and others do not, but if you are on your state agency’s email list, you will be kept informed of legislative efforts to advance the arts in your community.

If you believe in the importance of art to enrich communities, now is a great time to act. We will reach out again if we have any new, specific information to share with our constituents and friends. In the meanwhile, you can check the NEFA website for resources that relate to advocacy.

Please reach out to us if you have any questions, and thank you for all that you do! 

Sincerely,

Cathy Edwards
Executive Director