Federal grant programs / National Endowment for the Arts

Promotion of the Arts Partnership Agreements (45.025)

• Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$375 million
• Grant awards382
• Typical award$939,350
• Awarded in FY 2025$70.0 million
• Size rank440 of 1,823
• Type of assistanceProject grants, advisory services and counseling

Key findings

• Annual funding fell from $110 million in fiscal 2021 to $70.0 million in fiscal 2025.
• It is the 440th largest of 1,823 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
• The 20 largest recipients received 42% of the money.
• Awards went to recipients in 56 states and territories.

What the program funds

To develop and maintain partnerships with the state and jurisdictional arts agencies (SAAs) and their regional arts organizations (RAOs) to advance the mission of the National Endowment for the Arts. Partnerships with the SAAs and RAOs enable the support of a variety of arts activities in communities across the nation.

From the federal Assistance Listing. Read the full listing on SAM.gov.

Open opportunities

No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.

Rules from the program listing

Who can apply

Agencies that are officially designated as the state arts agency by the state government in each of the 50 States and six special U.S. jurisdictions, and that meet the National Endowment for the Arts' eligibility requirements for SAAs as outlined in the Partnership Agreements guidelines on our website; regional arts organizations that represent state arts agencies and that meet the National Endowment for the Arts' eligibility requirements for RAOs as outlined in the Partnership Agreements guidelines on our website; and organizations providing support services to state and regional arts agencies at a national level.

What the money can and cannot pay for

Partnership Agreements support elements of a state or regional plan addressing state or regional priorities that: 1) enable Americans throughout the nation to experience the arts; 2) foster and celebrate America's artistic heritage and cultural legacy; 3) provide Americans at all stages of life with opportunities to learn in the arts; and 4) advance the well-being of people and communities. Partnership Agreement funds must be used to supplement and not to supplant non-Federal funds.;

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Partnership Agreement awards must have at least a 1:1 cost share with non-federal funds. (See The National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965, as amended Chapter 26 Part 20 USC 954 Subpart (g) Public Law 089-209. https://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/Legislation.pdf) For State Arts Agencies the 1:1 cost share must come from state government funds that are directly controlled and appropriated by the state and directly managed by the state agency. For those agencies covered by the Economic Development of the Territories Act (American Samoa, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the Virgin Islands), the matching requirement does not apply to the first $200,000 of National Endowment for the Arts funds (48 USC 1469a(d) as amended). Agencies must request a waiver from the matching requirement for amounts above the first $200,000 of our funds. For Regional Arts Organizations and National Services a non-federal 1:1 cost share is required.MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Award range and average, in the agency's words

FY 2024 Partnership Agreements for SAAs range from $350,800 to $1,519,591, averaging approximately $984,980. The range of FY 2024 RAO awards is $1,291,965 to $2,525,040, averaging approximately $1,861,560.

Examples of funded projects

Fiscal Year2025: Listings for FY 2025 are posted at arts.gov.Fiscal Year2026: Listings for FY 2026 will be posted at arts.gov as awards are made.Fiscal Year2027: Listings for FY 2027 will be posted at arts.gov as awards are made.

Quoted from the program's federal Assistance Listing. The notice of funding opportunity is the official source for each competition's rules.

Who usually wins

State and local governments received 82% of the money, nonprofits 18%.

By state

Each state below has its own page for this program, with its recipients and yearly totals.

Award amounts are federal obligations reported to USAspending.gov for fiscal 2021 to 2025; see how our data works.