NATIONAL ENDOWMENT
FOR THE ARTS
2025-2026 Grants for Arts Projects (GAP)
Project Grants
for Arts Organizations
CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR LOI
BEFORE 5PM ON THURSDAY MAY 8TH.
2025-2026 NEA GAP
About NEA Grants for Arts Projects (GAP) Program Termination:
Culture Works' Public Statement
On Friday, May 2, at 9pm, Culture Works received an email from the National Endowment for the Arts terminating funding for our Grants for Arts Projects (GAP) program. Culture Works' current GAP program "... no longer effectuates the [NEA] program goals or agency priorities.*" As a result, Culture Works is no longer able to accept Letters of Intent for the NEA GAP program from arts organizations in our eight-county service area.
Culture Works President and CEO, Lisa Hanson, has begun the appeal process, within the guidelines set forth by the NEA, and will announce the results of the appeal once she receives the decision.
Friday's email and the proposed elimination of the NEA in the FY26 federal budget, reinforces Culture Works' commitment to our mission as the Dayton Region's local arts agency and United Arts Fund. We will continue to seek ways to support the arts ecosystem in our community and serve as a leading advocate for the arts on a local, state, and national level. Moreover, it is our fervent hope that funding for the NEA will be restored in some-if not full-capacity.
Although the staff at Culture Works is disheartened by this news, we are determined to explore opportunities with the partners of our GAP program, the Charles F. Kettering Foundation and the Dayton Foundation. We remain invested in examining Culture Works' grant policies and procedures for equity, accessibility, and inclusion. Culture Works is grateful for the support of our community.
The Weekly Applicant Support Offering for the 2025-2026 NEA GAP is still being held this Wednesday, May 7, at 1pm via Zoom here. Please bring any questions or concerns you have to this meeting, and we will do our best to respond.
Your Voice Matters!
- Share your thoughts on the recent grantmaking policy changes and the elimination of NEA funding in the proposed FY26 federal budget by contacting your U.S. Senators John Husted and Bernie Moreno, and U.S. House of Representatives in your district.
- To learn more about advocating for the arts, visit https://www.americansforthearts.org/advocate
- For more information on NEA cuts and changes, visit: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/03/arts/national-endowment-for-the-arts-grants.html and arts.gov
- Find out how you can support the arts and read about Culture Works programs and advocacy by visiting CultureWorks.org, call 937-222-ARTS, or email staff@cultureworks.org.
Culture Works' Original Announcement of NEA Grants for Arts Projects (GAP)
Culture Works announces a grant opportunity for arts organizations of all sizes!
Culture Works has secured a National Endowment for the Arts Grant for Arts Projects (GAP) sub-granting award. This award provides funding support for artistic projects that promote a sense of belonging and foster community through sub-grants of up to $15,000.00 for eligible arts organizations.
The artistic quality of the projects must align with the NEA’s mission of “fostering and sustaining an environment in which the arts benefit everyone in the United States” and “belonging” must be a theme of the project.
The program parameters of this federal funding, emphasizing equity, are particularly exciting to Culture Works. With the support of community partner, the Charles F. Kettering Foundation and their “Democracy and the Arts” team, Culture Works is conducting a qualitative research project on our grantmaking policies during our administration of the grant. Applicants are asked to consider participating in a voluntary cohort in support of this critical review, providing “Democracy and the Arts” insight into their experience of the year-long grant process. In turn, Culture Works will rely on the completed research to inform updates and changes to their grantmaking systems and the application process, including support offerings, orientations, and additional equity practices.
The application process for the 2025-2026 NEA Grants for Arts Projects is a two step process:
- Applicants must first complete the Intent to Apply by 4:00 pm on Friday May 16, 2025 (at the latest) for the determination of their eligibility.
- Within five days of the receipt of the Intent to Apply, Culture Works will notify organizations of their eligibility and invite to complete a full application with an application deadline of June 16, 2025, 4:00 pm.
Weekly Applicant Support Offerings for the 2025-2026 NEA GAP are being held on every Wednesday at 1pm via Zoom here.
No late applications will be accepted.
Questions? Contact Ren (Rachel Evans Nead), Culture Works Director of Grantmaking & Impact, at ren@cultureworks.org.
If you would like to meet virtually, you can schedule a Teams meeting through her Bookings site here.
YOUR SUPPORT MATTERS