NEA AND NEH FUNDING UPDATES FOR FY 27

On May 21, 2026, the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee passed their version of the FY 2027 Appropriations bill which proposed $135 million each for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). This funding level represents a 35 percent cut to each agency. This comes after President Trump released his budget that again called for the close of both agencies.

Arts and culture advocates know that the NEA and NEH provide crucial funding and vital resources for the field, making federal funding absolutely essential. 

The NEA annually recommends, on average, 2,300 grants across the country, benefiting every Congressional District. Most grants go to small- and medium-sized organizations (budgets less than $2 million and are used to support projects that increase audience access to arts programming. The NEA alone funds the arts in 678 more counties than private foundations are able to reach.

Additionally, the NEA is responsible for funding grants for the America250 project set this year, and NEA Chair Mary Anne Carter serves on the Salute to America 250 Task Force that the President created by Executive Order. 

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