Agencies › National Endowment for the Arts
Awarding agency · NEA
National Endowment for the Arts
Award obligations by fiscal year and type, largest recipient organisations, places of performance, industries, programs and competition, as reported to USAspending.
USAspending caveat. Figures are obligations reported by federal agencies to USAspending.gov, not payments. In USAspending's words: "An outlay occurs when federal money is actually paid out, not just promised to be paid ('obligated')." "Every agency has a Senior Accountable Official who must officially certify that the quarterly financial data submitted by their agency is accurate and complete." "If there are any discrepancies in procurement data, FPDS is the authoritative source." Contract data for the Department of Defense and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is published with a 90-day delay. Data loaded 30 Sep 2026.
National Endowment for the Arts obligated $40M in awards in FY2026 and $487M over the five fiscal years since FY2023, 0% of all award obligations recorded on USAspending; it ranks 40 of 72 awarding agencies.
The FY2026 mix was 85% grants, 15% contracts; obligations were down 67% on FY2025, with $0 so far in FY2027.
Its largest recipient organisations over FY2022–FY2025 were Arts Midwest, Incorporated ($20M), The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. ($18M) and South Arts, Inc. ($16M).
By place of performance, the most money went to NY, CA and MD.
Obligations by fiscal year and award type
- Contracts $6.0M
- Grants $34M
Compared with all agencies FY2026
| Measure | This agency | Largest (Health and Human Services) | All agencies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Award obligations, FY2026 | $40M | $2.0T | $5.1T |
| Contracts, FY2026 | $6.0M | $20B | $716B |
| Grants, FY2026 | $34M | $885B | $1.2T |
| Direct payments, FY2026 | $0 | $1.1T | $3.2T |
| Loans (subsidy cost), FY2026 | $0 | $0 | −$5.5B |
| Other assistance, FY2026 | $0 | $5.2B | $21B |
| Share of all award obligations, five years | 0% | 38.2% | 100% |
Largest recipient organisations FY2022–FY2025
| # | Recipient organisation | Obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arts Midwest, Incorporated | $20M | 6% |
| 2 | The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. | $18M | 6% |
| 3 | South Arts, Inc. | $16M | 5% |
| 4 | Mid-America Arts Alliance | $14M | 4% |
| 5 | Mid Atlantic Arts, Inc. | $11M | 4% |
| 6 | Innosoft Corporation | $9.6M | 3% |
| 7 | National Assembly of State Arts Agencies | $6.9M | 2% |
| 8 | State of California Arts Council | $5.7M | 2% |
| 9 | New England Foundation for the Arts, Incorporated | $5.6M | 2% |
| 10 | Texas Commission on the Arts | $5.5M | 2% |
| 11 | Arts Council Ohio | $5.2M | 2% |
| 12 | Arts PA Council of | $4.8M | 2% |
| 13 | Massachusetts Cultural Council | $4.8M | 2% |
| 14 | State, New Jersey Department of | $4.7M | 1% |
| 15 | Arts AZ Commission on | $4.6M | 1% |
| 16 | Florida Department of State | $4.6M | 1% |
| 17 | Illinois Arts Council | $4.5M | 1% |
| 18 | Wa State Arts Commission | $4.4M | 1% |
| 19 | Wisconsin Arts Board | $4.3M | 1% |
| 20 | South Carolina Arts Commission | $4.3M | 1% |
| 21 | Montana Arts Council | $4.2M | 1% |
| 22 | Nebraska Arts Council | $4.2M | 1% |
| 23 | State of South Dakota | $4.2M | 1% |
| 24 | Mississippi Arts Commission | $4.2M | 1% |
| 25 | North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources | $4.2M | 1% |
| 26 | Indiana Arts Commission | $4.1M | 1% |
| 27 | GA Department of Economic Development | $4.1M | 1% |
| 28 | Tenn Arts Commission | $4.1M | 1% |
| 29 | State of Minnesota Arts Board Minne | $4.1M | 1% |
| 30 | Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development | $4.1M | 1% |
| 31 | Oklahoma Arts Council | $4.0M | 1% |
| 32 | Commonwealth of Kentucky | $4.0M | 1% |
| 33 | Arts Idaho Commission on | $3.9M | 1% |
| 34 | Department of Commerce | $3.9M | 1% |
| 35 | Oregon Business Development Department | $3.9M | 1% |
| 36 | Louisiana State Arts Council | $3.9M | 1% |
| 37 | Vermont Council on the Arts Inc | $3.9M | 1% |
| 38 | Alabama Council on the Arts | $3.9M | 1% |
| 39 | Arts Commission Maine | $3.8M | 1% |
| 40 | Utah Division of Arts and Museums | $3.8M | 1% |
| 41 | Rhode Island State Council on the Arts | $3.8M | 1% |
| 42 | State of Nevada | $3.8M | 1% |
| 43 | Council on the Arts, North Dakota | $3.7M | 1% |
| 44 | Delaware Division of the Arts | $3.7M | 1% |
| 45 | Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts | $3.7M | 1% |
| 46 | Missouri Arts Council | $3.7M | 1% |
| 47 | Virginia Commission for the Arts | $3.7M | 1% |
| 48 | Education Commission of the States | $3.7M | 1% |
| 49 | State Parks & Cultural Resources Wyoming | $3.6M | 1% |
| 50 | District of Columbia, Government of | $3.6M | 1% |
| 51 | Cultural Affairs, New Mexico Department of | $3.5M | 1% |
| 52 | Instituto de Cultura Puertorriquena | $3.5M | 1% |
| 53 | Department of Cultural Affairs Iowa | $3.4M | 1% |
| 54 | Arkansas Arts Council | $3.2M | 1% |
| 55 | Department of Education & Early Development Alaska | $3.2M | 1% |
| 56 | National Council for the Traditional Arts, Inc. | $3.2M | 1% |
| 57 | Department of Cultural Resources New Hampshire | $3.2M | 1% |
$20M among the top 60 went to recipients not shown: aggregated records (for example "multiple recipients"), individuals and withheld names.
Where the money goes place of performance
Competition contracts, FPDS extent competed
FPDS "extent competed" codes as reported, FY2022–FY2025: $18M coded.
Contract industries NAICS
Assistance programs listings
Largest awards begun since FY2026
| Recipient | Type | Award value | Begun | Place | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. | GrantProject Grant (B) | $5.0M | 20 Feb 2026 | MD | USAspending |
| Leading Authorities Inc | ContractDefinitive Contract | $2.3M | 27 Apr 2026 | DC | USAspending |
Most $1.0M+ award value since FY2023
| # | Recipient organisation | Awards | Award value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. | 4 | $19M |
| 2 | Arts Midwest, Incorporated | 9 | $15M |
| 3 | Mid-America Arts Alliance | 6 | $10M |
| 4 | Innosoft Corporation | 4 | $9.7M |
| 5 | Mid Atlantic Arts, Inc. | 3 | $6.1M |
| 6 | South Arts, Inc. | 3 | $6.0M |
| 7 | State of California Arts Council | 3 | $4.7M |
| 8 | Texas Commission on the Arts | 3 | $4.3M |
| 9 | North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources | 3 | $4.2M |
| 10 | Arts Council Ohio | 3 | $4.0M |
| 11 | National Assembly of State Arts Agencies | 3 | $3.8M |
| 12 | Arts PA Council of | 3 | $3.8M |
| 13 | Massachusetts Cultural Council | 3 | $3.7M |
| 14 | State, New Jersey Department of | 3 | $3.7M |
| 15 | Florida Department of State | 3 | $3.6M |
Questions and answers
How much does National Endowment for the Arts spend on contracts and grants?
$40M in award obligations in FY2026: $6.0M contracts, $34M grants, $0 direct payments, $0 loan subsidy cost and $0 other assistance.
Who are the largest National Endowment for the Arts contractors and grantees?
Over FY2022–FY2025: Arts Midwest, Incorporated ($20M), The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. ($18M), South Arts, Inc. ($16M), Mid-America Arts Alliance ($14M) and Mid Atlantic Arts, Inc. ($11M).
How competitive are National Endowment for the Arts contracts?
Of $18M in contract obligations over FY2022–FY2025 with an extent-competed code, 96% was coded as competed (full and open, after exclusion of sources, under simplified acquisition procedures, or competitive delivery orders), using the FPDS codes as reported.
Where does this data come from?
USAspending.gov award transactions, awarding-agency view, loaded 30 Sep 2026. Agency totals here count awards; budget authority and outlays are separate USAspending views.
Provenance
Source: USAspending.gov API v2, spending by category (awarding agency, awarding sub-agency, recipient, NAICS, assistance listing) and spending by geography, loaded 30 Sep 2026; cross-tabulations cover FY2022–FY2025. Agency figures count award obligations only; budget authority and outlays are separate USAspending views. See methodology.