Our Town, from the National Endowment for the Arts, supports projects that combine creative placemaking strategies with arts tactics to build stronger communities. Awards are $25,000 – $150,000 and require a 1:1 match of non-federal funds.
Part 1 of the application is due through Grants.gov by August 1, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET. Part 2 must be submitted through the NEA Applicant Portal, which will open at 9:00 AM ET on August 8 and close August 15, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET.
Eligibility
This grant is open to:
- 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations
- Nonprofit institutions of higher education
- Local government entities
- Federally recognized Native American Tribes
Applicants must have completed at least 3 years of art programming and have at least one partner. The partnership must include at least one nonprofit organization and at least one local governmental or quasi-governmental entity.
Project Design
Our Town projects pair creative placemaking strategies with arts tactics to create long lasting community change.
Creative Placemaking Strategies
- Envision – Imagine new possibilities for overcoming challenges and solving problems or a new future for the community as a whole
- Connect – Bring communities, people, and places together
- Illuminate – Bring attention to community assets such as local history and cultural infrastructure
- Energize – Bring new energy, resources, and people to a place or issue
Art Tactics
- Arts Engagement – Activities such as artist residencies, arts festivals, public art, and performances
- Cultural Planning – Activities such as identifying and leveraging community resources, creative asset mapping, and public art planning
- Design – Activities such as artist-led community planning, creation of artist spaces, design of public spaces, and creative business development
Outcomes
Our Town projects should yield concrete, measurable outcomes such as:
- Participation – Number and diversity of participants
- Offerings/Deliverables – Number of arts offerings, cultural planning and design deliverables, or creative industry offerings
- Quality – Quality of participation and quality of offerings/deliverables
Additional project outcomes include:
- Economic Change – Improvements at the individual, community, or institutional level
- Physical Change – Improvements to the built and/or natural environment
- Social Change – Improved social relationships, greater civic engagement, and more community empowerment
