NEA and Arts Education Funds Increase for Fiscal Year 2022
On March 15, President Biden signed into law a $1.5 trillion spending bill to fund the federal government through September 2022. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is receiving a boost to a funding level of $180 million, which is the NEA's highest allocation without accounting for inflation. The Assistance for Arts Education program at the U.S. Department of Education also received a $6 million increase for an allocation of $36.5 million.
With the current fiscal year's funding now settled, the Administration has just released its budget requests for FY23. The President has requested a budget of $203.55 million for the NEA! Please contact your elected officials to support an increase to the NEA’s FY23 appropriation. TCG has submitted written testimony to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior to support an increase in NEA funding for FY23, describing the impact of NEA grants on theatres and the arts engagement they provide communities.
FY23 Congressionally Directed Spending (Earmarks)
Earmarks reappeared in FY22 appropriations after a 10-year hiatus, and the process is now open for FY23. Also called Community Project Funding, millions of dollars in federal earmark funds may provide a sizable source of funding for arts and cultural organizations to use for a variety of purposes. This competitive opportunity is posted here and deadlines are in early April. If interested, contact your elected officials immediately to inquire about the process in each Congressional office. Please make sure your project aligns with eligible Accounts that are listed in each Dear Colleague Letter under each federal agency listed on this page.
Continued Calls for Relief as Research Outlines COVID-19's Impact on the Arts
The newest data on the economic impact of the art sector is included in the latest report of the Arts and Cultural Production Satellite Account, just released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the National Endowment for the Arts. The report illustrates the toll of the COVID-19 pandemic on the live performing arts sector, while also capturing the important role of the arts in our nation's economic recovery. Among the notable findings are that "Performing arts presenters and performing arts companies joined oil drilling/exploration and air transportation as the steepest-declining areas of the U.S. economy in 2020."
Theatres and other arts advocates continue to call on the federal government to maximize COVID-19 relief and enact policies that invest in the capacity of the arts. The FY22 omnibus legislation passed this month did not include restoration of the 4th quarter of the Employee Retention Tax Credit, which theatres have been pressing Congress to reinstate, nor did the bill include an extension to allow more time for Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program recipients to expend their awards. These and other top policy priorities are gaining bipartisan support but will require a new legislative vehicle in order to gain momentum in Congress. Thank you for your continued advocacy!
Charitable Giving and Nonprofit Sector the Focus of Senate Hearing
TCG is calling on Congress to expand charitable giving incentives and enact urgently-needed policies to support theatres and the wider nonprofit sector. In a March 17 hearing titled, "Examining Charitable Giving and Trends in the Nonprofit Sector," bipartisan members of the leading tax policy committee in the Senate expressed support for reinstating and expanding the Universal Charitable Deduction, which expired at the end of 2021. Theatres can continue to speak up to describe how their nonprofit missions advance vibrant artistry, community partnerships, and a commitment to lifelong learning through theatre, and to ask for Congressional action on tax policies that will support theatres and their workforce.
SHUTTERED VENUE OPERATORS GRANT (SVOG) UPDATE
The Small Business Administration (SBA) reports that several new SVOG updates will be announced by the end of March, including the following:
- Reorganizing SBA professional staff to become specialists by grantee entity type and geographic areas. Each grantee will be assigned an SBA specialist. Grantees can continue to use SVOGrant@sba.gov until they are assigned a GMS – grant management specialist.
- SBA has announced a series of SVOG Office Hours the week of April 4th to assist grantees on completing Final Budget Action Items. These Office Hours will focus on the Expense Report:
- Tuesday, April 5: 4:00 – 5:00 EST; To join this session click here.
- Wednesday, April 6: 2:00 – 3:00 EST; To join this session click here.
- Friday, April 8: 12:00 – 1:00 EST; To join this session click here.
- Expanding Supplemental Grant eligibility to use 2021 Quarters 3 and 4 to qualify for a Supplemental grant. Invitations will be going out soon in batches. If a grantee does not want to participate, the invitation can simply be declined. Grantees that are eligible for Q3/Q4 Supplemental have not received the final budget action yet.
- If a grantee has received an initial and a supplemental award, they should have received a Budget Action Item. If not, please notify SBA and TCG.
- Will soon complete all outstanding Reconsideration 2.0 applications. If a grantee has not received final word on Reconsideration applications, please notify SBA and TCG.