NEA Retracts Grants After Trump Threatens to Dismantle Organization
156May 6, 2025
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) on the evening of May 2 canceled or withdrew grant offers made to organizations earlier this year. The cancellation of the grants arrived within hours of President Donald Trump’s budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year beingmade public. Trump suggested that the NEA, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and theInstitute of Museum and Library Services(IMLS) be eliminated, in a move the proposal document said is “consistent with the president’s efforts to decrease the size of the federal government to enhance accountability, reduce waste, and reduce unnecessary governmental entities.” The NEH has already pulled back funding and laid off significant numbers of employees, while the IMLS in Marchplaced its entire staff on administrative leavefollowing meetings with the Elon Musk–led Department of Government Efficiency, a temporary cost-cutting initiative established by Trump in an Inauguration Day executive order.
Organizations that had been counting on the NEA funds received the bad news via email, which read, in part:
“The NEA is updating its grantmaking policy priorities to focus funding on projects that reflect the nation’s rich artistic heritage and creativity as prioritized by the President. Consequently, we are terminating awards that fall outside these new priorities. The NEA will now prioritize projects that elevate the Nation’s HBCUs and Hispanic Serving Institutions, celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence, foster AI competency, empower houses of worship to serve communities, assist with disaster recovery, foster skilled trade jobs, make America healthy again, support the military and veterans, support Tribal communities, make the District of Columbia safe and beautiful, and support the economic development of Asian American communities. Funding is being allocated in a new direction in furtherance of the Administration’s agenda.”
Recipients of the email were told, “Your project . . .unfortunately does not align with these priorities.” Those who wished to appeal were given seven days to do so.
The New York Times late on May 5 announced a number of top-tier leadership departures, including those of directors in charge of dance, design, folk and traditional arts, and theater; the director of the “partnership” division, which oversees the agency’s work with state and local arts agencies; and the head of the literary arts division. Though the Friday letters announcing the grant cancellations suggested the NEA would continue funding those organizations that met its newly laid out criteria, the void in leadership could slow or otherwise hinder the distribution of funds.