The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is a critical source of federal support for the performing arts. The NEA awards more than 1,000 grants each year through direct support to organizations as well as funding through state arts agencies. Opera companies directly benefit from NEA funding which helps to improve access to the arts and support artistic excellence.

What’s at Stake
The NEA has never fully recovered from a 40% budget cut in FY96 and as a result its programs are seriously underfunded. OPERA America and its partner national service organizations in the Performing Arts Alliance (PAA) lobby Congress each year to increase federal support for the NEA.

Take Action!
OPERA America works with the Performing Arts Alliance to advocate for national policies that recognize, enhance and foster the contributions the performing arts make to America. This year, advocates should urge Congress to support a budget of $176 million for the NEA in the FY09 Interior Appropriations bill to restore funding for the creation, preservation and presentation of the arts in America through the NEA’s core programs — Access to Artistic Excellence, Challenge America: Reaching Every Community, Federal/State Partnerships and Learning in the Arts.

To take action and advocate for increased funding of the NEA, please visit Performing Arts Alliance and e-mail your elected officials today!

Tools and Resources
Below are helpful tools and resources so that you can advocate for increased funding for the NEA.

• NEA Issue Brief
  The NEA issue brief provides additional background and talking points to communicate the importance of federal funding for the arts.
• Opera Testimony to Congress
  Every year, OPERA America submits written testimony to Congress to demonstrate how full restoration of funding for the NEA will benefit opera companies nationwide.
• OPERA America 2008 Testimony
• OPERA America 2007 Testimony

NEA Funding
Each year, the NEA awards grants to opera companies nationwide through its core funding programs: Access to Artistic Excellence, Challenge America and Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth.

NEA grants to organizations and local arts agencies support a wide range of projects which help to improve artistic excellence, access to the arts and help leverage economic support for the arts from foundations, private contributors and individual donors.

See the most recent list of NEA Grants to Opera Companies.

Interested in applying for an NEA grant for your opera company? Visit nea.gov.