Applications are now being accepted for the New England States Touring (NEST) Grant Program.
Donor Name: New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA)
State: Selected States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 12/01/2025
Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
There are two distinct grant opportunities for the New England States Touring (NEST) program: NEST 1 and NEST 2. Organizations engaging rural communities and/or Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities are encouraged to apply.
- NEST 1
- Funds the public presentation and community engagement activities of a New England artist presented by a New England nonprofit organization based in a different New England state from the artist’s home state.
- NEST 2
- Funds the public presentation and community engagement activities of a New England artist presented by two New England nonprofit organizations. A NEST 2 tour must include one presenting organization based inside of the artist’s home state and one other organization from outside of the artist’s home state.
- Grants provide up to 60% of the artist fee and range from $500 to a maximum of $5,000. Artists’ fees may include costs for creation of new work, travel, and per diem.
- Applications with artist fees under $2,000 may request the full artist fee.
Funding Criteria
NEST grants are awarded through a competitive selection process. The grants support projects that demonstrate artistic excellence and merit. The amount of funding awarded is based on the extent to which the project meets the criteria. The funding criteria are:
- Clear rationale for how the project aligns with the organization’s arts programming goals and provides the community with access to excellent artistic and cultural experiences.
- Additional activities beyond the performance, which provide opportunities for the artist(s) in this engagement to meaningfully connect with community. Cross-sector exchanges (connecting arts and non-arts organizations) and collaboration are strongly encouraged.
- Community partnerships and strategies to provide access to the arts for all New England communities, including those that often experience barriers to participation in arts activities. Such barriers may exist for someone based on their age, class, disability, gender, geographic location, and economics.
- Provides the artist with resources that support their artistic vision and sustainability as a New England-based artist.
- Priority will be given to projects that provide communities with new arts experiences.
- Collaborative planning with the tour partner and the artist to share knowledge and experience that will deepen the engagement for the artist, partner organizations, and their communities.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for NEST funding, applicants must:
- Be a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, school, federally recognized Indian tribal government, or unit of state or local government. (Nonprofit organizations do not have to be arts organizations. Organizations that do not have a federal tax identification number may apply if part of an official government agency). Be based in New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont).
- Have a Unique Entity ID in SAM.gov. The federal government requires that all NEFA organizational grant recipients supported by federal funds register for a SAM.gov UEI (Unique Entity ID).
- Provide documentation of their compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA).
- Maintain an updated profile in the CreativeGround directory for their cultural nonprofit.
- Present a public presentation of the artist/ensemble named in the application. A public presentation is defined as an event that is open to the public and advertised accordingly. The presentation must feature the artistic work of the named artist/ensemble.
- A public presentation for literary projects must include a public reading by the NEST-eligible artist.
- A public presentation for film projects must include a public film screening with the NEST-eligible artist/filmmaker.
For more information, visit NEFA.
