Introduction

The National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities is the primary vehicle for federal support for the arts and the humanities. The foundation, established in 1965, was composed initially of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) was established within the National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities in 1996. NEA and NEH are funded through the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. IMLS is funded through the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.

This report compares FY2023 appropriations (P.L. 117-328, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023) with FY2022 appropriations (P.L. 117-103, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022) for IMLS, NEA, and NEH.

Institute of Museum and Library Services

IMLS is the primary administrator of grants supporting the nation's libraries and museums. It consolidates federal library programs dating back to 1956 with museum programs dating back to 1976. IMLS grants reach all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. In FY2023, IMLS appropriations totaled $294.8 million, an increase of $26.8 million (10.0%) over FY2022 appropriations of $268.0 million.¹

The IMLS Library Grants to States program is both the largest source of federal funding for library services in the United States and the largest IMLS-administered program. These grants are allocated, by a population-based formula, to state library administrative agencies (SLAAs) located in each of the states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. An SLAA may use funds for IMLS Grants to States to support library initiatives across its state or territory, or it may distribute the funds to public, academic, research, school, or special libraries or consortia of libraries through competitive subawards or cooperative agreements.² FY2023 appropriations included $180.0 million for these formula grants, an increase of $11.2 million (6.7%) over the FY2022 appropriations of $168.8 million.

IMLS also has several competitive library grant programs, including

• The Native American and Native Hawaiian Library Services program, which assists Native American and Native Hawaiian libraries in improving core services for their communities;
• The National Leadership Grants for Libraries program, which supports projects that enhance the quality of library and archive services nationwide by advancing theory and practice; and
• The Laura Bush 21^st Century Librarian program, which supports developing a diverse workforce of librarians to meet the changing, learning, and information needs of the American public.

For these programs, for FY2023, IMLS received appropriations of $31.1 million, an increase of $2.4 million (8.3%) over the FY2022 appropriations of $28.7 million.

IMLS's competitive grant programs for museums include the following:

• The Museums for America program, which supports projects that strengthen the ability of an individual museum to serve its public;
• The Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services program, which supports organizations that primarily serve and represent Native Americans and Native Hawaiians; and
• The National Leadership for Museums program, which supports projects that address critical needs of the museum field and that have the potential to advance practice in the profession.

For these programs for FY2023, IMLS received appropriations of $43.5 million, an increase of $5.2 million (13.5%) over the FY2022 appropriations of $38.3 million.

In addition, IMLS received appropriations of $6.0 million, an increase of $0.8 million (14.7%) over the FY2022 appropriations of $5.2 million, for the grant program authorized by the National Museum of African American History and Culture Act (P.L. 108-184). The program provides grants for capacity-building, professional development, and collection access for African American museums. IMLS has supported 110 organizations in 31 states through this program.

IMLS also received $6.0 million, $2.0 million (50.0%) over the FY2022 appropriations of $4.0 million, to implement the education provisions related to the National Museum of the American Latino (P.L. 116-260, Division T, Title II). In FY2023, IMLS released a solicitation focused on supporting the development and implementation of museum internship and fellowship partnerships between institutions of higher education designated as Hispanic-Serving Institutions, or Minority-Serving Institutions, and museums.

IMLS program administration appropriations increased by 22.4%, from $18.5 million to $22.7 million. Included in this increase were $4.0 million for the continuation and expansion of the Information Literacy Taskforce and $1.0 million in preparation for the America250 commemoration of the 250^th anniversary of the founding of the United States.

National Endowment for the Arts

NEA is a major source of support for all arts disciplines. Since 1965, it has awarded more than 150,000 grants totaling more than $5.5 billion. These grants have been distributed to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. Typically, NEA grants are used to support nonprofit arts organizations, public arts agencies and organizations, and individual writers and translators.³ For FY2023, appropriations for NEA totaled $207.0 million, an increase of $27.0 million (15.0%) over the FY2022 appropriations of $180.0 million.⁴

NEA's largest grant program is its state partnerships grants, which are awarded by formula to state and regional arts agencies. These agencies apply annually for this support and the funding they receive includes general funding for their priorities and designated funding for folk and traditional arts, arts education, and outreach to underserved communities. The FY2023 appropriations included $65.0 million for these grants, an increase of $7.5 million (12.9%) over the FY2022 appropriations of $57.5 million.

NEA's direct grants include the following:

• Grants for Arts Projects, which is the principal competitive grant program for nonprofit organizations and awards grants in a number of artistic disciplines;
• Our Town, which provides competitive grants that support projects that integrate arts, culture, and design activities into efforts that strengthen communities by advancing local economic, physical, or social outcomes; and
• Challenge America, which is a competitive program that provides support for projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved populations.

NEA also supports several national initiatives, such as Creative Forces: NEA Military Healing Arts Network, Poetry Out Loud, and the NEA Big Read. FY2023 appropriations included $97.5 million for these grant programs and initiatives, an increase of $11.2 million (12.9%) over the FY2022 appropriations of $86.3 million.

National Endowment for the Humanities

NEH supports grants for humanities education, research, preservation and public programs; the creation of regional humanities centers; and the development of humanities programs under the jurisdiction of the state humanities councils. Typically, NEH grants are used to support cultural institutions, such as museums, archives, libraries, colleges, universities, public television and radio, and individual scholars. Since 1965, NEH has awarded almost $6.0 billion in grants. For FY2023, NEH appropriations totaled $207.0 million, an increase of $27.0 million (15.0%) over the FY2022 appropriations of $180.0 million.⁵

The Federal/State Partnership program is the largest program in NEH's budget. Program grants are awarded, by formula, to state humanities agencies to increase public awareness of, access to, and support for the humanities in the United States. The FY2023 appropriations act included $65.0 million for this program, an increase of $10.7 million (19.6%) over the FY2022 appropriations of $54.3 million.

The FY2023 appropriations act included $80.3 million for NEH's direct competitive grants, an increase of $10.3 million (14.7%) over the $70.0 million in FY2022 appropriations. These grants are in the following areas:

• preservation and access,⁶
• public programs,
• research programs,
• education programs,
• program development, and
• digital humanities initiatives.

The FY2023 appropriations included $7.0 million for two special initiatives—A More Perfect Union and American Tapestry: Weaving Together Past, Present, and Future.

A More Perfect Union is a NEH-wide initiative launched in 2019 to commemorate the 250^th anniversary of the founding of the United States. It builds on NEH's background in projects that catalog, preserve, explore, and promote American history.

American Tapestry: Weaving Together Past, Present, and Future is a new program that leverages the humanities to strengthen democracy, advances equity for all, and addresses the changing climate.

Further, NEH supports a Matching Grant program to stimulate and match private donations in support of humanities institutions. NEH estimates that since their start in 1977, matching grants have generated more than $1.3 billion in nonfederal funds for the humanities. The FY2023 appropriations act included $18.8 million, an increase of $3.2 million (20.2%) over the FY2022 appropriations of $15.6 million for this program.⁷

Recent Appropriations

Table 1 details appropriations for the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities agencies. It provides enacted appropriations for FY2020 through FY2023.