Creative Forces®: NEA Military Healing Arts Network works to improve the health, well-being, and quality of life for military and veteran populations exposed to trauma, as well as their families and caregivers. Read more about us.

Applications Now Open for Grants to Support Arts Projects for Military-Connected Individuals

Date Published: November 7, 2024
Authors:
  • National Endowment for the Arts
A photo collage of individuals, groups, and families of all ages, from children to older adults, participating in a variety of arts activities.
2024 Creative Forces Community Engagement grant recipients. Pictured top to bottom, left to right: So Say We All, photo by Matthew Getz; Exit 12 Dance Company, photo by Alberto Vasari; Brushwood Center, photo by Josiah Shaw; UrbanGlass, photo courtesy of UrbanGlass; Carnegie Hall, photo by Jennifer Taylor; Killeen Creators, photo courtesy of Killeen Creators; Colorado Photographic Arts Center, photo courtesy of Colorado Photographic Arts Center.

(External link)The National Endowment for the Arts , in partnership with (External link)Mid-America Arts Alliance , has released guidelines and application materials for the Creative Forces Community Engagement grant program, part of the Creative Forces®: NEA Military Healing Arts Network. Grants support non-clinical, community-based arts engagement programming for military and veteran populations, including family members and caregivers. Applications are now available on (External link)the M-AAA website . The deadline to apply is Wednesday, January 15, 2025.

(External link) See the grant application

Since 2017, Creative Forces has invested in community-based arts engagement activities that take place in healthcare, community, or virtual settings. Creative Forces Community Engagement projects address the distinct experiences, challenges, and strengths of a broad military-connected population through experiences of art or art-making. Projects should focus on one or more of the following participant outcomes:

  • Creative Expression—a better understanding of self and others by creating or engaging with art
  • Social Connectedness—supportive relationships and a sense of belonging to a community
  • Resilience—the ability to rebound from stress, unexpected events, or life’s challenges
  • Independence and successful adaptation to civilian life—a sense of purpose and positive self-worth that supports adapting and readjusting to civilian life

Funding will support projects beginning on or after July 1, 2025, in one of two categories:

Emerging:

  • Support for eligible organizations to develop and implement new or emerging non-clinical arts engagement programs or for small organizations to provide non-clinical arts engagement for military-connected populations
  • Cost-share/matching grant amount: up to $10,000 for one-year projects

Advanced:

  • Support for eligible organizations with established military-related non-clinical arts engagement programming
  • Cost-share/matching grant amounts: $10,000 – $25,000 for one-year projects or up to $50,000 for two-year projects

Projects will require at least one partner and be led by or include at least one organization with a history of creative or artistic programming. Partnerships among arts organizations and veteran and military service organizations are highly encouraged. Learn more about building partnerships in the upcoming webinar on Thursday, November 21, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. ET.

(External link) Register for the Creative Collaborations: Unlocking the Power of Community Arts Partnerships webinar

The NEA has funded more than 100 Creative Forces Community Engagement grant projects nationwide in the past three years. Projects benefit active-duty service members, guardsmen, reservists, veterans, military and veteran families, as well as caregivers and healthcare workers who provide care for military service members and veterans. Learn more about current and past grant recipients >

Additional applicant resources:

Resources for media:

(External link)Download a collection of approved photos for media use

Related resources

Side view of a man in a military uniform seated at a table and looking at a photo he is holding of a woman and child.
Education

Military and Family Needs Assessment and Literature Review: Considerations for Arts Providers and Creative Arts Therapists
In 2018, the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) at Syracuse University was commissioned by Creative Forces to conduct a literature review and needs assessment to understand how arts programming can effectively address the needs of various military-connected individuals.
A Black woman sits on the grass leaning back while she takes a photo of her daughter standing in a field with one arm overhead.
Tools

Grantee Project Logic Model Summary
Creative Forces® uses two logic models to guide its Community Engagement program. The Grantee Project Logic Model Summary helps guide individual projects by making sure their goals and strategies are clear.
Seated man looking down at clay on a round surface of a potter's wheel.
Tools

National Logic Model Summary
Creative Forces® uses two logic models to guide its Community Engagement program. The National Logic Model Summary helps guide the overall national program and ensures its aims, goals, and implementation strategies are clear.
A white male with short brown hair wearing a Marines military uniform seated while holding a paintbrush and painting.
Tools

What is a logic model?
A logic model is a detailed visual representation of how a program will operate and lead to change. Logic models show how program resources (inputs), activities, and outputs will lead to outcomes. Those outcomes connect to program goals.

About the National Endowment for the Arts

Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is an independent federal agency that is the largest funder of the arts and arts education in communities nationwide and a catalyst of public and private support for the arts. By advancing equitable opportunities for arts participation and practice, the NEA fosters and sustains an environment in which the arts benefit everyone in the United States. To learn more, (External link)visit the NEA website and follow the NEA on (External link)Facebook , (External link)Instagram , (External link)X , and (External link)YouTube .

About Mid-America Arts Alliance

Mid-America Arts Alliance (M-AAA) strengthens and supports artists, cultural organizations, and communities throughout Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, and beyond. To learn more about M-AAA grants, programs, traveling exhibitions, and fellowships, visit (External link)the M-AAA website and follow them on (External link)Facebook , (External link)Instagram , (External link)X , and (External link)LinkedIn .

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