NEA Big Read

Stored: NEA Big Read

NEA Big Read

Type	Program
Sponsor Organization	National Endowment for the Arts
Top Organization	Department of Health and Human Services
Creation Legislation	National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965 (Public Law 89-209)
Website	Website
Purpose	NEA Big Read, run by NEA & Arts Midwest, funds orgs for community reading progs on 1 book, aiming to deepen cultural understanding, boost lit engagement, & strengthen community ties.
Program Start	2006
Initial Funding	$1 million
Duration	Ongoing
Historic	No

The NEA Big Read, established in 2006 under the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act, is administered by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in collaboration with Arts Midwest within the Department of Health and Human Services to provide grants to nonprofit organizations, allocating over $50 million since inception to support approximately 75 community reading programs annually by 2025. Initially funded with $1 million, it has grown to distribute $4 million in FY 2024 across 75 awards, funding events like book discussions, author talks, and arts activities in communities nationwide. Despite its impact, challenges like funding limitations and rural reach persist (web ID: 4), but it remains a key literary engagement initiative under NEA.

Official Site

Goals

• Broaden understanding of diverse cultures and perspectives through shared reading experiences.
• Foster public engagement with literature and the arts through community-wide programs.
• Strengthen social cohesion and civic engagement by building stronger community connections.

Organization

The NEA Big Read is managed by the NEA, overseen by Chairman Maria Rosario Jackson since 2021, with Arts Midwest as the partner managing grants and resources, under federal oversight. It operates via annual appropriations, guided by the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act and subsequent funding acts like Public Law 117-328 (2022).

Partners

• Arts Midwest
• American Library Association
• National Book Foundation
• Minnesota Humanities Center

History

Authorized by the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965 (Public Law 89-209) and launched in 2006 with $1 million, the NEA Big Read expanded with annual appropriations, reaching $4 million in FY 2024. It grew from funding 20 programs annually in 2007 to 75 by 2025, addressing disparities with innovations like digital access for rural areas (web ID: 4). By 2025, it has awarded over $50 million, though GAO notes funding limitation concerns (web ID: 4).

Funding

Initial funding of $1 million in 2006 supported the program’s launch, with over $50 million appropriated by 2025 via annual HHS budgets—e.g., $4 million in FY 2024. Ongoing appropriations under the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act sustain its operations, with no fixed end as it addresses ongoing literary engagement needs.

Implementation

NEA Big Read distributes competitive grants annually, requiring organizations to host reading programs around a selected book, tracked via NEA’s Grants Management System and Arts Midwest reporting. It progresses through partnerships with libraries and cultural organizations—e.g., 75 programs yearly—and program expansions, adapting to community needs with no set end, though rural reach remains a challenge (web ID: 4).

Related

• Grants for Arts Projects
• Challenge America Grants

External links

• https://www.arts.gov/neabigread
• https://www.artsmidwest.org/programs/neabigread/
• wikipedia:NEA Big Read

Social media

• https://twitter.com/NEAarts
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-endowment-for-the-arts