Congress Increases Arts Funding
11/29/04
On Saturday, November 20, in a lame duck session, Congress finally completed FY 2005 funding with the passage of a giant $388 billion “omnibus bill”. The final bill was over 1,600 pages and weighed 14 pounds. Congress essentially froze all non-defense spending, allowing small increases in certain programs, and reducing or eliminating funding for numerous programs.
Fortunately, cultural funding was one of the few domestic spending areas that will realize some small increases.
For a comparison of funding between last year and this year see below:
National Endowment for the Arts:
FY 2004: $120.97 million
FY 2005: $121.27 million
The NEA increase will incorporate approximately $2 million for the new American Masterpieces program, which will sponsor presentations of the great American works across all art forms, and will reach large and small communities in all 50 states. The popular Challenge America programÊwill beÊfunded at approximately $21.5 million. Minnesota benefits from these dollars in two ways - a block grant that goes to the Minnesota State Arts Board, and from grants given to individual arts organizations across the state.
National Endowment for the Humanities:
FY 2004: $135.30 million
FY 2005: $138.06 million
Approximately $16 million of the NEH funding is for matching grants. The final bill specifically noted a decrease of $2 million for the ÒWe the PeopleÓ initiative.
Arts in Education programs through the U.S.ÊDepartment of Education:
FY 2004: $35.1 million
FY 2005: $35.6 million
Arts in Education funding is broken down specifically as follows: $7.4 million for Very Special Arts; $6.36 million for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; $7.9 million for model professional development grants for music, drama, dance and visual arts educators, and;Ê $500,000 for evaluation activities. The remaining $13.4 million is for the expansion of model arts programs, including a new grant competition.
Office of Museum Services:
FY 2004: $31.4 million
FY 2005: $34.8 million
Funding for OMS is broken downÊapproximately as follows: $17.85 million for Museums for America; $446,000 for museum assessment; $3.6 million for the Museum Conservation Program; $7.54 million for the Museum National Leadership Project; and $843,000 for Native American Museum services.
In addition to the funding detailed above, cultural agencies nationwide alsoÊsecured dozens of earmarks — local projects identified by name with specific funding allocations in the omnibus bill. It appears that at least $50 million will be administered to specific cultural organizations to fund museum initiatives, arts education programs and many other projects.
Thank you for all of your grassroots advocacy efforts this year.
National Arts Advocacy Day will be March 14-15, 2005. If you would be interesting in joining the MCA team in Washington D.C., contact Sheila Smith at 651-251-0868.
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Minnesota Citizens for the Arts is a non-partisan statewide arts advocacy organization whose mission is to ensure opportunity for all people to have access to and involvement in the arts. MCA organizes the arts community and lobbies the Minnesota State Legislature and Congress on issues pertaining to the nonprofit arts. If you are interested in learning more about how to advocate for the arts, or how to activate people in your arts organization or community to lobby for the arts, please call us at 651-251-0868 or e-mail mca@mtn.org.
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