National Foundation on the Arts and
September 22, 2022
Humanities: FY2023 Appropriations
Shannon S. Loane
The National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities is the primary vehicle for
Senior Research Librarian
federal support for the arts and the humanities. This report compares President Biden’s

FY2023 appropriations request with enacted FY2022 appropriations (P.L. 117-103,
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022) for the agencies comprising the National

Foundation on the Arts and Humanities: The Institute of Museum and Library Services,
the National Endowment for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services’ budget request for FY2023 totaled $276.8 million (compared with
FY2022 appropriations of $268.0 million), the National Endowment for the Arts’ budget request for FY2023
totaled $203.5 million (compared with FY2022 appropriations of $180.0 million), and the National Endowment
for the Humanities’ budget request totaled $200.7 million (compared with FY2022 appropriations of $180.0
million).

Congressional Research Service

National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities: FY2023 Appropriations

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 President Biden’s request for FY2023 appropriations with enacted FY2022
appropriations (P.L. 117-103, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022) for IMLS, NEA, and NEH.
It will be updated to reflect enacted appropriations for FY2023.
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. For FY2023,
the Biden Administration requested $276.8 million, an increase of $8.8 million (3.3%) over the
FY2022 appropriation of $268.0 million.1
IMLS’ FY2023 budget justification requested support for five priorities:
1. information and other critical literacy skills;
2. continued pandemic response, economic recovery, and community resilience;
3. digital access and infrastructure;
4. equitable engagement, including capacity building and technical assistance; and
5. civic engagement and sustaining our national heritage.
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
IMLS Grants to States funds 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 The FY2023 request
included $170.0 million for these formula grants, an increase of $1.2 million (0.7%) over the
FY2022 appropriation of $168.8 million.
IMLS’ other library programs include three competitive grant programs:
1. The Native American and Native Hawaiian Library Services program supports
existing library operations and maintains core library services for tribal
communities.

1 Institute of Museum and Library Services, 2023 Congressional Budget Justification, at https://imls.gov/sites/default/
files/2022-04/fy23cj.pdf and P.L. 117-103, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022.
2 For more information on the Grants to States, see CRS Report R46611, Institute of Museum and Library Services
Grants to States Funding Formula: In Brief.
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National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities: FY2023 Appropriations

2. The National Leadership Grants for Libraries program supports projects that
enhance the quality of library and archive services nationwide by advancing
theory and practice.
3. The Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian program supports developing a diverse
workforce of librarians to meet the changing, learning, and information needs of
the American public.
For these three programs for FY2023, IMLS requested $31.1 million, an increase of $2.4 million
(8.3%) over the FY2022 appropriation of $28.7 million.
IMLS’ competitive grant programs for museums include the following:
 The Museums for America program supports projects that strengthen the ability
of an individual museum to serve its public.
 The Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services program supports
Indian tribes and organizations that primarily serve and represent Native
Americans.
 The National Leadership for Museums program 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 requested $40.5 million, an increase of $2.2 million
(5.7%) over the FY2022 appropriation of $38.3 million.
The FY2023 request included $6.0 million, an increase of $0.8 million (14.7%) over the FY2022
appropriation 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 requested $6.0 million, $2.0 million (50.0%) over the FY2022 appropriation 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 plans to solicit applications for the
inaugural program of support and financial assistance to American Latino museums and related
organizations.
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. For FY2023, the Biden Administration requested
$203.6 million for NEA, an increase of $23.6 million (13.1%) over the FY2022 appropriation of
$180.0 million.3
For FY2023, NEA plans to focus on four areas:
 rebuilding the creative economy from the damage done from the pandemic;
 enhancing the agency’s operations;
 promoting arts education programs to help students, families, and schools recover
from the disruptions to education caused by the pandemic; and

3 National Endowment for the Arts, Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2023, at https://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/
NEA-FY23-Cong-Budget-and-Performance-Plan.pdf and P.L. 117-103, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022.
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National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities: FY2023 Appropriations

 pursuing a comprehensive approach to advancing racial equity, civil rights, racial
justice, and equal opportunity by extended outreach to underserved communities.
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 reaching underserved communities. The FY2023 request
included $63.6 million for these grants, an increase of $6.1 million (10.5%) over the FY2022
appropriation of $57.5 million.
NEA’s direct grants include the following:
 The Grants for Arts Projects program is the principal competitive grant program
for nonprofit organizations and awards grants in a number of artistic disciplines.
 Our Town program 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.
 Challenge America 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. The FY2023 request included $95.4
million for these grant programs and initiatives, an increase of $9.1 million (10.5%) over the
FY2022 appropriation of $86.3 million.
National Endowment for the Humanities
NEH generally 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, the Biden Administration requested $200.7 million, an increase of $20.7
million (11.5%) over the FY2022 appropriation of $180.0 million.4
For FY2023, NEH plans to launch new programs, offices, and policies that
 advance equity,
 increase engagement with underserved communities, and
 confront the climate crisis.
The Federal/States 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 request included $63.0 million
for this program, an increase of $8.7 million (15.9%) over the FY2022 appropriation of $54.3
million.

4 National Endowment for the Humanities, Fiscal Year 2023 Congressional Justification, at https://www.neh.gov/sites/
default/files/inline-files/NEH%20FY%202023%20CJ.pdf and P.L. 117-103, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022.
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link to page 7 National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities: FY2023 Appropriations

The FY2023 request included $77.8 million for NEH’s direct competitive grants, an increase of
$7.8 million (11.1%) over the $70.0 million in FY2022 appropriations. These grants are in the
following areas:
 preservation and access,
 public programs,
 research programs,
 education programs,
 program development, and
 digital humanities initiatives.
The FY2023 budget request also included $7 million for a special initiative, A More Perfect
Union. This NEH-wide initiative launched in 2019 to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the
founding of the United States. It builds on NEH’s background in projects that catalog, preserve,
explore, and promote American history.
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 over $1.3 billion in nonfederal funds for the humanities. The FY2023 request
included $17.3 million, an increase of $1.7 million (10.9%) over the FY2022 appropriation of
$15.6 million for this program.5
Recent Appropriations
Table 1 details appropriations for the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities
agencies. It provides President Biden’s requested appropriations for FY2023 in comparison with
enacted appropriations for FY2020 through FY2022.
Table 1. Institute of Museum and Library Services, National Endowment for the
Arts, and National Endowment for the Humanities: FY2020-FY2022 Appropriations
and FY2023 Budget Request
(in thousands of dollars)
FY2020
FY2021
FY2022
FY2023
Agency and Program
Enacted
Enacted
Enacted
Requested
Institute of Museum and Library Services
252,000
257,000
268,000
276,800
Library Grants to States
166,803
168,803
168,803
170,000
Native American and Native Hawaiian
5,263
5,263
5,263
5,263
Library Services
National Leadership: Libraries
13,406
13,406
13,406
15,787
Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian
10,000
10,000
10,000
10,000
Museums for America
25,899
26,899
27,899
27,830
Native American/Hawaiian Museum
1,772
2,272
2,272
2,772
Services
National Leadership: Museums
8,113
8,113
8,113
9,848

5 Included in this $17.3 million request is $2.0 million from the Treasury funds account.
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link to page 8 link to page 8 National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities: FY2023 Appropriations

FY2020
FY2021
FY2022
FY2023
Agency and Program
Enacted
Enacted
Enacted
Requested
Museum Grants for African American
2,731
3,231
5,231
6,000
History & Culture
Museum Grants for American Latino History —
—
4,000
6,000
& Culture
Research, Analysis, and Data Collection
3,013
3,513
4,513
5,650
Program Administration
15,000
15,500
18,500
17,650
National Endowment for the Arts
162,250
167,500
180,000
203,550
State Partnerships
51,840
53,540
57,540
63,600
Direct Grantsa
77,760
80,310
86,310
95,400
Program Support
1.950
1,950
2,000
2,500
Administration
30,700
31,700
34,150
42,050
National Endowment for the Humanities
162,250
167,500
180,000
200,680
Federal/State Partnership
50,028
51,576
54,348
63,000
Preservation and Access
19,000
19,000
19,500
22,000
Public Programs
13,500
13,500
14,000
15,400
Research Programs
14,500
14,500
15,000
17,000
Education Programs
12,250
13,000
13,500
14,800
Program Development
500
500
2,500
2,500
Digital Humanities Initiatives
4,600
5,000
5,500
6,050
Special Initiatives
4,172
5,724
5,052
6,950
Matching Grantsb
14,500
15,000
15,600
17,300
Administration
29,200
29,700
35,000
35,680
Source: Prepared by the Congressional Research Service with data from the House and Senate Appropriations
Committees, appropriations acts, and congressional justifications.
Notes: Table does not include funding the agencies received from the Coronavirus Aid,
Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act; P.L. 116-136) and the American Rescue
Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA; P.L. 117-2). For information on funding from those acts, see
CRS Insight IN11409, CARES Act Arts and Cultural Provisions and CRS Insight
IN11707, American Rescue Plan Act of 2021: Arts and Cultural Provisions.
a. Includes Challenge America grants, Grants for Arts Projects grants, Our Town grants, and national
initiatives.
b. Includes $2 million each year from Treasury funds account.

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National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities: FY2023 Appropriations

Author Information

Shannon S. Loane

Senior Research Librarian

Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan
shared staff to congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and
under the direction of Congress. Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other
than public understanding of information that has been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in
connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the United States Government, are not
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