National Foundation on the Arts and
June 13, 2023
Humanities: FY2023 Appropriations
Shannon S. Loane
The National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities is the primary vehicle for federal
Senior Research Librarian
support for the arts and the humanities. Established in 1965, the Foundation currently consists of

three agencies: the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the National Endowment
for the Arts (NEA), and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). IMLS is funded

through the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act. NEA and NEH are funded through the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.
P.L. 117-328, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, provided FY2023 appropriations for all three agencies. In total, the
act contained $708.8 million for the three agencies. P.L. 117-103, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022, provided FY2022
appropriations for the three agencies. In total, the act contained $628.0 million for the agencies. Thus, together the agencies
received a FY2023 increase of $80.8 million (12.9% over the FY2022 total appropriations).
Each agency received a FY2023 increase over the FY2022 appropriations. Specifically, IMLS appropriations for FY2023
totaled $294.8 million, compared with FY2022 appropriations of $268.0 million. NEA’s appropriations for FY2023 totaled
$207.0 million, compared with FY2022 appropriations of $180.0 million. NEH appropriations for FY2023 totaled $207.0
million, compared with FY2022 appropriations of $180.0 million. Nearly all of the major IMLS programs, and all of the
major NEA and NEH programs, received portions of the overall increase for the agency. Amounts and percentages of
increase varied from program to program.

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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 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 21st 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

1 P.L. 117-328, Division H, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023; Explanatory Statement Regarding Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2023, Congressional Record, vol. 168, Part 198 (December 20, 2022), pp. S8899, S9186.
2 For more information on IMLS’s Grants to States program, 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

• 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 250th 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

3 The National Endowment for the Arts, by law (P.L. 111-88, Title IV, Section 438), is not permitted to give grants to
individuals with the exception of literature fellowships (creative writing and translation), National Heritage
Fellowships, or American Jazz Masters Fellowships.
4 P.L. 117-328, Division G, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023; Explanatory Statement Regarding Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2023, Congressional Record, vol. 168, part 198 (December 20, 2022), pp. S8662, S8860.
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National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities: FY2023 Appropriations

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 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.
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

5 P.L. 117-328, Division G, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023; Explanatory Statement Regarding Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2023, Congressional Record, vol. 168, part 198, (December 2022), pp. S8662-S8663, S8860-
S8861.
6 Included in the preservation and access area is the Documenting Endangered Languages program, a partnership
between the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Science Foundation to develop and advance
knowledge concerning endangered human languages. The Appropriations Committees specifically pointed out their
support of this program in the FY2023 Explanatory Statement. P.L. 117-328, Division G, Consolidated Appropriations
Act, 2023; Explanatory Statement Regarding Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, Congressional Record, vol. 168,
part 198, (December 2022), pp. S8662-S8663.
7 Included in this $18.8 million is $3.0 million from the Treasury funds account.
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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.
Table 1. Institute of Museum and Library Services, National Endowment for the
Arts, and National Endowment for the Humanities: FY2020-FY2023 Appropriations
(in thousands of dollars)
FY2020
FY2021
FY2022
FY2023
Agency and Program
Enacted
Enacted
Enacted
Enacted
Institute of Museum and Library Services
252,000
257,000
268,000
294,800
Library Grants to States
166,803
168,803
168,803
180,000
Native American and Native Hawaiian
5,263
5,263
5,263
5,763
Library Services
National Leadership: Libraries
13,406
13,406
13,406
15,287
Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian
10,000
10,000
10,000
10,000
Museums for America
25,899
26,899
27,899
30,330
Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum
1,772
2,272
2,272
3,772
Services
National Leadership: Museums
8,113
8,113
8,113
9,348
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
22,650
National Endowment for the Arts
162,250
167,500
180,000
207,000
State Partnerships
51,840
53,540
57,540
64,980
Direct Grantsa
77,760
80,310
86,310
97,470
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
207,000
Federal/State Partnership
50,028
51,576
54,348
65,000
Preservation and Access
19,000
19,000
19,500
22,500
Public Programs
13,500
13,500
14,000
15,800
Research Programs
14,500
14,500
15,000
17,500
Education Programs
12,250
13,000
13,500
15,400
Program Development
500
500
2,500
2,800
Digital Humanities Initiatives
4,600
5,000
5,500
6,250
Special Initiativesb
4,172
5,724
5,052
7.000
Matching Grants
14,500
15,000
15,600
18,750
Administration
29,200
29,700
35,000
36,000
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National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities: FY2023 Appropriations

Source: Prepared by the Congressional Research Service based on 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 A More Perfect Union and American Tapestry: Weaving Together Past, Present, and Future.

Author Information

Shannon S. Loane

Senior Research Librarian

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