FAI's Statement about the NEA and Defending Cultural Funding

‍Folk Alliance International (FAI) is deeply disappointed by the National Endowment for the Arts’ (NEA) recent decision to withdraw an offer for a $50,000 grant award to support our annual conference and online programming. This funding was intended to support vital spaces for connection, cultural cross-pollination, and community through folk music and the preservation of American traditions.

Folk Alliance International is one of many organizations across the United States impacted by these draconian cuts. The decision comes amid a broader effort to eliminate the NEA entirely, along with the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) in the proposed FY2026 federal budget.

These changes jeopardize critical cultural infrastructure and threaten a sector that contributes over $1.2 trillion to the U.S. economy and supports 5.4 million jobs. The cuts will deeply affect artists, cultural leaders, and organizations throughout the U.S., with a particularly heavy impact on BIPOC, rural, Indigenous, LGBTQ+, immigrant communities, and other historically marginalized groups.

This moment is not just about one NEA grant: it’s a referendum about American values and the future of cultural support in our country. NEA funding is not symbolic. It’s essential for the survival of arts institutions and their critical role in American life and our cultural heritage.

Here’s how you can take action:

• Donate to FAI to support our work.
• Contact your legislators via the Performing Arts Alliance Advocacy Center.
• Complete the Americans for the Arts (AFTA) survey to help document the impact of these cuts.
  

Organizations that received NEA termination letters must request final payment by June 30, 2025, for costs incurred before May 31, 2025. Appeals must be filed within seven days of notification. If you are one of these organizations, watch the AFTA webinar for guidance.

Folk Alliance International stands with every artist, nonprofit, and community negatively affected by these cuts. We remain committed to our mission and will continue this work with renewed urgency.

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